I knew instantly which one was Erin.
She was the tall drink of water trying to cling to Ryan as they waited in line for tickets. She kept putting her hand on his arm, and he’d move it out of the way, shrugging off her touch.
It wasn’t working.
He was irritated, and he wanted her away, but his scowl and the way he kept messing his hair up were having the opposite effect on her. The blonde could-be-a-model only stood closer each time he rebuffed her.
Nick and Tom were already in line for snacks, along with a group of girls. I didn’t need two guesses to know they were Erin’s friends. Cora was right. They all looked the same—with tight jeans and different shades of pink sweaters, glitter all over their faces and necks.
Cora came up next to me. “That’s her.”
There was a mix of envy, fear, and caution in her voice. It hit me in the chest. This girl was reacting to the ex the same way she would’ve reacted to Willow. Willow was Erin. I couldn’t believe it, but it was true. The way she was standing, the way she whispered in Ryan’s ear—that was how Willow had been with her last boyfriend, and how she’d intimidated his previous girlfriend. She’d been scared of Willow the same way Cora feared Erin.
For some reason, that pissed me off.
Then Ryan saw me, and with his wave, the beast saw me too.
Her demeanor changed. Gone was the seductress. Her eyes grew cold, and her lips formed a sneer.
Hello, cold-hearted bully.
I fought against grinning. This girl was trying to intimidate me.
It was working on Cora, who shied away from her place beside me. She actually took two steps away, and I looked at her, meeting her gaze so she knew I knew.
I grunted. Well, screw it. I’d take Erin on alone.
I turned back to regard the ex again.
She was smug under a layer of frostiness. She assumed I would be afraid of her.
Her mistake.
Something came over me. It’d been itching at me since I heard about this Erin girl, but right then, it was like a blanket wrapped around me. It wasn’t a supporting or warm blanket. I wasn’t being enveloped like that. It was eagerness. It was anticipation. It was . . . I had a target.
This girl wanted to make me the target, but no, honey. It wasn’t going to work that way. Even if she knew about my sister, I wouldn’t have cared. I was fast feeling the first peak of adrenaline.
I had an outlet, and I went straight at her. No hesitation. No lagging. I wanted this fight, consequences be damned. I had nothing left to lose.
Surprise flared in her eyes, but then the authoritative look returned to her face. She expected me to bow down to her.
My lip curled. She had another thing coming.
“Hey.”
Even Ryan was cautious around this girl. I was beginning to wonder what powers she had tucked away for this reaction.
“I got you a ticket,” he added. He glanced at Erin before handing it to me. “Here you go. I wasn’t sure if you had money or not.”
I gestured behind me. “Give it to Cora.”
If he was scared of this bitch, then fine. I’d buy my own ticket. He hadn’t asked me on a date. He’d asked if I wanted to go to the movies. But instead of pulling out some cash, I continued staring at Erin.
She narrowed her eyes. “Do you have a staring problem?”
“Move.” I loved that simple command, and I stepped even closer. I was almost in her personal space. “You’re in my way.”
My voice was strong and clear. No break. No trembling. No softness. And I wasn’t being aggressive. I wasn’t tense. She was in the way. The ticket guy was right behind her.
“Oh.” She moved aside, but only barely. Folding her arms over her chest, she was still in the way. There was enough space for me to move forward, but I’d have to hunch to the side, stand awkwardly, and feel her breathing down my neck to get the ticket.
Fuck that.
I stepped right up to the counter, my arm jabbing into her.
She cried out.
I turned to look her right in the eye, our faces inches apart. “Then fucking move.”
She gasped, but I ignored her and bought my movie ticket.
After I pocketed my ticket, I turned to her. I was an inch taller, but I had to give her credit. Cora said Erin could’ve been a model, and she was right. The funny thing was—so could I and so could have Willow.
I’d never cared for our height. Sometimes I hated it during soccer, but I almost reveled in it while I stood toe to toe with Erin.
There were other people behind us, waiting to get their tickets, but I wasn’t going to be the first to move. No way. I couldn’t. She’d made this a pissing contest, and I wasn’t going to be the one to falter.
So there we were, standing ridiculously close, staring at each other. Her eyes were heated, her sneer reinforced, and I was dead inside. I had no problem showing her that.
You can’t battle someone who’s lost everything.
Erin broke first. She whipped around and left, her hair flicking over her shoulder.
As soon as she did, I moved to the side so the next person could get a ticket. Her friends flanked her immediately, and she paused to glare at me. I stared back. I couldn’t look away first. She had to do that too. This was her home turf. Not mine. I had to win both battles to have even footing.
Cora moved beside me. Ryan was off to the side, frowning.
“That was unexpected,” Cora said, moving closer. “No one’s been able to out-Erin Erin before.”
She was impressed. I felt nothing inside.
Tom and Nick headed our way, their hands full of soda and popcorn.
“What’d we miss?” Tom sounded damn chipper.
Ryan studied me a moment before glancing to where Erin had disappeared, but all he said was, “Are we ready for the movie?”
“Let me take one of those.” Cora took a soda, leaving with Tom for the theater. Nick held back, giving Ryan and me a look before turning, popping a kernel of popcorn in his mouth, and following at a more sedate pace.
Ryan stayed with me. As soon as they were out of earshot he said, “I’m sorry about Erin.” I felt him move a little closer, his arm brushing against mine.
I waved that off. I didn’t even care about his ex-girlfriend. “It isn’t a problem,” I assured him. “Really.”
“I knew she could be a bitch, but I haven’t seen it like that in a long while. I can talk to her—”
“No!” I grabbed his shirt, and my hand formed a fist in it. “Don’t.”
He frowned. “She can’t be a bitch. It isn’t right.”
Was he clueless about how girls worked? I shook my head. “Let it go. I can handle myself, but word to the wise.” I nodded in the direction his friends had gone. “I’ve got a feeling she’s been a bitch behind your back to Cora.”
His head moved back a centimeter. “You serious?” His mouth pressed in a hard, flat line.
Good. I liked that he cared about his friend.
It was good that he cared, and that look told me so much.
He’d do something about it.
He was like Willow in that regard. If she saw an injustice, she did something. Unless she was the injustice.
My stomach twisted.
I had been that friend, the one who wouldn’t do anything. I never had to. Willow fought our fights for us.
I felt nauseated thinking about that, and I suddenly, didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to think at all anymore. I didn’t want to have memories in my head, making me feel things I couldn’t handle.
I was ashamed. I should’ve been this person before . . .
No. Stop thinking. Stop feeling. “Let’s go watch the movie.”
Ryan gazed at me a moment longer and then nodded. “Okay.”
Once we sat, once the lights turned off, once the move started, I let the first tear fall.