Out of My League - Sarah Sutton Page 0,87
entire time, he’s been using me, Edith.” I explained every terrible truth to her, feeling my voice shake. Heck, everything was shaking. My hands, my knees, my breath. “All those dates, those pictures. He wanted to rub it in Scott’s face that he was dating his ex. How messed up is that?”
Edith’s gaze remained steady on me after I fell silent, a small crease taking root between her dark eyebrows. Her quietness seemed to ring through the house, knocking against the walls and my brain. I waited for her mouth to open, for her to come back with an equally enraged response.
I waited, but it never came. “Well?” I demanded, a little more than impatient. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“I’m trying to figure out why you’re mad.”
I flinched back from her, my turn to frown. “Why I’m mad?”
“You’re saying that Walsh used you to make Scott mad, right?” Edith crossed her arms over her chest. “How is that any different than you using him for your article? How is what he did worse, even?”
No way. No way was she taking Walsh’s side. She was my best friend. “You’ve got to be kidding,” I snapped at her, for what felt like the first time ever. I couldn’t remember ever raising my voice at her before. “You don’t get how important this article is. It’s my ticket into writing for the Blade, to jumpstarting my career.”
“I do get it, Sophia. But that’s your dream. What about Walsh’s?” she demanded. “The rest of the team? You’d be tanking their dreams of playing on the county league once this got out.”
“They forfeited that when they started cheating. The school is cutting the newspaper to support them!” I said back, exasperation and hurt making my throat tight and my voice rise. “They’re taking my funding and just handing it to them—I have no choice!”
My loud voice rang through the house, and I held my breath, hoping that Edith’s little brother didn’t come wandering out to see what was going on. Again, I’d mentioned choices. Edith’s words from before came back to me, about how we all have choices. She was right. Walsh made his, and I made mine.
Edith’s lips pinched tight, whitening near the corners. I’d always been able to practically read her thoughts, gauge her emotions. Being her best friend for nearly ten years gave me the upper hand in that department. But right at this moment, with her brown eyes heated and glaring, I couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. “You’re so mad at your parents for being self-centered,” she murmured, the quietness of her voice a stark contrast of mine, “and you’re mad at Walsh for using you to make Scott jealous, but what about you, Sophia?”
Everything in me stilled. “What are you trying to say?”
“When was the last time you asked me about me?” she asked, deadly quiet. “About Zach? I mean, come on, Sophia. You could’ve asked what he needed advice about. I would be curious if the roles were reversed! When was the last time we talked about anything other than Walsh and your article?”
“That’s not fair,” I all but gasped. “You don’t talk about any of those things.”
Edith threw her hands into the air, expression cracking into a look of exasperation. “Gosh, these past few weeks, it’s like I’m my own best friend. You’ve been gone. Off with your fake dating Walsh, and I was happy for you! I was rooting for you! But Sophia—do you seriously think you get to be mad at him when you’re using him to your own advantage?” She let out a sharp breath, an annoyed sigh, but she was not done. “You’re so mad at your parents and Walsh, but in reality, if you want someone to blame, you should look in the mirror.”
I recoiled from her, jerking back, my sandals slipping on the damp floor. A chill worked its way over my skin, raising goosebumps along my arms, tugging the hairs at the back of my neck. My muscles trembled as I stood stock-still, frozen, tensed for another blow of harshness.
But Edith didn’t speak again. Though her eyes softened as our stare-down continued, her lips didn’t part.
I watched my best friend for a moment longer before turning on my heel, simmering and steaming as I tugged the front door open. At the last second, with a nagging thought passing through my mind, I stopped, turning back. “Did you know?”
Edith hugged her arms around her middle, a crease between her