Chapter 168
“Yes p>
I shake my head immediately.
“No. That’s fucking ridiculous p>
Her laugh comes out louder this tim and there’s something almost hysterical inside it.
“Is it p>
I look at Zane again still nothing frm him.
He hasn’t interrupted or denied a single word and the silence from him is starting to feel like confirmation.
Claire runs a shaky hand through her hair.
“He came to me, before you and I became close” she says.
My heart begins beating faster again.
“He told me to get close to you and… I didn’t want to but…but I liked him so I did p>
Her eyes fill with something emotional
“Make her trust you,” she says, repeating his words.
“Find out what ever you can about her brothers p>
The room spins slightly.
“What p>
Claire laughs again but it breaks halfway through.
“You really didn’t know anything p>
“Claire p>
“Don’t, ” she snaps suddenly.
Her voice cracks as she points toward Zane without even looking at him.
“Don’t start defending him now p>
“I’m not defending him, why will I fuckin do that ” I say quickly.
“I’m simply trying to understand what you’re saying p>
Claire’s chest rises and falls unevenly.
“Oh you want to understand p>
Her voice starts climbing now and getting louder.
“He used me, Elaine p>
The words explode out of her, the sound echoing slightly through the room.
“He knew I loved him! And he took advantage of that p>
My eyes widen.
“He knew it,” she repeats, her voice shaking.
“And he still asked me to do it p>
My stomach drops.
“You loved him p>
Claire laughs bitterly.
“Yes p>
Her eyes move to Zane again and the look she gives him is raw.
“You knew I did,” she says to him.
“You knew exactly how I felt about you p>
Zane still hasn’t spoken and that seems to push her over the edge.
“And I still said yes,” she continues.
Her voice breaks now and hr hands are trembling.
“He told me if I helped him… if I stayed close to you… if I gave him information about your family p>
She swallows hard.
“He said we could finally be together p>
The room goes silent again and my chest tightens painfully.
Claire lets out a shaky laugh.
“I believed him, naive little me p>
Tears start sliding down her face now.
“I thought we were building something together p>
Her voice rises again.
“I thought there was going to be a future p>
She turns fully toward Zane now, her anger is boiling over.
“You promised me, you fucking promised me p>
The words rip out of her throat.
“You promised that when this was done we’d finally be together p>
Zane doesn’t move, he doesn’t react either.
Claire’s hands curl into fists at her sides.
“And what did you do instead p>
Her voice cracks again.
“You went ahead to…to marry this bitch p>
The last word comes out almost like a scream as she gestures wildly toward me.
“You married the girl I spent years pretending to be friends with p>
My chest tightens painfully watching Claire crying openly now, the tears running down her face as she struggles to breathe through the anger.
“You broke my heart,” she chokes out.
“And you used me, Zane p>
Her voice drops slightly but it’s still shakin
“I kept my part of the deal.
She wipes angrily at her face.
“I gave you everything you wanted p>
Then her voice rises again.
“But you didn’t keep yours p>
Her words echo through the dining room and the sound of them hangs in the air long after she stops talking.
Claire’s crying doesn’t stop after her outburst, her shoulders are shaking and her hands keep wiping uselessly at the tears on her face, but more keep falling.
I stayed rooted where I’m standing, I can’t move. My head feels heavy, as every word she just said is still echoing in my head.
Zane asked her to spy on me, my “best friend” from high school, wasn’t reallt my friend at all, she was asked to be my friend claire loved him and he promised her a future Then he married me instead.
My chest feels tight as Claire finally drags in a shaky breath and lifts her head. Het eyes land on me and something softer flickers across her face… Guilt
And that makes something inside me recoil.
“I… didn’t come here to hurt you, Elaine,” she says hoarsely.
Her voice sounds wrecked from crying and my jaw tightens.
” well That’s funny,” I reply quietly.
“Because you’re doing a pretty great job at that p>
Claire winces slightly.
“I mean it p>
She wipes her face again with the back of her hand.
“This isn’t your fault p>
I don’t answer but continues anyway.
“Zane is the one who hurt me p>
Her voice trembles again.
“When I found out he married you she trails off, shaking her head.
“That destroyed me p>
I feel a bitter laugh building in my chest.
“You’re standing in my house telling me about how hard my marriage is for you,” I say.
“Do you even hear yourself p>
“I’m not blaming you,” Claire says quickly.
“That’s not what this is p>
My arms cross tightly over my chest.
“Then what is it p>
Claire looks down at the floor, for a moment she doesn’t answer and she finally does, her voice is quieter.
“I wanted to hurt him p>
I frown.
“What p>
Her eyes lift slowly to mine.
“I was angry,” she says.
“Furious p>
She laughs weakly.
“You have no idea how humiliating it was for me p>
My stomach tightens.
“So I wanted him to feel something p>
My patience is running thin.
“And what thw fuck does that have to do with me p>
Claire swallows and hr gaze flickers away for a second.
Then she says something that makes my blood run cold.
“I wanted to hurt you too for taking him away from me p>
My eyebrows shoot up.
“Excuse me p>
She flinches slightly.
“I know how that sounds p>
“No,” I cut her off.
“Explain it p>
Her hands start twisting together nervously.
“You were the reason he chose someone else,” she says.