Chapter Two

Riana wiped her wet cheeks dry before she knocked on Loraine’s apartment door. She couldn’t let Loraine see her tears. Right now, she couldn’t take being told ‘I told you so’. She’d always suspected the two of them.

She and Loraine had taken the same art course at New York University, and that was all they had in common. But it didn’t stop them from being best friends. Loraine was a party girl and her studies came second. For the three years Riana had known her, she had never seen Loraine miss even one party advertised on the notice boards. But she had no problem missing lectures and Riana didn’t mind getting notes for her in exchange for stories about her exciting escapades. Sometimes Riana envied her relaxed life. She might be that relaxed if she had parents to pay for her studies and didn’t live in the constant fear of losing her scholarship for making one stupid mistake.

So for Riana, studies came first, then her job, and finally her social life. Riana’s chest tightened. The only social life she’d had was her unfaithful boyfriend Steve.

She should have listened to Loraine.

The one time Riana had let down her hair and gone to a party, she’d invited Claire and Steve along. Loraine had only spent two minutes in their company before she’d told Riana that they were screwing behind her back. Riana had just laughed it off to Loraine’s overactive imagination. She’d loved him and he loved…

“Oh, God.” Riana’s head dropped, hitting the door with a loud thud as fresh tears burned the back of her eyes

Claire was right. She didn’t deserve a scholarship. She was the dumbest creature to ever exist!

The door flew open and Riana stumbled forward. She grabbed onto the door frame to keep from falling face first on the wooden floor.

“Riana…what the hell?”

Riana looked up at her one, true friend. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She shut her mouth then tried again, but this time a sob escaped. Riana covered her face with her hands and let the threatening tears flow.

“Oh, no.” Loraine hugged her, back stepping into the apartment then she pushed the door shut. “You caught them in the act, didn’t you?”

She nodded, keeping her shame filled face covered with her hands.

Loraine rubbed her back. “Don’t cry. They don’t deserve your tears.”

Riana broke away from her and stomped to the two-seatter couch. She dropped onto it, pulling her legs under her. “Just say it,” she sniffed. “I know you want to.”

Loraine sat next to her, a gentle smile on her face. “Oh, honey.”

Riana cried some more, relieved her friend didn’t…

“I did tell you so.”

“Really, Loraine, really?” she shrieked, jumping off the couch to pace in front of her. “You are supposed to be my best friend. The last friend I have at this point, actually. Or am I wrong about that, too?”

Loraine stood up and pulled on her arm. “Hey! I’m the only true friend you have and don’t you ever forget it. And as your best friend, I need to rub reality in your face a few times to make sure you don’t make the same mistake again.”

Riana dropped onto the couch again. She felt exhausted from crying, from the pain in her chest, from feeling betrayed. From being so darn stupid!

Loraine disappeared for a moment and came back with a glass of water and something clenched in her fist. “Here you go.”

Riana took the glass and opened her hand to Loraine’s clenched fist. “What’s that?”

She opened her fist and dropped the tablets in Riana’s hand. “Antibiotics.”

Riana’s brows drew together. “What for?”

“You were sleeping with Steve and he is sleeping with Claire and who knows what she’s been spreading her legs for.” Loraine shivered in horror for effect, her face contoured in disgust.

If Riana didn’t find that thought scary, she would have laughed along with Loraine. She tossed the antibiotics into her mouth and washed them down with the water.

“Do you want me to get your stuff?”

Riana groaned, tugging painfully on her hair. God she was stupid! “And take them where? Steve made me give up my dorm room so that we could live together. I have nowhere to go, no place to put my stuff!”

One month into the ‘loving’ relationship and he’d talked her into giving up her dorm room, going apartment hunting, signing a lease for rent she knew she couldn’t afford, and accepting the first big boobed bimbo who applied as their roommate. All that plus her virginity in the same damn bed.

Shit, she really was stupid and naive.

Loraine chuckled rubbing her back again. “You poor idiot.”

Riana turned quickly toward her, wounded. “Hey!”

Loraine laughed louder. She pulled Riana into a bear hug. “You are an idiot but you are also my best friend. You can take the spare bedroom and I’ll go get your stuff.”

Riana pulled away from her. “I couldn’t do that Loraine. That room is your studio.”

Loraine waved her concern away. “It’s fine. I’m not cut out for art anyway. I only took the course to annoy my parents. What I really want is to open a catering business.”

“Well, you do love to eat,” Riana chuckled, glad for the change in topic. It was a reprieve from the discussion of how much of an idiot she was. “What I don’t understand is how you always stay so skinny!”

Loraine winked. “Have you met my mother? It’s all in the genes. But I do envy the curves you have.”

Riana felt a lump form in her throat. “Well don’t. I don’t particularly like them right now,” she whispered.

“You are a Bahamian beauty and he is an asshole who just made the worst mistake of his life. It’s a good thing it isn’t the end of the month yet.”

Riana was confused. What did the time of the month have to do with anything? “Why?”

Loraine’s lips spread in a knowing smile. “You haven’t paid the rent yet.”

Riana giggled, and then it built up to a hysterical laugh. “I was supposed to pay Claire’s half, too. She went on a shopping spree and spent everything she had.”

Loraine laughed so hard she fell off the couch. “’Ain’t karma a bitch!”