“It was fine. Did you even watch it?”  She spat.

            “What do you mean?” I decided to play dumb. Only time would tell if it was a smart move.

            “You know exactly what I mean. You watched Ashley that entire time. Don’t even deny it, that would be an insult to both of us.” Yeah, the playing dumb was definitely a mistake.

            “Avery, it’s just strange having her back in my life. I feel like she’s just going to vanish.”

            “You and I know that there’s more to it than that.”

            “Please. Just give me a chance to get used to this. You said you understood. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

            “It’s hard to, when you only have eyes for her.” This triggered me to snap.

            “Avery, you need to get past the fact that your ex cheated on you! Jesus! I understand that it hurt you a lot, but it’s not my fault! Don’t punish me for something she did to you!” I hissed. Anger bubbled up inside me violently. I couldn’t explain it, but her accusations infuriated me. She accused me of something I fought with every fiber in my being not to feel. She couldn’t scold me now. Not when I was trying so hard.

            “Why do you even like her?! Do you even remember what she did to you? She broke you! She left you, and went with the dick instead. She’s a slut, Spencer. Believe it or not, though, leaving was the best thing she ever did for you.”

            The next few moments were a blur, but the crisp sound of my palm across her face was something I wouldn’t soon forget. The car swerved with my movement, but I regained control quickly. My hand throbbed as the realization of what I’d done dawned on me.

            We were both still for a few moments, but I could nearly feel her gaping. She closed her dropped jaw and crossed her arms, sinking back into her seat. She glared out the window, and I knew that she wasn’t going to look at me or speak to me for the rest of the ride. I wasn’t about to ask her to.

            We spent the next ten minutes in silence. I was still boiling, but the slap was a nice release. I knew I’d feel bad about it later, but for now I reveled in it. The soreness of my hand was like a trophy. When we arrived at her house, she left the car without a word, slamming the door just a little harder than she normally would. She stormed up the driveway and was inside before I could count to ten.