“There is no penance for your crimes. There is no absolution.” The tone of her own voice was beginning to scare Lou again. “You’re just going to have to live with what you did for the rest of your life. What you did to me and the others. Reduced us to toys for your cruel, cruel games. I cried myself to sleep for a long time after I left Queen Mary, just because of you. Because you existed and our paths crossed and you were so fucked-up you could only express it by being mean. It took me a long time to realize that it was not me who was the screwed-up one, the one who deserved to be called names like that, but it was you. The kind of person you must have been to have to resort to that sort of brutality every single day. A vain narcissist who got off on other people’s tears. A control freak who couldn’t stand the slightest word of criticism aimed at herself. In fact, I feel sorry for you, Mia. I hated you for a very long time, but now, I feel genuinely sorry for you. The kinds of fucked-up you must be.”

“What do you want me to do?” Mia seemed to be gaining back a bit of her composure. “Do you want me to leave the Pink Bean?”

“I’m not here to blackmail you. I’m just here to remind you. And to finally say what I’ve wanted to say to you forever. And I will remind you of who you truly are every single day, you can be sure of that. There will be no more carefree prancing about the Pink Bean when I’m around, or when Amber is around. I will always have my eye on you, because I want you to remember.” This was starting to sound a lot like the revenge Lou had said she didn’t want.

“This may mean nothing to you, but I have changed. That angry young girl has nothing to do with who I am now. I’m so sorry for what I put you through. I really am.”

“I don’t care who you are today. You could be volunteering at a homeless shelter and feed stray cats and participate in anti-bullying programs every single day for the rest of your life. In my eyes, you will never be redeemed. Because I don’t believe that sort of inborn cruelty can ever leave a person.”

“It’s your prerogative to believe that. I won’t try to change your mind. I will keep my distance from you.”

“And you won’t come to any of my yoga classes.”

Mia nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “If it’s all right with you, I would like to go now.”