Even though her nails had been painted a scarlet red, she gnawed on her thumbnail. “He sneaks off to see you, and comes back all … different. Then he says we need to talk about what’s next for us, and I just know that you said something to him.”

Oh my God, Chad. He always had the shittiest timing.

I swallowed. “He did come see me, but—”

“I knew it.” She screwed up her face. “God, you can’t stop, can you?” I hated that even her scowl was pretty.

“Penny, come on. That’s not fair and you know it,” I said. “You’re painting me as the villain, and I get it, okay? You want to punish me. But enough is enough. I apologized to you so many times, I asked you what you needed from me to make this right, but it feels like you just want to blame me for everything.”

Her face turned ashen. “Do you actually think you can turn Chad against me? Do you seriously think you’re the victim?” Her eyes snapped fire. “Are you forgetting that you kissed my boyfriend?”

“You were already broken up! And I wasn’t the one who initiated it!”

“Technicalities,” she shot back. “Do you want to know the truth? It wasn’t even the kiss that pissed me off, it was that you didn’t tell me. What kind of best friend does that?” She kept going. “If you think that makes me such a terrible person, then maybe you should think about how you would feel if it was me and Levi. Seriously. Think about me for once.”

I reeled back, tears stinging. Hurt surged through me. I couldn’t believe she’d gone there. I’d always done what she asked me, even if I didn’t want to. Her accusation was unfair, and she knew it. She damn well knew it. The way Penny was looking at me, not an ounce of remorse on her face, I wondered if she hated me that much. If there was no hope left for us.

The fanfare began, and the pageant contestants all began to take their places in front of their decked-out clamshells. For the longest moment, Penny didn’t move. It was as if she was waiting for me to say something. Maybe it would have fueled her wrath if I tried to defend myself, if I unsheathed my own claws in return.

“Hey, Babe. You okay?” Lorcan appeared beside me. He eyed Penny, then said quietly, “I think they want you onstage.”

Her eyes flicked between me and him, amusement registering on her face. “Unbelievable. You’ve already lined up a replacement for us,” she said. There was an edge to her voice that hadn’t been there before. “I guess that makes you Chad 2.0.”

“I think you should go,” Lorcan said firmly.