The Hardest Cut by Jamie Bennett (book club recommendations .TXT) 📕

“What’s that?  Benny was all worried about you limping around, and you’re going out to party?” Kayden asked, and laughed.  I slowed, wondering if that was true, that Ben was concerned about me.

I got the answer quickly.  “I wasn’t worried,” Ben said, like he was surprised.  He wouldn’t care, I reminded myself.  Of course he wouldn’t.  But he did go on, looking right at me while he spoke.  “Gaby’s got to rest, though.  She’s not going out.  She’ll stay in and let her leg heal.”

And that made me angry.  He wasn’t in charge of me and what I did.  “If I stay in, it’s only because…because I’m having a party at my condo,” I announced, and that suddenly sounded like a great idea.  It had been forever since I’d seen my friends and had any fun.  I’d spent the last few months worried and unhappy and I was ready for a change.  And a lot of time had passed, and still no one seemed to know about me and Shep.  Not even Addison, with her threats about her sister telling her why I got fired, really knew the truth.  If she did, she definitely would have spilled it to everyone on the cheer squad and especially to the coaches.

I looked at Ben, who just seemed bored, and my anger surged.  Why not?

“I’m having a party to welcome summer,” I continued, warming even more to the idea.  “It’s the last month of spring so we’re almost there.  I’m having all my friends over.  I’ll make really good cocktails and it’s going to be super fun.”

Kayden grinned.  “That does sound super fun.  Tonight?”

“No, I have a lot to do to get ready.”  It gave me a pleasant feeling of anticipation, and when was the last time I’d looked forward to anything?  This was a great idea.  “Tomorrow night.  Saturday.”

“I’ll be there,” he answered, and I looked up in surprise, because I hadn’t meant to invite him.  I didn’t know if he was supposed to be out at parties, around people drinking.  I’d heard Ben argue with him about skipping out on alcohol rehab and his team cutting him.  I bit my lip, thinking.

Kayden looked at me, an eyebrow raised.  “Am I not invited?  Too exclusive?”

“No, not at all.  You’re welcome to come, Kayden,” I said, then realized how rude it was to ignore the other person standing with us.  “Both of you,” I added, looking at Ben.

“Benny will stay home with Tessa,” Kayden answered before his brother could speak.  “What’s your address, Gaby?”  He walked me to my loaner car and Ben didn’t say another word.

It was really fun to have a party, I thought happily as I got my apartment ready the next day.  I always liked to have a special drink, and I decided on mojitos, because I had a ton of leftover rum from the sangria of two summers ago.  Soon, my condo smelled minty and limey and just delicious.

A ton of people had texted to say they were coming, and most of them mentioned that they hadn’t seen me in forever, or they thought I had moved, and they had missed me.  I had separated myself from everyone, not believing that they would understand my relationship with Shep and not able to talk about it anyway.  I’d realized that the only person I really trusted had been Hallie, but now, it felt really, really good to read their words about our former friendships.  It was time to rekindle and reconnect!  I scrolled through my messages to read them again.

“Did u here OMG G!!!!!” my phone suddenly blared with an incoming text from Caitlyn.  “Vanessa!!!!!!!”  There were a lot more exclamation points, too, and my eyes got big.  Vanessa still hadn’t been arrested since she set Coach Sam’s car on fire and toasted mine, too, and I had almost put her out of my mind.

“What happened?” I demanded back, and waited for the response.  More messages started flying in, like, “Rylahs freaking out bc blood!!!!!” and, “I hope it wasn’t real bc omg where did she get it?”  Finally, I had to call her.

“What?  Vanessa was bleeding?  Or, Rylah was?” I asked, and Caitlyn screamed the answer into my ear.

“Vanessa attacked Rylah’s house!  She’s still angry about getting cut from the squad and she threw blood on Rylah’s front door!”

I recoiled from the scream and the information it contained.  “What?  Blood?”

“I can’t believe you haven’t heard,” Caitlyn scolded, and said that all the girls on the squad were wigging out and Rylah was going crazy.  “She’s hoping it’s not real blood.”  I nodded, my hand over my mouth and feeling slightly sick.  Caitlyn talked until someone pounded on my door and, feeling guilty, I said I had to go.  I hadn’t invited Caitlyn or any of the girls on the Woodsmen squad, because I’d been keeping that part of my life secret.  “I’ll see you Monday and I’ll be dancing,” I promised, and she was happy to hear that.

“You’ll give Addison something to worry about,” she told me, and I hoped that was true.

“Gabbers!” Holland Mordarski squealed happily when I opened my front door, but then she stepped back to look at me and frowned.  “What happened to you?  Have you been staying in because you’re sick or something?”

My hands went up to cover my cheeks.  “No.  Do I look sick?”

“You’re just really pale,” she told me, and walked in, followed by Lauren and Bianca and Sima, her usual crowd.

“Maybe you need some sun to perk you up, to clear away the circles under your eyes,” Sima told me after her hug, and Lauren agreed that I looked off but that it was because my hair was darker and had less body.  They helped themselves to mojitos and I did, too.  I gulped mine, since my coworkers weren’t here and I wouldn’t be driving.  And because I felt, suddenly, like I needed it.

But more people arrived and the night definitely got better, especially after mojitos number two and