text: -WE NEED TO TALK!- Adley read the text as she walked through her cousin, Bronwyn’s front door. “How could you?” Bronwyn’s voice bellowed through the hallway. “I only got your text a minute ago. What’s going on?” Adley placed her handbag on the console table. “Oh don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.” “But I don’t know what you are talking about.” Her confusion seeped through her tone. “How long have you been sleeping with Theo?” Bronwyn spat out. “What?” “God, you are not that great of an actress, Adley.” “You are accusing me of sleeping with your fiancé and I’m not supposed to be shocked?” She crossed her arms defensively. “Not if you’re innocent, which clearly you are not. Unless you are shocked because I found out, which only confirms I am right.” “You are not making any sense. Bronwyn are you okay?” “Don’t pretend to care about me or my feelings. You should have thought about that before you slept with my fiancé.” “Where are you getting this from? Did Theo tell you this?” “No, Theo didn’t tell me. Why would he, when he can keep you his dirty little secret?” “Bronwyn, you are not being fair right now and you’re hurting my feelings.” “Oh, I’M hurting YOUR feelings. That’s classic.” “Do you honestly think that I would do that to you? That I would deliberately hurt you that way? You are my family, my only family. I love you and I would never hurt you like that. Where did you get this idea in your head from?” “Jesse.” Bronwyn mumbled after a few seconds. “Jesse?” Adley raised her eyebrows in disbelieve. “You listened to backstabbing, skirt-chasing, compulsive liar, egocentric Jesse Thompson?” “What? He is one of my best friends . . .” She shuffled from one foot to the other. “And he is as reliable and trustworthy as a jackal. I can’t believe YOU.” Adley threw her hands in the air, pacing back and forth as a habit to calm herself. “You believe that good for nothing finks over me, your flesh and blood?” “Blood isn’t always thicker than water.” “That’s your comeback?” Adley retorted in disbelief. “You know, if I didn’t know you for the bright and intelligent woman you are, I would have said you are making some dumb remarks.” From Bronwyn’s silence, Adley grabbed the opportunity to clear up any more confusion. “We have been through so much together. I was there when you lost your first tooth. You were there for me when I broke my leg and needed help to get up from the couch and when I had to take a shower. When our parents died in that plane crash, we only had each other to lean on. I was there when you cried yourself to sleep every night and when you woke up screaming from bad nightmares. It has been you and me for the longest time. We don’t have anyone else but the two of us, so why would you want to risk our relationship making these very hurtful and absurd assumptions?” “I don’t know. I’m sorry, okay. I don’t know what came over me. I know you would never hurt me that way. I guess Jesse got into my head and when he showed me those pictures, I lost it.” “What pictures?” “It’s nothing. Let’s forget about it. I’m sorry I accused you . . .” “What pictures, Bronwyn?” Adley insisted. “It’s truly nothing. He was at a club the other night and saw you and Theo dancing together. And I didn’t believe him at first when he told me, but then with the picture and all . . .” “Where are the pictures?” “On my phone.” “Can I see it?” Bronwyn turned around, made her way to the living room where she reached over the armchair to pick up her phone laying on the sofa. She scrolled through her library until she found what she was looking for and gave the phone to Adley. A frown appeared between Adley’s face as she zoomed in and out of the picture. “Bronwyn, how closely did you look at this photo?” “Uhm, I don’t know. Close enough to see you with your arms around my fiancé.” She replied with a little bite. “That’s not Theo.” Adley flipped the phone around for Bronwyn to look at the picture again. “What do you mean, ‘that’s not Theo’?” “Exactly what I’m saying.” “But that is you.” “Yes, and that is Dario.” She pointed to the guy in the picture. “Oh.” Bronwyn breathed. “Which brings me to my next point; why the hell would I cheat on my husband with your fiancé?” “This makes so much more sense.” Bronwyn mumbled to herself, barely acknowledging Adley’s statement. “Bronwyn!” “What?” She jumped at the mention of her name. “It’s not bad enough that you think I am having an affair with Theo, but you think I’m cheating on Dario.” “No, that’s not what I meant at all.” Bronwyn realized her mistake. “I’m sorry, Ads. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve been so stressed at work and planning the wedding has been so overwhelming.” She slumped onto the sofa with her head falling into her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “You have enough on your plate as it is. I didn’t want to bother you with my stuff.” “I don’t mind helping you out. You know I would do anything for you.” “I know, and that’s what makes it so hard for me. You have always been there when I needed you; always put my needs before yours and it’s not fair to you. I don’t want to be a burden anymore.” “You are not a burden. I want to help you and I like it to be needed. And I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you were a burden.” “No, you haven’t. It’s me. I’m the terrible person.” “You are not terrible and I forgive you for believing your ‘friend’ over me.” “Adley, I need to tell you something and I don’t think you will ever forgive me for it.” Bronwyn’s face sunk as she stared into Adley’s face. “It can’t be as bad as what just happened.” When Bronwyn said nothing, Adley went to sit next to her, placing her hand over hers. “Bee, you’re scaring me. What is it?” “Ads, I don’t know how to tell you. It was never meant to go this far. I . . .” The front door opening interrupted her confession. “Hey, babe.” The male voice filled the room. “Shit.” Bronwyn’s eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet. “Adley won’t be home till late so I got us some dinner and wine and thought we could take a bubble bath . . .” Dario stepped into the living room and stopped in his tracks when he saw Adley standing next to Bronwyn. “Adley . . . What are . . . I thought you were out with friends.” Shock, anxiousness and guilt swept across his face. “Bronwyn texted me so I came here first.” Adley slowly articulated looking from one to the other in confusion. “But it seems I am . . .” Her eyes moved between the two of them as realization sunk in. “It seems,” she started again, “I am interrupting something.” “Adley, this is not what it looks like.” Bronwyn stepped toward her, but she recoiled in betrayal. “No. Don’t you dare! You have been bad mouthing me and accusing ME of sleeping with Theo when YOU are the one who has been sleeping with MY husband. You have been feeling so guilty for what you have been doing to me behind my back, that you thought, why not make me the bad person so you don’t have to feel so terrible about what you are doing yourself.” “Adley.” Dario voiced. “Don’t you even.” She pointed an accusing finger his way before turning back to Bronwyn. “You don’t care about me or my feelings. You are the dirty little secret and obviously, blood means nothing to you.” “I’m sorry.” Bronwyn apologized through sobs. “Don’t even bother. I can forgive many things, but this, this . . .” she shook her head in disbelief and disappointment. “I hope you are happy together because you just lost the only family member you have left. “Adley, please don’t walk away. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. It just happened.” Bronwyn wailed after her as she brushed past Dario to the front door. “I’m sorry, Ads,” Bronwyn whispered collapsing into Dario’s arms as she heard the front door closed. “I’m sorry . . .”