Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance

partying like it was 1999. We’d long dispersed from our table, and the rest of
the guests had stopped gawking at Bridget and transitioned to sneaking peeks
in between songs. Her security had temporarily confiscated everyone’s
phones, but I bet a few people had snapped pictures of her when she arrived
and said pictures would be splashed all over the gossip sites by tomorrow
morning.
“Surprised you’re not out there with everyone else.” Alex leaned against
the wall, his eyes also on the party, though they were trained only on Ava.
“You used to be the first person on the dance floor.”
“Yes, well.” I drained my drink in one long gulp. “A lot has changed
since college.”
The unspoken meaning hung sharp and heavy between us, like a

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guillotine waiting to drop.
Once, Alex and I had been best friends.
Now, we were strangers with only one commonality tying us together.
If it weren’t for Ava, I would happily never see or speak to Alex again.
At least, that was what I told myself.
“Vermont wasn’t my idea,” Alex said, sidestepping the elephant in the
room.
“I know. Ava isn’t as sneaky as she thinks she is.”
She’d been trying to get me and Alex to make up for over a year. She
may have forgiven him for lying to us to get closer to my father, whom Alex
thought had been the one behind his family’s murder, but the betrayal ran
deeper for me.
Ava and Alex had only been dating for a few months when he discovered
his uncle was the real culprit and he revealed the truth behind his revenge
plan. But he and I had been friends for eight years.
I’d invited Alex into my home. Treated him like a brother. Shared secrets
and advice and things I’d never told my own family. And all that time, he’d
been lying to me. Using me.
The whiskey aftertaste turned bitter on my tongue.
“She misses you,” Alex said quietly.
“I’m right here.” I glanced at the bar. “We text all the time.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t, actually.”
His mouth flattened into a tight line. “You’ve been acting different lately.
Ava is worried—”
“Dude, stop.” I held up my hand. “If Ava is worried about me, she can
tell me herself. But don’t act like we’re going to be best friends again. We’re
not. Because you know what’s required in a friendship? Trust. And you lost
mine a long time ago.”
I stepped around Alex before he could respond and went straight to the
bar, my throat and chest tight. He didn’t follow me, and I didn’t expect him
to. He didn’t chase after anyone except Ava. It was the only reason I hadn’t
put up more of a fight when they got back together.
For all his faults and fuckups, Alex really did love my sister. I wanted her
to be safe and happy, and if she was safe and happy with him, then I could
suck it up and act civil.
That didn’t mean I had to have heartfelt conversations with him on the

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sidelines of the dance floor though.
“Hey, man.” I nodded at the bartender. “Tequila shot. Make it a double.”
I needed something stronger than whiskey to get through the rest of the