Page 99

“I needed to talk to you.” Bunny stepped inside and shut the door behind her.

“To yell at me again?” Bea pursed her lips and glared at Bunny through the mirror. She wasn’t going to just stand there and be berated again.

“No.” Bunny sighed heavily, keeping her distance and shoving her hands in the pockets of her loose jeans. “To apologize, actually.”

“Apologize?” Bea spun around, her lipstick in her hand. She stared wide-eyed, taking in Bunny’s form. Her shoulders were drawn, her gaze downcast, and her cheeks sullen. Wow. Bunny really was going to apologize, wasn’t she?

“I don’t even have the words to describe how awful my behavior’s been lately.”

“Try.” Bea pushed. She wanted a proper apology. She wanted something that was meaningful and was going to make a difference.

Bunny raised her gaze, her lips parted slightly, and she shook her head. “I’ve been an asshole, a jerk, a buffoon, off my rocker, short-fused, and unable to listen to anyone but my own damn fear.”

Bea plopped her butt onto the edge of the counter as the weight of everything hit her at once. Bunny really did mean this. Those weren’t just words that she was saying, but they were actually meaningful words that carried a weight she wasn’t sure what to do with.

“I’m afraid of a lot of things, Bea, and I let my fear get in the way of our working relationship.”

So not their personal one? Bea paused on that, unsure if she was ready to say anything or if Bunny needed to continue to explain.

“I pushed you away at every turn, and I didn’t give you the credit you deserve. I clawed for control of the concert because I saw it slipping from my fingers faster than I could breathe.” Bunny rolled up on her toes and then landed heavily on her heels. “And I was wrong.”

“Explain.” Bea crossed her arms. She wasn’t going to give Bunny a break on this one. She deserved the hell that she was about to put herself through.

“That I was wrong?” Bunny squinted. “Well, I was wrong.”

“Yeah, but how?” Bea clenched her jaw tightly.

“In a lot of ways.” Bunny stayed put.

She didn’t move closer to Bea, which Bea was grateful for, but at the same time, she wanted something other than this stiff person standing in front of her like she was reading from a script.

“I was wrong to not collaborate. I was wrong to yell at you, so many times over. I was wrong to flip out and not trust. You were right. The world is changing. I can’t look at Jo and Piper and the blowup that is their insane fake engagement—I hope you know it’s fake, right?” At Bea’s nod, Bunny continued, “I can’t look at that and not see the positive that’s coming from it.”

“And the negative?”

“Fuck them,” Bunny spat the words out harshly. “They don’t deserve my time and effort and thoughts.”

Bea pursed her lips, cocking her head to the side. “This is a sudden change from you.”

Bunny shrugged, rolling up on her toes again. Was she nervous being here? Was she worried about what Bea’s response would be?

“I think it’s been a long time coming, and I can’t deny Piper’s happiness.”

“But the engagement is fake. The proposal was a sham.” Bea shook her head. “So what happiness are you talking about?”

Bunny’s lips quirked up slightly. “I don’t think it’s as fake as they want us to believe or as they might want to believe.”

Bea hummed lightly, but she didn’t give Bunny any other indication that she agreed. She gripped onto the edge of the counter and raised her eyebrows. “Why are you here? Really and truly.”

“To apologize. That’s it.” Bunny put her hands out to her sides, palms up. “I promise.”

“What’s your angle? Want me to come back?”

“I think everyone wants that,” Bunny replied. “But I’m not going to try and convince you one way or another. That has to be a decision you make on your own. But you’re welcome to join us again if you want to.”

“I think I’ll pass on that one.” Bea stood up and turned around, looking in the mirror again. She double checked her makeup and hair, even though she knew it was already perfect. She wasn’t someone who was ever unprepared.

“Like I said, it’s your choice. I wouldn’t exactly want to work with me again either. And I’m sorry that I made that experience such an awful one for you.”