Page 84 of She Used to Be Nice

“Good point,” Viraj added, helping himself to potato salad.

“The fact that we’re implying Noah did that to anyone is horrifying,” Blair said with a shiver.

“I wouldneverforget that night.” Avery had started this whole conversation so strong, but now her confidence wavered. She’d been wrong about Blair’s bruises. Could she be wrong about this too? She wouldn’t forget, wouldn’t she? She didn’t just let people believe she cheated because that was what happened, right?

“But you could have,” Blair said. “You have to acknowledge that possibility. If you were as drunk as you say you were, you don’t knowexactlywhat happened.”

Avery always remembered that night in flashes: Noah’s green eyes, the strength of his grip on her wrists, the pressure on her back, the whirr of the ceiling fan. But between those flashes was nothing. It was like being submerged under water and coming up for air, over and over again.

Noah’s face and ears were red with fury. “This is absurd. I didn’t rape anyone.”

“You probably just regret hooking up with him because Ryan dumped you right after,” Blair said simply, like the case was closed and there was no use arguing anymore. “Don’t blame Noah because you don’t want to admit you cheated.”

“That’s not atallwhat’s happening here,” Avery said. But she was losing steam.

“Well, if it was really sexual assault, why would you wait this long to say something?” Viraj asked. “Better yet, why didn’t you report it?”

“Another good point,” Parker said, his voice muffled from potato salad.

“Because this would be a crime just like … I don’t know, like burglary is a crime,” Viraj said. “If someone robbed myhouse, I’d report it thatday. It’s the same idea. But you didn’t do that.”

Avery glanced at Morgan again. Her best friend still hadn’t moved, still hadn’t spoken. She just stared helplessly at her dinner plate, stealing occasional glances at Charlie, whose face was ashen.

Finally, Charlie spoke. “Is this true, Noah?”

“Of course it’s not true!” Blair cried.

“No, dude,” Noah said emphatically. “Seriously? Come on. We were drunk and we hooked up. Nothing more.”

Avery lightly shook Morgan’s shoulder. “Morgan, you don’t think I’m lying, do you? Do you?”

“No,” Morgan said with less conviction than Avery hoped. “Of course not.”

Blair raised a confused brow. “Are you saying you think Noah did this?”

“Please tell me you believe me, Morgan,” Avery begged. “Please.”

Morgan massaged the back of her neck uneasily. “Avery, I—”

“See?” Blair jabbed a finger in Morgan’s direction. “Even Morgan isn’t buying it.”

“I never said that, Blair,” Morgan said firmly.

“But he didn’t do it!” Blair was indignant. “He’s such a good guy. You know he is.”

Avery sunk slowly back into her seat. She felt like she was in a courtroom on trial for murder, which was ironic, considering she was the one who’d spent the last year feeling dead inside. All around her, everyone was defending Noah, the chorus of voices in her jury blending together until they were indistinguishable from each other, until all she heard was that ceiling fan.

“Noah would never do something like that.”

Whirr …

“We’ve all been there. She was drunk.”

Whirr …

“She just doesn’t want to be blamed for cheating.”

Whirr …