Read Online Silver by K.A. Linde - Free Book Online Page B

carefully.
    “Well, I suppose it depends on who you’re talking to about me.”
    Okay, not liking Madison might have been the understatement of the century. Just seeing her made Stacia want to rip the dark hair off the girl’s head and storm away. She didn’t care if that would be a tantrum. She had no idea how she’d survived the last cheer season around Madison. She must have been so invested in winning that she’d put it out of her mind. It was impossible to ignore now.
    “I just spoke to Lindsay about the team.”
    Stacia froze.
    Of course Lindsay knew what had happened. She was the new cheer captain. She had taken the position that would have been Stacia’s had she stayed on the team. But Stacia hadn’t told Derek or her father or anyone else really that she wasn’t back on the team. Madison bringing it up right now was a low move.
    And what was worse…was Stacia had been able to push the idea of not cheering next year out of her mind for a solid two weeks. Now, the nauseating thought rushed back to her.
    “What happened?” Derek asked. “Who’s Lindsay?”
    “So, you’re here to gloat then,” Stacia snapped at her, standing irritably. “Is that it?”
    “No!” Madison cried desperately. “No, that’s not it at all, Stacia!”
    “Yeah, I’m sure. Come on, Derek. I think you were right. I don’t want to be here anymore.” Stacia grabbed her things off her towel and shoved them into her beach bag.
    No one else moved a muscle.
    “God, S, please!” Madison cried. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry about the team. Coach was so in the wrong. She definitely should have let you back. And then we lost Bri, too.”
    Stacia whirled on her. “It’s Bryna.” She eyed her up and down with disgust. “Only her friends can call her Bri.”
    Madison’s shoulders sagged, as if she realized she wasn’t about to get anywhere. “I’m sorry, S.”
    “Yeah, well, I don’t need your pity.”
    “It’s not pity. I really just came to apologize. I wanted to talk to you.” Madison reached for Stacia. “Do you think we can ever move past this? Do you think you’ll ever forgive me? We’ve been friends for so long.”
    “I don’t want or need your apology either. And us being friends for so long only makes what you did worse .”
    Stacia shook her head and turned away from her. This wasn’t normally her. She didn’t stand up for herself or bash people back, like Bryna did. Breaking up with Marshall and everything that had followed had changed her, and she wasn’t entirely sure yet if it was for the better. All she knew was that the thought of forgiving Madison seemed impossible. And she didn’t know why Madison couldn’t see that.
    “I’ll never trust you again. So, what’s the point?”
    Madison’s mouth opened and closed, and it seemed she had no answer to that.
    “Come on, Derek. Let’s go home.”
    This time, Derek jumped to his feet and picked up everything that belonged to them. He nodded at Woods and dashed after Stacia as she traipsed across the sand.
    Madison sobbed as she followed them the entire way to the car.
    “Go talk to her,” Derek urged.
    “I have nothing to say to her.”
    “Well, you had a lot to say to her a few minutes ago. Now, she’s crying. She was your best friend. Give her a few minutes.”
    Stacia glared at her brother and then walked the few feet to where Madison was standing. Her face was in her hands. Tears streaked her cheeks when she looked up at Stacia.
    “I’m so sorry,” Madison whispered.
    “You said that.”
    “About that night—”
    “I really don’t want to talk about that night,” Stacia said, clenching her jaw. “It’s over. It happened. Neither of us can change it.”
    “I didn’t…I don’t…I…I…” Madison stammered.
    Stacia shrugged. “This isn’t helping anything.”
    “Bryna forgave you for dating Pace,” Madison tried to reason. “You two are still close. We can be like that again.”
    “Bryna forgave me because Pace