The Liars' Club by Jamie Lee Fry

Author:Jamie Lee Fry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Big Mountain Publishing
Published: 2022-10-11T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Max

Wednesday, October 6, 7:30 p.m.

I study Ben as he sits across from me. He’s casual tonight in straight-leg jeans and loafers. His V-neck sweater with a grandad-collared shirt underneath is more laid-back than his usual attire; it’s almost alarming how casual he is tonight. The remnants of a past fraternity boy, I suspect. I clear the lump in my throat.

“We need to finish our conversation from last week. This layer needs to be pulled back before you’re ready for Jovie. You must trust the process, Max.”

Ben’s always prying about Chrissy. There is more to me than just her. I can’t get him to bite on anything else for some reason. But I play along. I will give him something so we can finally move on. Every meeting he’s brought her up and I’m getting tired of it. He hasn’t hinted that he knows more about that night, so I’m starting to call his bluff.

“Fine. So, before Jovie occupied my thoughts, there was Chrissy, as you already know. I loved her. I really did. She was pretty, and smart, and I always wondered why she fell for me out of all the other guys. Chrissy and I didn’t have a lot in common, which probably would’ve been the downfall of our relationship had it gotten past what happened. I put on a good show to fake a happy relationship for her; she needed that in her life. We eventually lived together, but you would never have known it looking at our place. My stuff belonged downstairs and out of sight. My records and books were not allowed in the main part of the house; my world was downstairs. Our upstairs life was just for show. Happy pictures of us framed in every room. It was all fake. My friends said I was whipped and called me a pussy. They saw through the bullshit of it all. They wanted me to be happy.”

“Why didn’t you resist? Why do you think that you couldn’t stand up for yourself?”

“Well, I suppose I could have, but it wasn’t worth the fight.”

“Pardon me if I’m wrong, but why wasn’t it worth the fight? You weren’t living your true life. You were shunned to a basement and not allowed to be yourself. Why did you stay with her?”

“I stayed with her because she was the best I could do, and it turns out, I was right. I haven’t been able to get a single girl—not one since—Chrissy.”

“Max, that’s what Chrissy wanted. She ruined you. She didn’t want you, but she didn’t want you to be happy without her either. So, Chrissy won. Dude, you’re so lucky you’re here now. We will unfuck you, and you will be in control. I promise your next relationship won’t be like the one with Chrissy. When you hear her words, that’s what she wanted when she started planting those seeds. That’s why we are first working on your confidence with Ivy before jumping into pursuing Jovie.”

“But I’m not being myself

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