The Deepest End of Love (The Brightest Light #3)

by Lisina Coney

As I look at Karla’s screen—my longtime friend, a trusted confidant—and I see an email with the pictures sent to Dean Russo from her account, it’s like the ground beneath my feet shakes and then opens wide. “She sent the pictures,”

“She wrote she was concerned about an abuse of power between Reed and me. What the actual fuck?”

“I’m texting her right now,” Mariah says as she rushes to her room. She reappears a moment later with her phone. “I’ll tell her there’s a leak or something in her room so she doesn’t run away, that coward.”

“Why would she do this? What have I ever done to her?” Mariah shakes her head. “Between you and me, she always seemed a bit…off when it came to you. To me, too, honestly.” “What do...

“Mariah,” I warn her. “If something is going on, I want to know.”

“She makes some weird comments sometimes, like how I have it easy at my job because my dad is my boss, so I don’t have to work hard for a paycheck.” “Wait, what?” I sit up straight. “Riah, why have you never told me this?” “Because I don’t give a shit what anyone says about me. I do my own thing. And she’s also your friend, so I didn’t want to make things weird between us,” she says. “We live together, but we’re not super close. Not like the two of us are.” “What else has she said to you?” I press. “Lila…” “Tell me.”

“She looks down on me sometimes because I didn’t go to college. Like, when we get the water bill and such, she says she’ll look at it because I can’t understand it or wha...

was overreacting, that she didn’t mean it like that, and it was all in my head, but now with the pictures…” “Don’t listen to her, Riah. You’re a ...

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” she muses. I’m about to suggest something else when the door opens and a worried-looking Karla walks in. “I was just on my way back. Are my clothes ruined?” she asks, alarmed.

“Can you explain this?” I ask my so-called friend, showing her the laptop screen with the email on display. She freezes, all color draining from her face. “What are you doing on my laptop?” “It was on the coffee table, and I wanted to look something up because my phone was charging in my room,”

not the first time we’ve borrowed each other’s laptops.” “You had no right to go on my email.” Her voice raises, getting defensive. “That’s illegal.”

“We didn’t do shit.”

“Your inbox was the first thing I saw when I opened your laptop. You can check your history if you

don’t believe me, but do it after you give Lila an explanation for why you did such a shitty thing.” Karla huffs. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. I did what I had to do.”

“You didn’t have to accuse me of having an affair with a professor,” I throw back. “What have I ever done to you, Karla? You owe me an explanation. You can’t just do somethi...

“I don’t care if you’re okay with...

“You’ve always thought you were better than everyone, but I knew there was foul play. Your mommy’s friend giving you an internship only proved my point.”

“How did you even take that picture at the bar?”

“You were with us the whole time.” “I paid some random frat boy ...

“I knew the dean wouldn’t believe me if I didn’t have proof, so I accidentally bumped into you, and you fell into his arms. I had instructed the guy...

“And the other pictures?” I ask. “You’d told us about the field trip, so I just showed up. You guys made it easy for me, being glued to each other every goddamn second. So, thank you for ...

“A guy I was hooking up with lives on that same street. I happened to be doing the walk of shame at the same time you did...

“Karla, why? Do you know what this could do to my reputation? To Reed’s? All because you’re a bitter, jealous loser?” “I don’t care what happens to either of you,”

“Stop looking at me like that—we all know you have feelings for him, so it’s not like my setup was much of a setup in the first place.”

“So, you’re admitting it,” Mariah chimes in. “That it was a setup. That you weren’t concerned with any abuse of power; you were j...

“I just wanted to get back at you for taking my spot at the Youth Counseling Expo. A...

“Wait, what?” I frown. “What do you mean, the youth center?” “I wanted to work with Reed, but somehow you got the internship instead.” She rolls her eyes. “I wonder why...

“I know exactly what I’m talking about, Lila. Do I think you have a pathetic crush on your mommy’s little friend? Yes. Do I know for a fact yo...

“You know what the sad thing is, Karla?”

“Ruining my reputation won’t get you any internship opportunities because you don’t have what it takes. You could be the only student applying, and they still wouldn’t accept you. They were recruiting several interns at the youth center, you know? There wasn’t just one spot. They were looking for several students, yet they still rejected you—that has

“It’s not like your academic performance got you that internship either. Who knows, maybe your mommy’s friend has a sick crush on you, too, and that’s why he hired you.”

“Whatever helps you sleep better at night, Karla. I’m not wasting any more of my time with you.” “I am,” Mariah interjects. “Because I still have questions—namely, how you were planning to explain yourself if we ever found out. Did you really think we wouldn’t?” “You weren’t supposed to,” she argues.

“So you were just going to pretend to be my concerned, supportive friend while my life fell apart because of you?” “You need serious help.”

“This isn’t normal behavior, Karla. You’re sick in the head.” “And what are you going to do about ...

“This is my uncle’s apartment, so you can pack your things and leave before the day ends, or I’ll throw your stuff in the street myse...

“Don’t test me, you...

“Lila,” my mom gasps. “Sweetie, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Say goodbye to your old life, Lila. “I… I have to tell you something.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him.” I can’t meet my dad’s gaze because the disappointment in it will completely destroy me; the one in his voice is already starting to.

“I’ll drive to his fucking house right now and gut him alive.” “Cal…” my mom warns him, the first word she’s spoken in long, agonizing minutes. “I love you, sunshine, you know I do, but I don’t want to hear it right now. Nobody hurts my little girl and lives. Over my dead fucking body.” “Dad…”

“My career is ruined. Beating him up won’t fix that.”

“But it will make me feel a whole lot better about it,” he

All right. I’ll let it go for now. How are you feeling?”

“I can’t graduate,” I whisper thickly, feeling my eyes watering again. “I threw everything down the drain. I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you so much.”

“How are you not?” I shake my head. “I don’t believe you.” “Well, you should,” she says. “You’ve always been a good daughter, Li. You still are. This is …not ideal, but it’s also not the end of the world.” “How can you say that?”

“How can you say I’m a good daughter when I got involved with a professor—your friend—and failed my internship for it? I knew the consequences, and I still did it. I sacrificed my career and my reputation for nothing. After all you went through with Maddie and

her dad and everything else, how can you say I’m good when I make such stupid choices?”

“I feel horrible for saying this because I love you all so much, and I love Maddie like a sister, and I don’t want to sound selfish, but it affected me too. What happened with her,”

“You’d been through enough, and I wanted to make things easier for you. Be the easy child. I tried so hard to always behave, to get good grades, to never disappoint you like teenagers do to their parents, so you could get a break because you deserve it so much after everything. But I just did it now, as an adult woman who should’ve known better, and I don’t… I don’t even know who I am anymore. I feel so confused and lost.” “Oh, sweetie.”

“Does he know it was you?” Dad asks. “Yeah, but he doesn’t have proof, so he couldn’t do anything about it.” “Then fuck him. He deserved it.” My mom smiles. “I’m with your dad on that one.”

She hesitates. “There’s someone here who wants to see you.” “Reed.” That voice.