Dani turned the key in her motorcycle, and the engine fell silent. She unsnapped her helmet and left it sitting on the handles. Despite the warm summer air, Dani was frozen solid. She couldn’t believe she was really back. She was really back in Briarwood.

As Dani gazed up at the Whitman House, its two stories blocking out the moon and casting a shadow on the driveway, she couldn’t help feeling an overwhelming urge to kick it into high gear and flee this godawful town, just like she'd done when aged eighteen. But she knew she wouldn’t. For once, there was something drawing her here, a responsibility she couldn’t ignore.

So Dani swung her right leg off her motorcycle and made her way up the stone pathway to the front steps. She knew where her parents kept the spare key, but she knocked on the front door anyway. There was a moment of silence, then the sound of the lock being turned, and finally, Dani’s mother pulled open the door.

“Daniella!” Constance Whitman exclaimed. She seemed surprised to see her, as if she hadn’t expected Dani to actually show up. Granted, it may have also been from the fact that Dani showed up five hours past their agreed time of three o’clock.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” her mother continued. “You missed dinner, but I can heat something up, if you’d like?”

“Oh, sorry about that,” Dani said, as if she hadn’t strategically planned her arrival time so as not to have to sit through an awkward dinner with her parents. “I ate on the way. Thanks, though.” Constance stepped aside, her posture so stiff Dani could’ve sworn she was made of plastic.

“I know you just got home, sweetie.” She hesitated. “But I would like to tell you I expect you to take that off-putting jewelry out of your face before your grandmother’s funeral.”

“Ah, there she is.” Dani laughed, even though there was nothing funny about the request. “Nice to see you too, Mother.” Constance walked away without another word.

Her father, Frederick Whitman, worked the night shift at the Briarwood hospital, so Dani didn’t have to worry about saying hello to him. Instead, she made her way up the stairs, down the hall, and into her childhood bedroom.

It was exactly how she left it; posters of Billie Eilish, Renee Rapp, and Fletcher adorned the walls, along with murals her parents had grounded her for painting. Her bed sat in the far corner, made up neatly with her white-and-grey checkered comforter. Above the headboard was a pentacle teenage Dani had nailed to the wall in the hopes of scaring her parents away. It had worked surprisingly well.

Dani dropped her bag on the floor with a heavy breath. She wasn’t getting through the night without a drink, let alone the next two weeks. And somehow, Dani doubted the Whitmans had the kind of liquor she craved. She left the house without a backward glance.

The Black Oak Tavern was fairly busy, being the only pub in town. Dani managed to find a stool at the bar with another on either side of her and called over the bartender. He was a short man with mousy hair and a jawline that looked cut from stone. Dani recognized him as Erik Fellowes. Aside from the stubble on his chin, Erik’s face hadn’t changed at all since high school.

“What can I get y—” he stopped. “Daniella?” Dani nodded, cringing at her full name.

“Daniella Whitman, as I live and breathe,” Erik chuckled. “Where have you been all these years?”

“Nice to see you again, Erik.” Dani smiled, a real smile, unlike the one she plastered on to greet her mother. Erik was one of the few people Dani had tolerated in high school; they were in the same art class and would talk to each other while they worked. “I’ve been in New York. I’m a tattoo artist and painter. And I go by Dani now.”

“Well, alright then, Dani. What can I get you?”

“I’d take an old-fashioned,” Dani said, leaning her elbows on the bar. She watched as Erik poured her drink with a bit of unnecessary grandeur. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Erik said, and left to help another customer.

Dani sipped her drink slowly, listening to the hustle and bustle of the tavern. It wasn’t New York, but the noise reminded her of home, somewhat. A home she was rather desperate to get back to. But Dani’s grandmother had been the only one that accepted her when she came out, and her funeral was just about the one thing that could drag Dani back to this hellhole of a town.

Still, it didn’t mean she had to like it.

Dani took a sip of the amber liquid, closing her eyes in relief as it burned a path down her throat. When she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn’t alone anymore. There was someone next to her, a woman, looking right at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Dani watched as the woman smiled.

She looked gorgeous, soft curves covered by a little pink dress that came down to her knees. Her hair was dirty blonde, almost brown but not quite, soft waves falling just a little past her shoulders. Dani couldn’t see without turning her head, but she knew the woman would have on a pair of dress sandals, because heaven forbid Blair Matthews owned a pair of damn sneakers.

“Hi,” Blair said, and Dani almost choked on her drink. She hadn’t heard that voice since high school graduation, when Blair gave her speech. Then, it was strong and arrogant, but now… she sounded almost nervous. She still had that air of someone used to being noticed, but time seemed to have worn down a bit of her signature hubris.

“Hey there,” Dani said, turning in her stool and looking right into Blair’s caramel eyes with a devilish grin. Blair’s eyelashes fluttered as her cheeks turned a dusty pink. She smiled, and even with none of the usual malice, it cut so much deeper than any of her vicious smirks. This smile told Dani that Blair did not recognize her. Not one bit.

“I’m Blair,” she said, and it hit like a slap in the back, knocking the air out of her lungs. Her grin stretched so wide it almost hurt.

“Dani.” She paused for a few moments, waiting for a spark of recognition, even the barest hint of familiarity. Blair’s face remained blissfully ignorant.

Dani let another beat of silence pass, because, really? This woman and her posse of primadonnas had tormented Dani from middle school until graduation. She recalled one particularly nasty rumor Blair had started about Dani getting chlamydia after sleeping with the female gym teacher. For over a month, she went from being a shadow, a wallflower, to the laughing stock of the school. How did someone forget the face of the girl they'd used as target practice for years?

True, Dani had figured out her style a little more, and her septum was pierced, plus a lot of tattoos hidden beneath her leather jacket, but come on. Her face couldn’t have changed all that much since she left for New York. And “Dani” was hardly far off from “Daniella.”

The fact that Blair Matthews was quite obviously flirting with her did little to make up for this realization.

Dani opened her mouth. She should have probably said something. No, she should have definitely said something. But then, a truly outrageous image crept into her mind. An image of waking up in Matthews’ bed, naked and sex-happy, and then telling her. Or maybe even leaving right after the fact and dropping the bomb on her way out.

It wasn’t technically lying, just… omitting. And, oh, what a sweet reveal it would be. Dani couldn’t have asked for a better distraction. If she was being honest with herself, she also wanted to see if Blair would remember her after a few subtle hints. Being forgotten so easily didn’t sit well with her. So, she did what she did best, and pulled out all of her charm. Dani licked her lips.

“Cute dress,” she said. Blair glanced down, as if to remind herself what she was wearing.

“Thanks,” she said. “I like your jacket. I was admiring it when you came in.”

“You should see what’s underneath.” Dani winked over a sip of her drink. Blair covered her smile with a hand, and fuck if it wasn’t the cutest thing Dani had ever seen. For a snake, that is, she reminded herself.

“Are you from around here?” Blair asked. Dani knew the question was coming.

“I’m from New York,” she said. Again, it wasn’t a lie. Her home was in NYC. It had been since the moment she'd turned eighteen. Blair’s perfectly trimmed eyebrows raised.

“What’s a city girl like you doing in little Briarwood?”

Dani’s and Blair’s grandmothers had been friends, so Blair definitely knew about the funeral. She would probably even be there. Dani didn’t want to risk Blair putting the pieces together, so she went with “family drama.”

Blair nodded. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I feel for you.”

“What about you?” Dani asked, even though she knew the answer.

“Briarwood born and raised,” Blair confessed. “I haven’t been out of state since I was twenty-one.” Blair smirked. “You probably think that’s crazy. I bet you traveled all over as a kid. I always wished I grew up in the city, right next to a train station that could take me anywhere I want to go.”

“Who says I grew up there?”

Blair frowned, and a beat passed before she said, “A small town defect, then. Even better.”

Dani smirked. Small town defect, indeed. Blair sighed.

“It’s probably a good thing we didn’t go to the same school.”

“Why’s that?”

Blair rested her chin on her fist. “A pretty girl like me would have distracted you from your work.”

“Not a chance,” Dani scoffed before she could stop herself. Blair stared at her, puzzled and slightly offended. Dani brushed off her own disbelief at the statement.

“Come on, now,” she laughed. “Let me guess. You were the kind of girl who didn’t walk through the halls so much as orbit them—everyone caught in your gravity. And you knew it, too. I’d have been the punchline, not your accessory.”

There was no venom in Dani’s words, but the jab was there. Blair’s lips parted, almost like she was about to say something. She didn’t. Instead, she pressed them into a thin line and took a deep breath, eyes shut tight.

“Am I really that easy to read?”

“To me, you are.” Her eyes opened.

“You make it sound like you knew me.”

“Maybe I just know the type.”

“Maybe. Well, I can assure you my type has changed. Real life is a bigger bitch than I ever was.”

Dani wasn’t so easily convinced.

“Well, in any case,” Dani said, leaning close with a seductive smirk, “you’re certainly distracting me now.” That god-awful blush appeared again on Blair’s cheeks.

“In a good way, I hope.” It sounded like a question. Dani placed her hand on the bare skin of Blair’s knee, and the subtle hitch in her breath gave Dani a feeling of unrivaled power. There was no doubt, now. Blair wanted Dani in her bed, and Dani feared she wanted the same thing.

“In a very good way,” she whispered.

Oh, this was going to be fun. Blair was about to respond, but just then, Erik made his way back over to them, polishing a beer glass with a towel like a movie character.

“Never thought I’d see this,” he chuckled. Blair looked at him, confused. Dani widened her eyes at him as subtly as possible. Erik raised his eyebrows at her in a look that clearly said, “Really?”

“See what?” Blair asked, gloriously oblivious. Blair gave the tiniest shake of her head, and Erik rolled his eyes.

“This, uh, place,” he fumbled. “It’s so crowded.”

Blair tilted her head. “It’s the only bar in town. It’s always crowded.”

Smooth, Erik.

“I know, I just meant… I’m making small talk, Blair, relax. Can I get you two anything else?” Blair looked straight at Dani with a confident smile.

“I was actually going to head out soon,” she said. “What about you?” The invitation was clear in her voice, and butterflies swarmed in Dani’s stomach.

“Me, too.” Erik’s eyebrows were practically in his hairline. “How much do I owe?”

“Oh, right,” Erik jumped. “Uh, fifteen.”

“I forgot my sweater in the other booth,” Blair whispered in her ear, making Dani’s cheeks turn just the tiniest bit pink. As soon as she was gone, Erik turned to her, and Dani stopped hiding her (admittedly a little evil) grin.

“You are a terrible person,” Erik said.

“I know.”

“A terrible, rotten, bitch.”

“A terrible, rotten bitch that’s about to get the best revenge of her life.”

Despite Erik’s words, he laughed and rolled his eyes.

“You’ll have to tell me how she reacts.”

“Oh, I will,” Dani said just as Blair came back over.

Dani laced her fingers with Blair’s and led the way through the crowded bar, trying hard to keep the devious smirk off her face. As soon as they were outside and around the corner of the building, Dani pushed Blair lightly against the brick wall. Blair gasped, but smiled, and Dani took this as permission to press her lips to the other woman’s.

If Dani was being honest, Blair was a damn good kisser. Her lips were soft but unforgiving, and their tongues fought for dominance when they touched. Blair fisted her hands in Dani’s shirt beneath her jacket, and Dani slid a knee between her thighs. The tiny sigh that passed from Blair’s lips sent lightning through Dani’s body. She pulled at Blair’s bottom lip with her teeth, and Blair’s hips began to move against her thigh.

“Let’s get out of here, yeah?” Dani suggested, her voice rough and thick. Blair nodded.

“My place is less than a block from here. I walked.”

“Do you mind if we take my motorcycle?” Dani asked. “I don’t want to leave it here.”

“Are you good to drive?” Blair questioned. Dani looked around, gauging her sobriety. She was definitely fine. She’d only had one drink, after all, and she told Blair as much.

Dani pulled up to Blair’s house, a cute little one-story with a well-maintained garden out front. Blair led the way. She fumbled for her keys, and Dani came up behind her, pulling their hips together. She kissed just below Blair’s ear, then farther down, and Blair groaned.

“You’re making this really difficult,” Blair confessed in a laugh.

“I know,” Dani whispered gleefully. When Blair finally got the door open and they stumbled inside, neither one wasted a single second. Dani closed the door by pushing Blair against it, and their lips met once again. The push and pull of her lips was driving Dani a little wild. She kicked off her sneakers and Blair her (called it!) sandals.

Dani hooked her hands under Blair’s thighs, encouraging her to jump, which she did. Her hips pressed firmly into Dani’s middle, and Dani felt a sudden urge to lay her down in the hallway and devour her pussy.

As fun as that sounded, Dani didn’t think her knees would ever forgive her. “Where am I taking you?” she asked between kisses. She moved down to Blair’s neck to give her a chance to respond.

“Down the hall and through the- oh!- sitting room on your right.” Dani smiled against Blair’s skin, soothing the area she had nipped with her tongue as she turned deftly and began to move down the hallway.

The sitting area was decorated with pictures of flowers, plus candles and seashells on the coffee table and shelves. To the left was a little kitchen, with a four-seat table off to the side. Everything was sleek and modern until she stepped into Blair’s room, which was rustic and homey.

Dani tossed Blair onto the bed, and she yelped. Dani smirked and let her leather jacket drop before pulling her shirt over her head, revealing a plain black bralette. Blair stared at it as Dani slowly crawled onto the bed and up her curvy body.

When she reached Blair’s lips, Dani kissed her softly, like she might break her. Blair kissed back fervently, wrapping her arms around Dani’s neck. Any doubts she had about the morality of the event vanished when she pressed her hand to Blair’s chest, feeling the rise and fall, the frantic beating of her heart. She bit Blair’s lip, eliciting a tiny groan of appreciation.

Dani reached for the bottom of Blair’s dress, which had slipped up her legs slightly. She pulled it even further up, stroking the smooth skin of her inner thigh, feeling every scar and stretch mark and loving every second of it. To Dani, the imperfections in a woman’s body made it all the more beautiful. Blair’s hips were as hungry and impatient as her mouth, grinding against the denim-clad knee placed between her thighs.

“Greedy, aren’t we?” Dani teased, reveling in the observation. She had no intention of making Blair wait too long, but she’d always been one for dirty talk, and the bonus of rubbing salt in her past nemesis’ soon-to-be wound was too great an opportunity to pass up.

“Shut up,” Blair grumbled, cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink as Dani pulled the dress over her head. “It’s been a while, okay?”

“Mm, fair enough,” Dani hummed against soft lips. “No sense in making you wait, then. Especially when there are other things I could be doing with my mouth.”

“With your-? Oh.” Dani wrapped her fingers around Blair’s soft waist, planting a wet kiss to her jaw at the same time. Then behind her ear. Then at her pulse point. Then her collarbone. “Oh,” Blair sighed at a nip from her teeth.

As much as Dani wanted her mouth on Blair’s breasts, she didn’t want to struggle with her bralette when another place was calling her name. A place she wanted to taste more than anything else in that moment. So, Dani skipped down to Blair’s ribcage, making a silent promise to revisit the task later on.

As she drifted nearer, Blair became more and more restless, egging Dani on with her body. Dani planted kiss after kiss on the crease where her lover’s thighs met her hips before licking a slow stripe from her waistband to her naval.

“Jesus Christ,” Blair gasped, and Dani grinned wickedly.

“Just Dani is fine,” she hummed. She received a glare in return, but it was worth it.

Dani hooked a finger into either side of Blair’s incredibly sexy red thong, pulling it down slowly and tasting every inch of skin it revealed. Her mouth stopped as the skimpy fabric passed the top of Blair’s slit. Her stomach tightened, and Dani reveled in the anticipation she had created.

She kissed Blair’s stomach. Her inner thighs. The landing strip leading down…

“Come on,” Blair whined.

Not good enough, Dani thought. She wanted Blair to cave. To relinquish all control over her body’s reactions. To beg for her release. To beg her by name.

Dani licked a stripe up that soft pussy, never once breaching her lips, before letting out a puff of cool air across the wet stripe. Blair took both hands and threaded them through Dani’s hair, pulling her toward her aching need. Dani smiled up at her coyly and winked. Her chin rested on Blair’s mound.

Blair’s eyes closed and her head tipped back. Her fingers tightened in Dani’s hair, legs spread wide open. And then, in a shuddering whisper, she said, “Dani… please.”

And Dani graciously obliged.

That first taste of a woman is absolutely everything. Dani inhaled the heady scent as her tongue finally breached Blair’s lips, swirling around her entrance and up to her clit. Blair cried out, pulling Dani harder to her pussy.

Dani decided she’d reveled in that first touch long enough and set to work. She painted Blair in her arousal. She pressed her thumb to the slickness and dragged it down, down, down, until she was circling it around the puckered skin of Blair’s anus.

Blair let out a little yelp of shock, but Dani continued circling, and eventually, a quiet sigh told her that Blair was relaxing into the new sensation.

Dani’s mouth resumed its ministrations while her thumb continued to circle. When her tongue wound its way back up to Blair’s clit, she received a deep moan as encouragement. Her tongue worked in circles, up and down, side to side, working Blair up until she was panting. Her hands fisted in the sheets instead of Dani’s hair.

“Don’t stop,” Blair moaned. “Please, Dani. Don’t stop.”

She didn’t. And as she worked her tongue, head nodding in that perfect rhythm, she slowly but firmly pushed her thumb forward and into a hole she was almost certain Little Miss Prom Queen had never dared to breach.

Blair’s entire body went rigid for a moment, her mouth caught in a gasp as pure pleasure took over. She let out two strangled fucks before crying out Dani’s name like prayer. Dani didn’t stop. She licked Blair’s clit at the same rhythm until she started gasping, and then she licked harder, faster, as her thumb massaged the other side of Blair’s g-spot. And Blair came again, her cries a symphony of sweet, sweet revenge.

When Blair came down for the second time and pushed Dani’s head away, she smiled. She pulled her thumb out of Blair’s asshole with a small pop! Blair shuddered.

“How was that?” Dani asked, voice light and innocent. Blair just stared at her for a moment.

“That was… It was…” Blair flirted with the English language before giving up and pushing herself into an upright position, grabbing Dani’s face, and kissing her so hard she thought her lips would bruise. Dani’s jaw was a bit overworked at the moment, but Blair didn’t seem to mind. She just kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her, pulling Dani close while her hands pushed at Dani’s jeans. It took a minute, but once they were off, Blair maneuvered her thighs so Dani was in her lap.  At some point, Blair’s bra had come off, and the feel of her bare breasts against Dani’s thin shirt was intoxicating.

Before Dani even had the chance to catch her breath, Blair had pushed her thong aside and was trailing two fingers through her slit. She gasped, head falling back and breaking the heated kiss. Blair’s fingertips pressed against her entrance, but Dani grabbed her wrist. She connected their foreheads, their breath mixing in the room, silent apart from their own panting.

“Slow,” she whispered, and Blair nodded. She kissed her deliberately before pushing Blair’s shoulders, guiding her back down on the mattress. Only then did she take Blair’s fingers and push them steadily down and up, down and up. Her hand fell away, and Blair continued to massage her pussy. Dani pulled her own shirt over her head, then her sports bra. Dani closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh as she squeezed her breasts.

“That’s it,” she murmured. “That’s it, baby. Just like that. Now you can go inside.”

This time, Blair took her time sliding her hand down Dani’s pussy and pressing her fingers into her slick cunt. Dani moaned, her hips grinding against Blair’s fingers as they buried deep inside her. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as Blair found her g-spot.

Dani’s movements grew a bit faster, but still unhurried, and Blair matched her pace perfectly. Both were panting as Dani sped up a little more. Blair’s fingers felt so perfect fucking her, like this was always meant to happen, like it was only a matter of time.

Dani leaned back, bracing herself on Blair’s thighs. That’s when she noticed that the back of Blair’s hand, the one buried in Dani’s cunt, was rubbing against Blair’s clit. She pressed down harder, and Blair moaned, sending a fresh wave of arousal through Dani’s whole body. She smirked at Blair, who was looking like she was on the verge of coming unraveled once again.

“You naughty girl,” Dani groaned, the scene making her grind harder, faster. Blair just moaned in response as they brought each other closer, closer, closer…

“Fuck,” Blair choked as Dani continued to ride her fingers. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“Come for me, baby,” Dani gasped as her own orgasm took hold. And then the two were crying out, shouting curses and moaning as pleasure enveloped them both. Dani’s toes curled as the sensation washed over her, riding through her release until she all but passed out on top of a panting Blair.

They lay there for a few minutes, catching their breath. Then, Blair pulled Dani’s face to hers once again, kissing her lazily. Dani smiled into the kiss, brushing Blair’s hair out of the way.

And for a moment, just a moment, Dani forgot who they were. She forgot about all the hurt Blair had caused her, about how they were only in this situation because Dani had lied - no, omitted - details about herself and why she was in Briarwood in the first place.

When it hit her again, that it was Blair Matthews’ lips moving languidly against hers, she sank further into the other woman’s embrace. She didn’t want to think about that. All she wanted to do was sleep. She was exhausted and didn’t have the mental capacity to figure out what to say to Blair. Or if I want to say anything at all.

Dani pushed the thought out of her head. Of course, she was going to say something; that’s why she was here, lying in Blair’s bed, sweaty and sex-happy. She’d just wait until morning. She’d know what to do then.

~ * ~

Dani woke at the crack of dawn, just like she usually did. There was a woman sleeping next to her, as there often was. Dani slipped out of bed without making a sound and gathered up her clothes, like muscle memory.

Blair’s bathroom had brown floor tiles and black countertops. A large shower-slash-bath sat on one side, a shelf beneath a tinted window on the other. Dani made the mistake of smelling the candle on the shelf. It smelled like springtime on steroids, far too sweet to be natural.

Dani shook out her hair, running her fingers through some parts. It was frizzy, but fine. She stared at herself in the mirror as she pulled her jeans on, trying to make sense of the night before. Details came back to her slowly as she got used to being awake.

The bar. Her conversation with Erik. The way Dani had made Blair beg for her release.

And the ludicrous guilt she felt after it all.

What the hell did she have to feel guilty for? It wasn’t her fault Blair didn’t recognize her. Besides, Dani never actually lied.

Blair’s confession from the night before popped into her head. “I can assure you my type has changed. Real life is a bigger bitch than I ever was.”

Dani believed her. She had changed. She was more mature. Less judgey.

But it wasn’t enough. Blair still had that air of someone used to getting what she wanted and never having to deal with the consequences. Well, Dani had given her what she wanted. Three times, in fact. But this time, Blair was going to face the consequences.

Dani smirked as she shrugged on her leather jacket. She looked good. Hot. Like the kind of no-fucks-given bitch she had always aspired to be. She stared at her reflection as if daring it to feel any sort of guilt.

Dani flicked off the light before opening the door. Blair was still dead asleep. Not wanting to climb back into her bed, Dani sat on the wide windowsill. An ashtray and a pack of cigarettes sat next to her. Apparently, Blair had never kicked the habit. Dani hadn’t, either.

Dani pushed the window open, lit a cigarette, and took a long drag. The smoke filled her lungs before curling away into the dim sunlight. She looked over at Blair, who was still asleep, her arms wrapped around the pillow Dani had slept on. Dani smirked, turning to face the window again.

Dani’s cigarette was halfway gone by the time a rustling of the sheets made her turn. Blair sat up slowly, the white sheet falling just enough to reveal the lovely swell of her breasts. Blair rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

“G’morning,” she said lazily. “You’re up early. Got someplace to be?” Dani shook her head, taking another draw. Blair smiled mischievously.

“In that case, why don’t you come back to bed?” She let the cover fall just a bit before pulling it back up to her neck. Honestly, Dani was tempted to oblige her. Instead, she blew a puff of smoke out the window.

“Not into morning sex, then. Got it.” Blair laughed, like they were in on the same joke.

“How about some coffee, then?” She slid to the side of the bed, her feet dangling over the side. “Or we could go out, if that’s not weird. There’s this great little pancake place a couple blocks over.”

“Blair Matthews at a pancake place? Now I’ve heard it all,” she deadpanned. Blair laughed.

“Judgey, much? You don’t know what I…” she trailed off, her brows knit in confusion. Dani flicked ash out the window.

“Did I tell you my name?” Blair asked.

“Nope.” Dani popped the P. Blair looked even more puzzled now. Dani just took a final pull from the cigarette.

“Stalker, much?” Blair laughed. She didn’t seem frightened. Dani didn’t expect her to; everyone knew everyone in Briarwood.

“How do you know my name?”

Dani stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray.

“The real question,” Dani mused, turning to look at her past nemesis, “is why don’t you know mine?” Blair’s confusion turned into annoyance.

“Did you ask Erik, or something?”

“Didn’t have to.” Before Blair could respond, Dani added, “I remember you. Not just your type. I know you. You grew out of the dress, but you still wear that Prom Queen crown.”

“Do I know you? Did we work together or something?” Blair asked, then cringed. “Please don’t tell me we went to High School together.”

“Come on, Blair,” Dani said, grinning maliciously. “I’ll give you a hint. I know you spread a lot of rumors, but one in particular very nearly ruined my life. Does the word chlamydia ring a bell?” She received a glare in return.

“No, it does n—” But then her eyes widened. Then closed. Blair let out a hard breath, clutching the covers to her body.

“Dani,” she said slowly. “Daniella. You’re Daniella Whitman.”

“There she is,” Dani said as Blaire opened her eyes. Her voice was cold and sharp, practically surgical. “Took you long enough.”

“You should have told me,” Blair hissed. “Was this why you came home? To embarrass me? To get back at me for some dumb high school bullshit?”

Dani scoffed, “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here for my grandmother’s funeral. Meeting you was just a happy accident. And why should I have told you? I don’t owe you shit. If you didn’t recognize me, that’s your fault.”

“Clearly, you aren’t that memorable,” she spat. Same old Blair. The jab had its intended effect, but no way in Hell was Dani letting her know.

“That would’ve hit harder if you weren’t begging like a dog and screaming my name five hours ago.” A deep blush flooded Blair’s cheeks.

“Get out of my house,” Blair whispered. Her voice cracked, and Dani could see a tear falling down her cheek. “Now!”

Dani slid lazily off the windowsill and sauntered towards the bedroom door, purse in hand. Before she left, Dani turned once more, her triumph still looming overhead.

“I guess I’ll see you at the funeral,” Dani said, pulling her brightest smile. “Small town, and all.”

And with that, Dani left. Her head swam, her heart bursting with so many different emotions. Guilt. Humor. Pity. But above all, the one that stood out the most was the visceral pleasure of sweet, sweet revenge.