Free Irreversible Damage (Irreparable) by KJ Bell Page B

milk runs down her chin. I toss a paper towel at her. “What happened to you last night?” I ask her while she cleans her chin.
    Her chewing comes to an abrupt halt as her spoon falls to the bowl, clanking against the side. She starts to speak, but then stops and swallows what’s in her mouth. Her expression worries me.
    After she swallows, she looks at me but doesn’t say anything.
    “What?” I shout, unable to take it any longer.
    She sighs before picking up the spoon and circling it around the inside of the bowl. “Harrison and I had a fight.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry.” My hand brushes her long dark hair back, tucking it behind her ears so it doesn’t end up in the bowl. “What happened?”
    “I happened.” She sucks in a ragged breath. “I’m seriously messed up.”
    “You’re not messed up.”
    “I hate her.” I don’t have to ask to know she’s talking about her mother.
    “Oh, Liv.” My heart breaks for her. She kept her mother on a pedestal. The truth and watching her mother kill herself continue to take a toll on her relationship with Harrison.
    “I do. I hate her,” she cries, tears cascading down her cheeks. “How am I ever supposed to trust another person when the person I trusted the most deceived me my entire life?”
    I can feel her pain as it pours out of her. “Slowly, my friend.” I rub the side of her head. “Do you want to talk about it?”
    She pushes the bowl away and folds her hands in front of her on the table.  “I accused him of cheating on me.”
    “What?” I can’t conceal my shock. Harrison would never cheat on her. It’s just not the type of person he is. We constantly tease Harrison about his moral high horse. “Why?”
    “I went to the Center to pick him up so we could ride to the show together. Tara was there. Have you met her?” She stops and waits for me to answer. I nod. “Anyway, Harrison was with her. They were cleaning up, but they looked…I don’t know…cozy. So I went off.”
    “You know she has a boyfriend.” I hope that fact will ease her concern.
    She nods slowly. “She told me.”
    My eyes go wide. “You said something in front of her?”
    “Yeah, it was something like ‘get your fucking hands off my boyfriend, tramp.’ I feel horrible. I know it was innocent, but I couldn’t stop myself.”
    As much as I want to lecture about her actions, I don’t. It’s not what she needs to feel better. “It’ll work itself out.”
    “I don’t think so. You know we’ve never had a fight.”
    I nod. It’s one of the things I admire about their relationship.
    “He left.”
    “What?” I can’t hide my shock.
    She nods as a tear slides down her cheek. “He packed a bag and went to stay at his parents’. I think I’ve lost him.”
    “Oh, honey.” My hand reaches up and wipes away her tears. “You haven’t lost him. He probably just needs to calm down.”
    “I’ve never felt like this before. I’m not used to caring.”
    I know she’s not. Liv’s never had a serious relationship. In the past, if a guy brushed her off, she dismissed him without a second thought and moved on. She’s at a loss as to how to deal with her feelings now that she’s found the one she wants to hold on to.
    “You picked the right guy to care about. He loves you. I promise he’ll come around.”
    “I hope so.” She offers a small smile and pats my hand.  “So, tell me about your night. How was the show?”
    I clap my hands together, smiling. “The show was amazing. Brady sang.”
    “I know.” She returns my smile. “Tug sent me a text. I wish I was there.”
    “He’s really talented, Liv.”
    She nods. “I’m so excited for them. I heard they have another show lined up already.”
    I nod, feeling nervous about filling her in on the rest of the night. “I have some other news, though.” I pause and swallow hard. “Brady and I got married.”
    “Holy shit!” Her palm smacks in the table. “You bitch. How could you?”
    “I’m sorry.” I