Elena was unfazed, confirming that she had pretty much figured that out anyway. Was I really that transparent? Still, there was a fierceness in her expression, a quiet outrage that reassured me that the blame didn't lie with me. "One time is once too many. Way, way too many. No excuse for that," she answered, in a very firm tone of voice.

In that moment I felt not only vindicated, but like I had permission to be legitimately pissed off about it. I knew Elena worked with Alan, and right then all I wanted to do was hurt him. If there was any benefit to playing the role of wallflower...