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“Oh, I’m sure he was, because I was fielding calls from him all weekend demanding that I explain what happened with you and Rondeau since you weren’t answering your phone. Problem is, I didn’t know. Can you believe that?” Sarcasm dripped from her glossed lips like a thick caramel. Tully pursed her mouth and avoided her friend’s eyes by staring at the gravel under her Keds. “He doesn’t believe that I don’t know what happened between my best friend and Nathan Rondeau. I can barely believe it myself.”
Tully had hoped that Stephanie’s memory would have lapsed for a couple of days until she forgot about the entire event and it would pass by like it never happened. In fact, she’d hoped the entire school would do the same—especially said boy.
She turned to walk away from her car to the school, and Stephanie scoffed, clearly catching on quickly to what Tully was doing.
“Try all you want, Tully. But I’m not letting this drop until I know what’s going on.”
“It’s really not anything important,” she lied.
“Right. So unimportant that you haven’t met my eyes for the past five minutes.”
Challenged by Stephanie’s words, she lifted her head to meet her gaze and made a point to hold her suspicious glare with one of her own, then spun on her heel when it became too much and walked towards the school. “Nothing happened.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you want.” They reached the school entrance and Tully hesitated with her hand on the cold handle. Her eyes scanned through the small glass window, searching the buzzing hallways.
So far, no one had approached her to tease or yell out some insult, aside from Stephanie. Still, anything could go wrong at any moment. With that many bodies crowding such a small area, whatever news had been spread since Friday night would likely catch up to her fast.
“What are you doing?” Stephanie followed Tully’s eyes through the window.
Steeling herself, Tully squared her shoulders with her head held high and pushed open the doors. “Nothing.”
“Right,” Stephanie said, unconvinced.
If Stephanie didn’t already know what happened, Tully wasn’t going to be the one to utter those words out loud. It pained her to even think about it, much less talk about it. Besides, some random classmates would likely do it themselves once they walked in because there was no way the rumors hadn’t already spread. She braced herself as she melded into the crowd.
A part of her had half-expected the entire student body to turn to her at once and start laughing. But when she started the trek from the doors to her locker, not a single person spared her a second glance. Odd.
She’d spent the entire weekend steeling herself for this inevitable moment and somehow, it never came.
“You’re acting really weird,” Stephanie eyed Tully as she peered around the hallway. “Considering that ‘nothing’ happened. The same ‘nothing’ that had you sprinting from that party like your life depended on it.” Again, that sarcasm gave away her disbelief. And why would she believe it?
Tully’s sister, Joliet, would say lying was all in the details—just enough to be convincing, but not too many that you lose track. And if anyone knew how to lie, it was Joliet. Well, Tully couldn’t lie for shit and her details and stories always jumbled into something that was easy to pick apart.
“I wasn’t feeling well. Just needed to get out into the fresh air. Clear my head a bit.”
Tully cringed. That lie may have been worse than the first.
Discouraged by her failed attempts at diverting her friend, Tully looked away to regroup her thoughts and get herself out of this mess without having to tell the truth.
Unfortunately, the horrific truth stood right in front of her face. Or, more accurately, about ten feet down the hallway with his perfectly moussed hair and an alarming purple bruise on the side of his neck. The worst part was that he was staring right at her. Not just staring: he was walking straight toward her.
“Uh,” Tully backed away, her eyes wide and alarmed as her fingers tightened on her books. “I’ve got to go.”
Tully turned and left a very confused Stephanie, and an even more confused Nathan Rondeau behind.
three
tully
1 Week Before the Party
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Tully slid into the booth right next to Erik, settling into the comfort of his presence. “There were more books to shelve in the library than usual.”
Erik jumped and spun to look at her. She didn’t realize he hadn’t noticed her approach until his wide eyes met her.
She might have been able to brush off the way she could see his entire iris or the way a muscle ticked in his jaw, but she couldn’t ignore the fidgeting of his hands or him urgently looking around the area.
