AllFreeNovel
Share Us
through me. She's so proud of me, of my life here.... If I ever ended things with Daniel, or got expelled, she
would just..."
She couldn't finish her thought. Couldn't bear to imagine what would happen. And it would be all her fault.
All. Her. Fault.
"That's why I have to go to Vermont," she finished. "I don't have a choice."
"But that's not fair." Thomas was incredulous. "You shouldn't have to live your whole life for her. Doesn't
she want you to be happy?"
"Yes, but she believes Easton and Billings and Daniel are the things that will make me happy. And they
should." Her voice was getting higher and higher as she spoke. "I mean, they do. He's a great guy, and he
loves me."
132
Thomas laughed cruelly. "Daniel Ryan doesn't love anyone but himself."
"You don't know anything," Ariana said, stacking her napkin pieces on the counter. "Why else would he be
ready to lose his virgin!-"
Thomas gaped at her.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. Daniel Ryan told you he was a virgin?" he blurted.
Ariana felt her face flaming. "He is a virgin."
Thomas's eyes danced merrily, and suddenly it felt like the room was growing warmer. The condescending
way he was looking at her, like she was naive. Stupid. Her blood boiled in her veins. In her mind's eye she
saw herself picking up the heavy griddle and slamming the back of Thomas's bent head with it, just to get that
look out of his eye.
"Stop looking at me like that!" she said, standing. Her fingers twitched.
"I'm not...." Thomas replied, his eyes serious again. "I'm just... I can't believe he told you that. And I can't
believe you bought it." Ariana's blood began to cool.
"I didn't buy anything. It's the truth," Ariana said firmly. "Not that it's any of your business."
"You just made it my business," Thomas said, standing. "Let's go."
"Go where?" Ariana didn't move a muscle.
"I'm going to prove to you that he's lying," Thomas said lightly. "Unless you're scared to know the truth."
133
Ariana lifted her chin. "I'm not scared of anything."
