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I hear their conversation go on as I try to catch my breath, and I listen in guiltily.
"Why do you have to be such a fucking tool to my friends?" Lai hisses.
"You know why," Dion tosses back. "Do you really want to make room for another Lily fucking Anna?"
"She's nothing like her. Nothing."
"I see quite a few similarities, actually. Namely the one where they both had you fucking whipped, Lai."
"You don't know shit."
"Tell me you don't love this one too, then." Silence follows, tensions heavy and thick in the air. "You can't, can you? You fell in love with another one of your best friend's women. Lily Anna first, and now this Pandora girl. For shame."
"I don't need to listen to this," Lai hisses.
I rush toward the staircase to avoid him, tripping over my own feet in an effort to get the hell out of there. I reach the upper floor when I hear him call out from below.
"Pandora." I look over my shoulder, my eyes on Lai's. "Did you hear any of that?"
I don't reply, standing frozen with my hand on the bannister.
"It's true," Lai grits out. "I do. I love you."
I can't move. Can't say a word. My heart beats wildly as I watch him wait for my reaction. I don't give him one, because I don't know what it's supposed to be. Finally, he gets tired of waiting. Taking his eyes off me, he le
aves down the hallway.
It takes me several long minutes to return to the guest bedroom. I can't even begin to think about Lai's confession - I still need to figure out what I'm going to do tomorrow.
I want to go back to Dexter's house.
The realization hits hard, and I groan, knowing I'll have to swallow my pride when I return to the Booth Manor.
But at the same time, I know it's what I want. I want Dexter. I want to leave this town with him.
Tomorrow at school, I'll ask him to come with me.
Together, we'll leave Eden Falls in the dust.
As I walk into the school that morning, I feel even more exposed than usual. There are lingering gazes on me. Whispers are being passed around as I make my way through the hallways. I know something's up before I even make it to my first classroom of the day. But as soon as I do, my hand flies to my mouth and I stare in shock at my own image. The picture Dex took - it has to be. It's been blown up in ridiculous detail, pasted all over the classroom. It's on the blackboard, on the walls. It's everywhere. Audra strolls past me then, with a sickeningly sweet smile, passing out more copies of the lewd photograph.
"Got a text this morning," she purrs when she bumps into me. "Dexter sent this over. I thought I might as well share."
I'm horrified. I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole, but the relief doesn't come, just the horror of being so utterly exposed yet again.
Lai is not in this lesson and neither is Dex. I can't bear another second in that stuffy classroom, and I turn on my heels, running away.
I don't stop until I've made it to the girls' bathroom on the first floor. I look myself into the last cubicle, feeling hot tears blurring my vision.
I can't believe Dexter's betrayal.
After everything that's happened... after everything he's done for me - to me, he did this. The knife in my back twists and I retch over the toilet bowl, emptying my stomach. I sit down, shivering as I hear the door open and someone comes into the bathroom.
"She's not even that pretty." The sound of running water and giggling follows. "God, can you imagine being such a slut that you'd let someone take those pictures of you?"
"What did you expect?" the other voice wonders out loud. "She's not Eden Falls material. Never belonged here, anyway."
With a scowl, I put my bag over my shoulder and open the door. The two girls doing their makeup in front of the mirror freeze as I saunter between them, washing my hands and face in the sink.
