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“You heard me. I’m not good enough for you, is that it?”
“I didn’t say that, Tyler. You’re a nice guy. I just don’t have those kinds of feelings for you.” I clutch my bag tightly to my chest and take a small step backward, out of his reach.
“A nice guy.” He lets out a humorless laugh. “You know, all you bitches say you want a nice guy, and then when one is standing right in front of you, you throw him away. Well, let me tell you something, sweetheart. You’re the trash, not me.”
Before I can respond to that, he grabs the back of his chair and flings it to the side. It crashes into the wall behind him and I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound. I’m ready to bolt for the exit, but before I can, he pushes past me and mutters, “Fucking bitch.” He makes his way out of the door before I can move a muscle.
I stand still as a statue in the middle of the room, letting the shock run over me. My eyes water, but I’m not going to let myself cry over that asshole. It’s not that what he said hurt my feelings. I know that none of it is true. It’s just that I was so scared in that moment that I froze up. I should have run or screamed orsomething. Now, there’s adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I have no way to let it out except through tears. Wiping at my eyes, I take a steadying breath. At least it’s over now. I won’t have to deal with him anymore.
Except in class. That thought really does have me almost releasing my tears. I could see if I still have time to withdraw, but I really don’t want to give Tyler the satisfaction. I need this class, and I’m not going to mess up my academic track because he’s a childish asshole. No, I’ll just have to arrive late and get out of here the second class is over. I’ll make sure I don’t sit near him. Besides, this is probably just a little temper tantrum. I bet by next week he’ll have realized what an ass he was and feel embarrassed.
I poke my head out of the classroom, relieved when I don’t see Tyler lurking in the hallway. I make my way out to the parking lot, far more vigilant than I’ve ever been before.
???
When I get home, I find Hollie packing up her bedroom. She said that she was going to be taking Paige and moving in with Archer, but I suppose I didn’t think it was going to happen so soon.
As I move over to her bed and take a seat, I’m struck by how stark the walls look without all the pictures of us from the past few years she had hanging there. She’s buried deep in the back of her closet and is throwing things out toward a large open box in the middle of the room, completely missing it every time. When she hears me adjusting my legs underneath me, she pops her head out and smiles. “Hey, Vi. How was class?”
“Pretty shitty, actually,” I say with a sigh. She tilts her head in question and then plops down next to me on the bed, which causes me to rise several inches in the air before landing rather ungracefully, sending us both into giggles.
“What happened?”
“Well, class was fine, but Tyler was decidedly not.”
“Ah, so you let him down, and he didn’t take it well,” she says knowingly.
“That would be an understatement. I believe he called me trash and a bitch—twice.”
She rears her head back in surprise. “That little prick! Do you want me to kick his ass for you? You know I will. Or let me tell Archer about it. He really likes you, and what’s the point of being rich if you can’t hire a hitman for your friends?”
I can’t help laughing at that. God, I’m going to miss her.
I reach over and give her a hug. “Are you sure you want to move in with your super-hot, rich, and loving boyfriend? Wouldn’t you rather stay here with me?” I swear there’s only the littlest bit of a whine in my voice.
She just smiles and hugs me back. “As much as I’m going to miss you and Bianca, I’m going to have to pass. Besides the fact that I’m head over heels for the grumpy bastard, I’ve got to take care of Paige too, and there’s no room for her here.”
“I know, I know. Can’t a girl just complain about it a little?” I pull back so that I can look her in the eyes, pushing all jokes aside. “You know that I’m super happy for you, right? I know that life hasn’t always been easy for you, and I’m so happy that you found Archer. He really loves you, you know?”
“Yeah, he does,” she says, getting a bit of a dreamy look on her face. I feel just the tiniest bit of jealousy. It must be nice knowing where you stand with the object of your affection. She seems to shake herself out of it before turning back to me. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Dante?”
I know I must look shocked, and that’s because I am. How does she know? What does she know? I thought I had been doing so well with keeping things under wraps.
“Both you and Dante suck at hiding your feelings,” she says with a grin.
“What are you talking about?”
“Please, girl, you two are so obvious. I mean, you’ve been in love with him since you met him, and he’s been staring at you with hearts in his eyes for at least a year.”
That has me taken aback. What is she talking about? Dante has never looked at me as anything but a kid until recently. “What? That can’t possibly be true.”
She just shrugs. “I only know what I see.”
While I’m not sure if I believe that, I decide I can’t lie to her. I’m already deep in this lie of omission with Bianca, and I’m not going to start outright lying to Hollie. Besides, I haven’t had anybody to talk to about all of this, and it would be a relief to be able to confide in one of my best friends.
“It just started,” I admit in a rush. “But we’ve agreed to keep it casual.”
At that, she laughs. It’s not even a chuckle but a big belly laugh. “Sweetie, I don’t think either of you is capable of keeping it casual, but if that’s what you want to tell yourselves for now, you go right ahead. So, you have to tell me. How is it?”
