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BythetimeIarrivedhomeaftermymeetingatBucknell,itwasdark.
I opened the front door and headed inside to find my mother lying on the couch, watching a movie. “Where’s Dad?” I asked without preamble.
She pointed toward the back of the house. “In his office.”
I nodded without another word, then headed down the hall all the way to the end of the house to the massive room with vaulted ceilings and a marble fireplace he called his office, and pushed open the door.
My father sat at his desk, his brow pinched and his mouth a flat line as he glanced up from the account ledgers in front of him. “Knock next time,” he barked, but I ignored him. Instead, choosing silence as my weapon as I plunked down the paperwork I’d been holding on top of his ledgers.
“What’s this?” He peered up at me, not even bothering to glance down to read them.
I tapped a hand on the papers, then turned, calling over my shoulder, “It’s a contract with Bucknell. I signed it.” Then I slammed the door shut, with my father’s voice trailing behind me.
Later that night, I stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the incessant buzzing of my phone beside me. I didn’t need to check the screen to know who it was—Penelope—the same person it’d been for the last two hours. Apologizing. Explaining. Asking if we could talk. Asking for forgiveness.
But I didn’t want to talk. I had no time for explanations, and I was all out of shits to give, which meant forgiveness wasn’t on the table. Not now. Maybe not ever.
I swiped my phone off my nightstand in time to see another incoming text, so I clicked to my contacts. My finger hovered over the erase button. I could delete her. Block her. Ignore her at school. Then I wouldn’t have to hear from her again.
But in the end, I clicked off, cursed, and powered my phone down, then tossed it across the room to where it landed on the chaise lounge underneath the bay windows, away from me, so I wouldn’t be tempted to check it.
With a grunt, I rolled onto my side and punched my pillow even as my chest tightened and my throat bobbed. And when I closed my eyes, her brown eyes were the first thing I saw. As dark and rich as the espresso I drank nearly every morning. The feel of her lips, the warmth of her skin underneath my palms as we kissed, haunted me when all I wanted to do was forget.
So why couldn’t she just leave me alone? She’d gotten her revenge on me after all these years. She’d gotten what she wanted. Shouldn’t she be happy?
Unless . . .
No.I growled and flopped over onto my back.
I wouldn’t even go there.
Nothing about my relationship with her or Julie was real. Even if she did have feelings for me, did it really matter when she lied? When she betrayed me like she did? It was unforgivable. Something I couldn’t move past, so it was best I bury her and any feelings I had along with it.
PENELOPE
I stayed home sick on Monday like the coward that I was, but when Tuesday rolled around, I knew there was no avoiding Topher forever. It was time to face him.
As it turned out, my fretting over our tutor session at the end of the day was all for nothing because the moment I stepped inside, Principal Bell caught me just outside the office and waved me over.
My pulse skipped as I crossed the hall and a million fears came to life. What if Topher’s secret somehow got out? What if Ms. Stone was fired and Principal Bell was calling me in for questioning? Topher would think I did this, too, that I outed his father’s illicit relationship to the whole school.
“Miss Ewe, just the woman I wanted to see.” Bell smiled.
He didn’t look upset, I mused, and he hadn’t called me back into his office, so it mustn’t be too serious. Still, I couldn’t help but feel like it must be something bad.
“Um, did I do something wrong?” I asked.
“What?” His brow creased. “Oh, no. Of course not. I actually have good news.”
I exhaled, partly relieved.
“Turns out, you’ll get to lighten your load. Topher will no longer need a tutor.”
“Oh.” My stomach dropped, and I glanced to the ground at my feet.
Maybe not so good, after all.
“Everything all right?” he asked, dipping his head to try and catch my eye. “I thought the news would please you. It seemed like—”
