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I lowered my eyes. “I know it’s stupid, but I can’t stop wondering what itsaid.”
“Probably just the same bullshit he’s been texting to you,” shereplied.
I snapped my gaze up to meet hers. “He’s been textingme?”
“Yeah, from Asher’s phone, I think. It’s all been forwarded tome.”
“What did hesay?”
“I don’t think I should tellyou.”
“Please,Trina.”
She sighed and held up a hand. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you. But if you regret hearing this later, you can’t blameme.”
“Iwon’t.”
“All right. I deleted the messages, because fuck him, but I still remember the gist of them. They said something like: there’s something I need to tell you, and it’s really important, but I have to do it inperson.”
“Hm. I wonder what itis.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Please don’t fall for it. It’s obviously just another attempt to manipulate you into seeinghim.”
“I don’t know,” I said slowly, rubbing the back of my neck. “What if Adam actually had a point the otherday?”
“Aboutwhat?”
“When he said it might not be Hunter behind the video at the assembly. What if he wasright?”
Trina groaned. “For fuck’s sake. IknewI shouldn’t have told you about the messages,” she said. “It’s working for him already! You’re starting to doubtyourself.”
“Well, it’s just not making much sense anymore. Why would he do something so horrible and then spend so much time and effort claiming that it wasn’thim?”
“Um, duh? To reel you right back in so he can fuck you overagain.”
“But the necklace,” I said, nodding toward the desk drawer. “It looked expensive as hell. If he was really guilty and actually hated me, why would he spend so much money just to trickme?”
“Laney, you can’t start falling for this again. You have to think about it from his point ofview.”
“What do youmean?”
“I mean the jewelry is just more rich-boy bullshit, like that check he tried to give you at the elephant gala,” she said, nostrils flaring. “Money is literallynothingto him. His weekly allowance is probably equal to the GDP of a small country. So you might think the necklace is a big grand gesture, but to him it’s just another easy way to trickyou.”
My shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I’m being adumbass.”
“No, it’s not your fault,” she said, face softening. “You didn’t grow up in his world. You aren’t used to all the rich-boy fuckeryyet.”
“I should be used to it,” I said with a grimace. “I’ve dealt with my fair sharealready.”
She patted my arm and gave me a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry. It’ll geteasier.”
We finished the pizza and returned to our studies. By half past nine, I was exhausted, and I couldn’t contain myyawns.
“I think we’ve done enough,” Trina said, noticing my tiredness. “I feel pretty ready for the test. Doyou?”
I smothered another yawn and nodded. “I thinkso.”
“Good, because if I have to read one more note about the use of color in The Handmaid’s Tale, I might spontaneously combust.” She grinned and started packing up her stuff. “Hey, I forgot to ask. When are you officially joining theMedusas?”
