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Fuck.
Her gaze lifted to mine, betrayal and hurt shining there.
It hit me, then.
Aurora had heard everything.
CHAPTER 23
AURORA
I gripped my coffee mug and calmly headed for the door. “I have to get to campus early. I’ll see you later.”
“Uh, sure,” Austin frowned. The second I was out of the room, I heard him say, “Was it something I said?”
Sam.
He’d been with Sam.
God, I felt sick.
Had he left me to go and fuck her? Get drunk with her? Only to come home and torture me some more.
I was such an idiot.
Noah wanted me. I didn’t doubt that. But he didn’t want me enough to avoid sticking his dick in some puck bunny.
I hurried upstairs to my room and slammed the door behind me right as my cell vibrated. It wasn’t any surprise to see Noah’s name.
Noah: It’s not what you think. I swear to God, shortcake. Just… let me explain.
It never was.
The first time I asked Ben if there was something going on with Tierney, he’d looked me in the eye and told me I was being ridiculous. He’d gaslit me into thinking I was overreacting. Tierney Jenson was my best friend, she was an integral part of our friend group, so it only made sense that sometimes the two of them hung out. He’d even had the audacity to say that if I couldn’t trust him, maybe we shouldn’t be together.
He’d played on every insecurity I had and manipulated me into a docile, acquiescent girlfriend which made his betrayal that much harder to bear.
Because I’d allowed it to happen.
I’d ignored my gut, convincing myself that he loved me. That he would never hurt me. Even though, deep down, I knew something was off.
Emotion welled inside me, but I refused to cry. Not over Ben and certainly not over Noah Holden.
Maybe I wasn’t the kind of girl who got the guy, but I had enough dignity to know when to walk away.
Another text came through, but I didn’t read it. Instead, I turned off my cell phone, dragged my weary butt into the shower, and washed away all memories of Noah Holden’s treacherous kisses.
The day dragged. I kept my cell phone off, avoiding any public places I might run into the hockey team and, more specifically, Noah.
Harper had grilled me in our class together, but I lied and told her I wasn’t feeling so good. It had been enough to placate her.
But as I was heading toward the library, the last person I expected to see heading toward me appeared in my peripheral vision.
“Austin’s sister Aurelie, right?” Sam said.
“Aurora,” I replied. “You’re Noah’s friend.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m far more than that.” She gave me a saccharine smile.
