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Isit with my legs curled beneath me on Sophia’s couch. Butterflies take flight in my stomach as I run a shaky hand through my hair. “I have something to confess. When I’m done, you’ll probably never speak to me again. I wouldn’t hold it against you if you did.” I exhale a long breath. “For some reason, I feel like I can trust you, though. That’s why I’m taking this chance and telling you.”
Sophia raises one dark brow, a knowing smile on her face. “Let me guess. You kissed Evan.” Cocking her head, she studies my expression. “Fooled around with him, too.”
Swallowing around the huge lump in my throat, I solemnly nod.
“Oh, Lexi. Trust me when I say I understand.” She curls her legs beneath her, one elbow on the back of the couch as she faces me. “Evan’s friends with Trent Walsh. He’s similar to Evan in some ways, but different in others. Both are hotter than hell, overbearingly confident and get whatever they want.” Her eyes drop to her lap, where her other hand toys with the hem of her shirt. “What Trent wants is me, even though we can never be.”
Confusion swims through me as I take in the conflicted look on her face. “Why? I mean it seems obvious you like him from the look on your face. As far as I know, he’s not your stepbrother or TA-turned-professor.”
Sophia grins before it fades. “He was. Last semester.” A frown mars her face. “I started at Groveton last spring after my mom married Henry Alexander. I tolerate Henry and his prick of a son, Owen, simply for my mom’s sake. Owen has been a jackass to me since the day I moved in.” Sophia shakes her head sadly. “I swear, my mom married Henry just to give me a good education that she could never afford on her own. My dad left us money when he died, but it was meager. I insisted she pay off the house, her car, and obviously, his funeral expenses. There wasn’t much left after that.”
“I’ve never met my dad. He split before I was born, so my mom raised me herself. We used to struggle quite a bit when I was a child. Once she got her degree and went to law school, things were really tight. My Gram moved in with us when I was young to help.” Sorrow blankets me as I picture Gram’s face. “Even with the meager amount Gram left my mom, there’s no way she could afford to send me to Groveton. Not until she married Preston.”
Sympathy shines in Sophia’s dark eyes. “The struggle is real. When my mom married Henry, it was quite an adjustment.”
“Tell me about it.” I roll my eyes, heaving out a breath. “Where did you meet Trent?”
“At a fundraiser last spring. I didn’t want to go, but of course, Henry insisted. Owen, my stepbrother, loves antagonizing me. I ended up getting so pissed at him that I grabbed a glass of white wine from a tray and tossed it in his face. He was so enraged, he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me outside.” She shakes her head, her eyes distant. “I feared he might hit me. We were outside on the balcony of this posh hotel, with no one around. He was screaming at me, gripping me so hard he left bruises on my wrist. Trent happened to be walking by and heard it. He intervened.”
“I like Trent already.” I briefly met Trent before I ran out the door. He flashed me an easygoing smile, holding his hand out and shaking it. We engaged in small talk before I hurried to the door, unable to stand the predatory hunger in Evan’s eyes any longer. I told Evan I was going to Sophia’s, then sprinted to her apartment.
Sophia laughs. “I know what you’re thinking. Trent is nice. And he can be. He thought I was just some random girl when he saved me from Owen. Trent asked for my phone number and checked in on me later. We started texting, and two weeks later, he invited me to a party. Trent and I were having a great time until Owen showed up.”
“Oh no. What happened?”
A long sigh falls from her lips as she shifts, twirling with a lock of her dark hair. “Owen started screaming at me for hanging out ‘with the enemy.’ I had no idea what he was talking about. Trent looked confused. Owen laughed and said, ‘Sophia Myers is my stepsister.’ Trent’s entire demeanor changed. His head slowly turned to me, and he was seething. I’ve never seen him look so angry. His hands curled into fists, and Trent said through clenched teeth, ‘This was all a game to you. Well played.’ I defended myself because I wasn’t playing games with anyone. At that point, I had no idea about the business rivalry between the Alexander and Walsh families.”
My mouth hangs open. “What happened next?”
“I tried to convince Trent I wasn’t playing any games and had no idea of the rivalry between the families. But that night, Owen said something to Trent that changed how he looked at me.”
Long lashes graze her cheek as she stares at her lap. “Whatever Owen said made Trent hate me. And it hurts. I thought we were developing something good. A friendship, at least. But that all changed the night of the party.”
Reaching over, I squeeze her hand, wishing I could do more.
I was hurt and depressed, reeling from his coldness and that hatred in Trent’s eyes for days afterward. I missed class on Monday because I couldn’t face Trent. When I returned on Wednesday, he was a cold prick. Doing something like what Evan did to you. Rapid firing questions at me, flustering me. Glaring at me every time our eyes met. When I would raise my hand, he’d call on someone else. But when I didn’t, he called on me, and if I didn’t know the answer, he’d stare at me with so much loathing, I couldn’t take it.”
She pauses, shame coloring her cheeks. “I withdrew from the course. My stepfather was pissed, but when I told him Trent Walsh was teaching it instead of the professor, he said, ‘Glad you withdrew. Stay away from him, Sophia. He’s bad news.’ Obviously, I agreed with my stepfather because of the way Trent acted toward me.”
“Do you still feel that way about him?”
Sophia shrugs. “I needed to retake the class since I withdrew. Before I registered for it this semester, I did my research. I chose the evening class specifically because of the professor. I was informed Trent wasn’t a TA for her. But when I walked into class Monday night, guess who was standing there, a smug smile on his face?”
My brows raise. “Trent.”
“Yup. Another TA was listed on the syllabus, just like our psychology class with Evan. Trent obviously switched with her. I was pissed. I confronted him afterward.”
“What did he say when you confronted him?”
Sophia’s exposed skin turns red from head to toe. “We fought, hurling insults at one another, yet somehow ended up in a custodial closet. I-I….”
“Fooled around with him?”
Sophia nods, but her smile is chagrined. “More than that.”
“You slept with him.”
She doesn’t look at me as she nods. “I’m not sure how it happened. One minute, we were in each other’s faces, screaming. Then his lips were on mine. I pushed him away, smacking him in the chest. It seemed to turn him on.” Running a hand through her hair, her dark eyes finally meet mine. “He lifted me and pinned me against the wall. When his lips crashed against mine, his hands squeezing my ass, well… I wanted to resist, but I was powerless.” She whispers her next words. “Deep down, I want him. I tell myself I shouldn’t. I sometimes even convince myself I don’t. But in my heart, I know I’m a goddamn liar.”
