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I laughed despite the ache in my chest. “Do you need me to be a witness or something?”
“I won’t let him off that easy. He’s got to work for it at least a little. He might have beaten the odds by making my parents fall head over heels for him, but he has some work to do with me.”
“I’m happy for you. I really am.”
“This just means he might make an appearance over winter break. You’re still planning on spending it with me and my family, right? Dad wants to take us skiing.”
“Of course I am. I’m looking forward to it, actually.” I heaved a sigh. “I haven’t spoken to my parents about it. The last time I talked to my mom, we ended up in a big fight.” I scratched my nail over the seam in my paper coffee cup. “I want to make things right with them eventually; I just don’t know how.”
“They just don’t understand you. It’s nothing against you, Whit. It’s not like you’ve done anything wrong.”
“In their eyes, I have.”
“Well, once you’re done with your education and settled, they’ll have no choice but to accept you as the intelligent scholar that you are.”
I gave her a half smile, those aching thoughts starting to shove back to the forefront of my mind.
“So... I hate to even ask, and I don’t expect you to give me any details about what happened... But something happened with you-know-who, right?”
Rhys, of course. I nodded.
“Are you still going to his class this semester?”
“I have to finish. There’s only three weeks left before winter break. I’ll be fine. I think I’ll ask to take his final early, see if I can skirt having to sit in on his lectures.”
She nodded grimly.
People were started to funnel out of the Commons as the massive clock above the double archways leading into the winding hallways housing undergrad classrooms and study rooms were housed struck nine.
I had to go sit in Hollis Hall while Rhys lectured in only half an hour.
“I’ll see you later, okay? Maybe we can watch a movie back at the dorms tonight.”
“That sounds great.”
We gathered our things and went our separate ways, but as I walked through the snow-covered courtyard between the Commons and Hollis Hall, someone brushed past me.
“I heard you had a great fall break,” Christian sneered as the words laced against my ear. “In Sleepy Hollow. Weird place to spend Thanksgiving.”
I whirled around to face him, but he just smirked, looking me up and down with a hint of disgust and walked away.
I stood in the snow, clutching my books to my chest as he rejoined his friends and disappeared into the building that held Gatlington’s business classes.
My heart was beating so hard against my chest I felt like it would burst.
He couldn’t know. He couldn’t possibly know.
If Christian knew I’d been with Rhys, he’d tell everyone.
Or worse, he’d try to use it against me, to get me back somehow, to force me to choose between protecting my standing at Gatlington while also protecting Rhys, and being with him.
The thought made me sick to my stomach. I rushed into Hollis Hall and into the bathroom, shutting myself in a stall so I could try to collect myself and calm down.
I had to face Rhys after this for the first time since we’d arrived back in Gatlington.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered to myself. Oh shit, Christian knew. Who else knew? Had he started the wheels in motion to get us both in trouble?
A group of women came into the bathroom, chatting loudly, their voices echoing off the tile walls. I wiped my tears and took several deep breaths before steeling my expression and walking out of the stall.
