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Beside me, Mom gasps in horror. “Sophie, what are you doing? That was so rude!”
My blood seems to be running hot and cold at the same time, sending chills dancing up my spine but making my skin hot as I turn to look at her. “You knew they were coming? You invited them here without checking with me?”
Her eyes are wide with shock. “They were your friends! After our talk this morning, I was thinking about how you still miss them and your heart’s still sore over that stupid fight last year, so I poked around on social media, just curious, wondering what they were up to. Well, wouldn’t you know, Dylan and Elle are in the city for a concert this weekend. I guess they’re dating now. I always knew she had a thing for him.”
The ringing in my ears is almost too loud to absorb her words. Horrors from last year flood back. I remember him holding me down, forcing my pants down as I fought to get away.
Fought.
I did more than say no. I fucking tried like hell to get away from him when it became clear he knew I didn’t want to. He just didn’t care.
“I cannot believe you did that.”
“I thought maybe it would be nice for you guys to catch up. If you patch things up with them, honey, maybe it will help you to move on—”
“Stop saying that!”
Too frustrated to stand here and keep talking to her about this, I turn on my heel and go back to my bedroom. I grab my school bag and start shoving in my books.
There’s laundry in the dryer I did here since I don’t have a washer or dryer in my dorm, but I don’t take the time to get it out. I’ll have to come back for it when I’m calmer.
“Where are you going?” Mom asks as I come flying back down the hall.
“Back to school.”
“Sophie, I wasn’t trying to upset you. I thought—”
“Doesn’t matter. I have to get back anyway. I’ll see you next weekend.”
“Sophie, come on.”
I step into my shoes and fling open the door. My heart stalls when I see Dylan and Elle are just getting to their car, but they’ve seen me now, so there’s no way I’m going back inside and waiting for them to leave.
Tipping my chin up and hoisting my bag over my shoulder, I pull the front door shut behind me and make my way down the porch steps.
Dylan is on the passenger side about to get in, and Elle is driving him, of course. Such a dutiful chauffeur.
Anger surges up inside me. Since he’s on the other side and Elle is closest to me, as I walk by her, I say, “Your boyfriend’s an attempted rapist, just so you know.”
Her jaw drops open, and Dylan decides to speak up. “Wow, I see you’re still smarting from that rejection, huh, Bradwell?”
Rejection?I almost laugh. “Is that the story you’re telling? Coward.”
“At least I’m not a bitter cunt who makes up lies about guys who didn’t like her.”
His words cut straight to my bone. That this is the narrative he’s selling… I can’t even stomach it.
“That’s a really serious accusation, Sophie,” Elle calls after me. “Regretting hooking up with someone is not the same as being raped, and it’s really messed up that you would lie about something like that when there are real victims out there.”
The muscles in my legs turn to jelly. I’ve never enjoyed confrontation to begin with, but this is so fucking unjust, I feel like hurling. “You deserve each other,” I tell her.
“And you deserve to be lonely and friendless for telling such hateful lies,” she yells back.
Angry tears threaten to fall, but I don’t let them. I would die before giving either one of them the satisfaction.
I throw my bag in the passenger seat and slam the door closed. My hands are shaking so badly, I can hardly get my seat belt fastened.
It can’t be safe driving back to school in this headspace. When I get there, I find I can’t even remember half the drive.
