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“Why do you have that?”
I cock an eyebrow. “Why do I have a trophy on a shelf full of trophies?”
“I’m serious.” She springs out of my arms and pads to the shelves on the far side of the wall.
I know she’s delaying the inevitable, and it makes me think of the worst.
Before I can say anything, she picks up one of my oldest trophies, one I got from college. It’s one with the model of a classic greenhouse with a pointed roof encased within a spherical frame, with green leaves peeking out from behind it.
“Ryan, is this yours?” she asks in a slightly shaky voice.
What’s upset her now? “Does it not have my name on it?”
“It does. But… it says ‘The Greenwich Society.’ Is that not the same as the Greenhouse, an NYU fraternity?”
“It used to be. You know about it?”
“I’ve heard a lot about it.”
Figures. It was an exclusive group made up of heirs to billion-dollar empires and trust fund babies. The parties were some of the most sought-after in colleges from within and outside New York.
I huff out a breath, striving for patience with her as she looks over the award, her eyes wide with emotion. She seems lost in thought for a while, then suddenly puts the trophy back and returns to me.
I pull her onto my lap. “What just happened right now, Stella? You look pale.”
“Ryan, I thought you attended the University of Washington. Brooke mentioned something like that. About you and Xavier having a huge fallout and then getting separated during college. I assumed…”
I fight to tamp down the surge of panic inside me. “Yes, I had my first year of college at UW, then moved to New York—”
“Why did you move colleges?” She interjects, twisting back to look at me.
I keep my expression bland. “To reconnect with Xavier.” And escape the ghosts.
After a moment, she nods, then leans back into my chest. “That award was for Social Navigator.”
“Some stupid shit, a euphemism for helping people and partying a lot.”
I’m not sure why we’re still discussing my college days but chalk it up to her not having an experience of college life.
“What were the parties like?” Stella asks.
“Wild, I guess. I was almost always drunk in those years in college. I hardly remember graduating college, much less getting that award.”
If it hadn’t been for Xavier, I probably would have flunked out or even wound up dead during those dark days.
She takes several deep breaths. Again, I’m puzzled by her reaction and something occurs to me. “Stella, did you ever attend those parties?”
She shakes her head. “I’m just curious.”
“Okay, enough about my college life. Tell me why you lied to me.”
“Am I allowed to put my clothes back on?”
“Are you cold?”
“No, you’re like a furnace.”
“So no, not until you tell me the truth.”
