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Had I been blind this whole time? Nicole’s betrayal didn’t hurt like it should. Christian’s deception gave me no reaction but a feeling of immense relief. Had I really spent four years of my life with my eyes closed to everything going on around me, too busy being a perfect depiction of the kind of daughter my parents wanted while trying to forge a path of my own despite it all?
I’d spent years looking for a way to escape the confines of my parents’ expectations and the very small world I’d grown up in. I’d fought tooth and nail to get to graduate school, and for a long time, it had seemed impossible, but I’d done it.
I’d used Christian as an excuse, saying I wanted to stay close to him while he finished his senior year. But they knew better than that. I’d been pulling away from everyone for years now.
And now, because of Nicole, I was finally free.
I could have screamed with delight. Screw my parents’ money. I could pay for graduate school on my own. I could take the chancellor up on his offer for discount rent in the graduate dorms if I took a TA position next semester.
I could, and would, do whatever I wanted to do.
Starting with making things very, very clear to Christian.
Twenty minutes and several phone calls later, I’d dressed and gotten ready for the day. I stormed out of the sorority house and crossed the street, shivering slightly at the frigid air. The bite of cold only woke me up further, and without knocking, I walked right into his frat house and thundered up the stairs.
Christian was passed out face down in his bed. I reached for a glass of what I hoped was water on his bedside table and tossed it at him, soaking him.
“What the fuck?” He jumped up, blinking and snarling. “Whit—”
“I am so thrilled to hear about you and Nicole. I called her mom this morning, you know, to tell her the news and make sure she knew Nicole had my blessing.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
I sat on the edge of his bed, grinning madly. “You and Nicole? How madly in love you are? And me, seeing it in her eyes every time she looked at you... I couldn’t possibly keep you all to myself, not when I have such big, useless dreams. She’s actually what you need, and I explained that to her parents, then yours—”
“What?”
“Oh, yeah. Your mother’s doing fine, just so you know. She wishes you’d call her more. She was disappointed that you and I had ended things, but I think she’s more than happy to have a future daughter-in-law who isn’t set on traveling the world and getting something as silly as a doctorate degree. She wouldn’t want you to have a wife that’s smarter than you, would she?”
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“We’re done, Christian. We’ve been done for a long time. You thought you could control me. You’d thought I’d eventually break and be exactly what you wanted me to be. Now you can have your cake and eat it too, just like you have been all semester.” I stood up, smoothing the wrinkles from my coat. “Oh, and your parents said I’d get an invitation to the wedding this summer. Can’t wait. Bye!” I wiggled my fingers at him before turning to leave.
“And what about your parents, Whitney? What do you think they’ll say when they hear about what you’ve done?”
“What I’ve done?” I turned around, giving him my best “deer in the headlights” look. “Whatever do you mean? Did I not just cover up a huge scandal, saving both you and Nicole from societal ruin? I could have told everyone the truth—that you cheated on me with my sorority sister. Your own mother was in my sorority back in the day. It would have hurt everyone and made you look incredibly bad. Your father, once word spread about what you did to poor, little Whitney Dahl, would have had a huge mess to clean up. Your share of his company? Well, it wouldn’t have looked so great to the investors with ties to Gatlington, would it? My parents will get over it. I made you and Nicole look like two fated lovebirds and me, the saint who let you go so you two could be together. You’re welcome.”
He looked up at me blankly, blinding slowly like an owl. “You bitch.”
“Never speak to me again.” I smiled, then turned and walked out feeling like I was on top of the world.
Because I was. In the course of twenty minutes, I’d spun a grand tale of true love to cover all of our asses, especially mine. Nicole would get everything she ever wanted, and Christian would be stuck with her, forever. My parents wouldn’t have a single argument against my virtue, not when word spread through their social circles about the sacrifice I’d made for my dearest friend.
I could vomit. But it would be successful.
“Jessica,” I said into my phone, feeling lighter than air. “I’m coming over. We’re going to go get coffee.”
“What time is it?” Her voice cracked from lack of use. I’d obviously woken her up.
“Doesn’t matter. Get dressed, I’ll be there in five. You’ll never guess what I just did.”
Chapter 14
Rhys
“YOU GOT THIS QUICKLY,” I said as I pulled a few titles from the cardboard box in the back room at Bill’s bookstore.
“I have friends,” he said, and nothing else.
