from the hired help and you’d better keep things platonic with Ben or I’ll tell my father. I’m sure anything you have to wear while you’re here is preferable to a Rikers’ uniform. I hope that is clear enough for you.”
Beth may as well have punched me in the stomach. She’s treating me like I’m some kind of slutty criminal. My chest aches with the need to tell her everything, starting with Jake and Celeste’s involvement in my life back in high school, Jake and Brent violating me, my sister’s suicide, my cutting…all of it. I don’t understand my desire to make Beth understand me. I haven’t even told Talia most of the details of my past, and she’s my best friend. But now that Brent has poisoned Beth against me, even if I showed her the texts between Celeste and the Deceiver, she’ll probably think I faked those in some kind of twisted collusion with her sister.
Swallowing the hurt squeezing my throat, I force myself to ignore the hot tingling radiating from my wrists and nod. “Perfectly clear,” I say flatly. “I’m ready for you to pick the outfits I’m expected to wear for the upcoming events now.”
A flicker of remorse shines in Beth’s green eyes before she tosses her hair over her shoulder and leaves the room ahead of me.
My hands are shaking by the time Beth leaves my room a half hour later. I stare at the tailored red sweater, white collared shirt, black pencil skirt and matching heels I’m supposed to wear for the interview in an hour. Then I glance over the two dresses in the closet Beth chose for tonight and tomorrow night’s events and realize how very different our styles are. Squeezing my hands into tight fists, I close my eyes and fantasize that Celeste shows up right after the TV crews leave this afternoon.
The idea of just being me once more is so appealing, I smile.
A knock at my door yanks me from the daydream and my chest instantly squeezes as reality slams back.
“It’s me.” Calder’s deep voice carries through the wood.
I walk over to the door, but don’t open it. I’m too wound up and tense right now. I don’t want to argue with him over Ben anymore or wonder what he really feels for Celeste. “I just need some downtime, Calder. I’ll see you downstairs in forty-five minutes.”
When I hear him walk away, I sag against the door. I don’t like this tension between us, but I don’t know how to stop it. Instead the distance seems to be growing. That’s what happens when you keep secrets. There’s so much I can’t tell him right now and I know he’ll keep pushing for answers.
Sighing, I walk into the bathroom and brush my hair. I’ve just finished touching up my makeup when another knock sounds.
“Open the door,” Calder says in a matter-of-fact tone.
Great. He sounds ticked. I walk over and steel myself before I open the door. “Calder, I—”
“You need to eat,” he says gruffly. His expression is hard to read as he pushes a plate of food into my left hand, but I’m surprised when he sets my cell phone in my right one at the same time, commanding, “Call Talia.”
Without another word, he pulls the door shut, leaving me standing there, stunned. It’s like he knew exactly what I needed, but there’s no way he could know just how on edge I am. With Brent potentially lurking in the background, I’m questioning whether or not I can pull this charade off with my sanity in tact. This isn’t about you. If something has happened to Celeste, you have to follow through and help.
Glancing down at my phone, I quickly turn it on while I carry the plate over to Celeste’s desk. With my hands shaking, I sit down and press the button to dial Talia’s number.
Talia answers on the second ring, and instead of fussing at me for not keeping in touch the last day and a half like I expect her to, she just says, “I’m here, Cass.”
Her simple statement says so much about our friendship that I instantly tear up and start rambling, “God, I miss
Beth may as well have punched me in the stomach. She’s treating me like I’m some kind of slutty criminal. My chest aches with the need to tell her everything, starting with Jake and Celeste’s involvement in my life back in high school, Jake and Brent violating me, my sister’s suicide, my cutting…all of it. I don’t understand my desire to make Beth understand me. I haven’t even told Talia most of the details of my past, and she’s my best friend. But now that Brent has poisoned Beth against me, even if I showed her the texts between Celeste and the Deceiver, she’ll probably think I faked those in some kind of twisted collusion with her sister.
Swallowing the hurt squeezing my throat, I force myself to ignore the hot tingling radiating from my wrists and nod. “Perfectly clear,” I say flatly. “I’m ready for you to pick the outfits I’m expected to wear for the upcoming events now.”
A flicker of remorse shines in Beth’s green eyes before she tosses her hair over her shoulder and leaves the room ahead of me.
My hands are shaking by the time Beth leaves my room a half hour later. I stare at the tailored red sweater, white collared shirt, black pencil skirt and matching heels I’m supposed to wear for the interview in an hour. Then I glance over the two dresses in the closet Beth chose for tonight and tomorrow night’s events and realize how very different our styles are. Squeezing my hands into tight fists, I close my eyes and fantasize that Celeste shows up right after the TV crews leave this afternoon.
The idea of just being me once more is so appealing, I smile.
A knock at my door yanks me from the daydream and my chest instantly squeezes as reality slams back.
“It’s me.” Calder’s deep voice carries through the wood.
I walk over to the door, but don’t open it. I’m too wound up and tense right now. I don’t want to argue with him over Ben anymore or wonder what he really feels for Celeste. “I just need some downtime, Calder. I’ll see you downstairs in forty-five minutes.”
When I hear him walk away, I sag against the door. I don’t like this tension between us, but I don’t know how to stop it. Instead the distance seems to be growing. That’s what happens when you keep secrets. There’s so much I can’t tell him right now and I know he’ll keep pushing for answers.
Sighing, I walk into the bathroom and brush my hair. I’ve just finished touching up my makeup when another knock sounds.
“Open the door,” Calder says in a matter-of-fact tone.
Great. He sounds ticked. I walk over and steel myself before I open the door. “Calder, I—”
“You need to eat,” he says gruffly. His expression is hard to read as he pushes a plate of food into my left hand, but I’m surprised when he sets my cell phone in my right one at the same time, commanding, “Call Talia.”
Without another word, he pulls the door shut, leaving me standing there, stunned. It’s like he knew exactly what I needed, but there’s no way he could know just how on edge I am. With Brent potentially lurking in the background, I’m questioning whether or not I can pull this charade off with my sanity in tact. This isn’t about you. If something has happened to Celeste, you have to follow through and help.
Glancing down at my phone, I quickly turn it on while I carry the plate over to Celeste’s desk. With my hands shaking, I sit down and press the button to dial Talia’s number.
Talia answers on the second ring, and instead of fussing at me for not keeping in touch the last day and a half like I expect her to, she just says, “I’m here, Cass.”
Her simple statement says so much about our friendship that I instantly tear up and start rambling, “God, I miss
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