Chapter2

I wasn't planning on telling him I was leaving.

So he wouldn't get suspicious, I went anyway after class.

The party was at a rooftop bar downtown. The second I walked in, I felt his frat brothers' eyes land on me all at once, with these smirks like they were all in on something.

Grayson stood in the middle of the crowd. When he saw me, the corner of his mouth twitched. His eyes swept past me and landed right back on Sloane, standing next to him.

I sat by myself in a corner. Through the crowd, I watched everyone start chanting, "Kiss! Kiss!" I watched them kiss while everyone cheered.

My nose stung. All of a sudden, I knew coming here tonight had been a huge mistake.

I was about to slip out while no one was looking when Sloane came over, drink in hand.

"You're Wren, right? Oh my God, it's been years. You're all grown up."

She smiled sweetly, but there was nothing friendly in her eyes.

"Seeing anyone? Want me to set you up with someone?"

"No, thanks."

When I didn't play along, her smile faded. She took a step closer and lowered her voice.

"Drop the act, sweetie. Everyone can see right through you."

"Living in their house and sleeping your way into their son's bed. Wow. Impressive."

"You know what Gray said about you?"

She leaned in close to my ear. "He said it was the most embarrassing thing he's ever done."

The words had barely left her mouth when she seemed to notice something. Suddenly, she raised her hand and slapped herself across the face. Hard.

The smack was loud.

Sloane clutched her cheek. Her eyes went red in an instant.

Before I could even react, Grayson's voice came from behind me.

"Wren, what the hell are you doing?"

He rushed over and pulled Sloane into his arms.

"I just wanted to say hi..." Sloane's voice was shaking. "I don't know what I said that set her off. She just..."

Tears rolled down her face, one after another. Grayson looked at her like it was breaking his heart.

Then he looked up at me. It was the first time he'd ever yelled at me.

"What is wrong with you? You actually hit someone?"

He didn't ask a single question. He'd already decided I was guilty.

In that moment, I went cold all over.

People crowded around us, looking at me like they were enjoying the show.

"I heard she's been chasing Grayson for years. Sloane comes back and she panics."

"The Hales were nice enough to take her in, and she goes after their son."

"Let's be real, she's a charity case. She really thinks she's somebody."

Every word was like a knife.

I stood in the middle of all of them like a clown. Without thinking, I looked at Grayson. I wanted to find even a little trust in his eyes.

But he was looking at me exactly the way everyone else was. Cold, and a little impatient.

In that second, I didn't even have the energy to explain. I just wanted out.

The moment I turned around, Grayson grabbed my wrist.

"Apologize."

He was gripping so hard that I cried out in pain.

Right on cue, Sloane spoke up. "It's okay, Gray. She's young. She couldn't control her emotions. I'm not mad at her."

Her eyes were teary, but the corner of her mouth curled up, just slightly.

It worked, just like she meant it to. When Grayson looked at me now, there was nothing but disappointment and disgust.

"Did you not hear me? Apologize!"

I dug my nails into my palm so the tears wouldn't fall.

"She slapped herself. She's putting on an act. Why should I—"

Before I could finish, a slap landed hard across my face.

It was so hard it knocked me off my feet. I crashed into the table next to me and sent the glasses flying. Glass shattered all over the floor.

The palm I'd caught myself on was sliced open. Blood dripped between my fingers.

"Fine, don't apologize. But lying? What do you have to cry about?"

He looked down at me with nothing but contempt. He didn't even see the blood on my hand.

There was a time when I'd get the tiniest paper cut, and he'd panic and tear through the whole medicine cabinet.

Today, he watched me bleed and only felt embarrassed by me.

From thirteen to twenty-one. Eight years of loving him, of depending on him. In that moment, it all burned to ash.

I kept my head down and ran out of the bar.

Outside, it was pouring.

I walked right out into it. The cold rain beat against my face and mixed with my tears all the way down.

When I got home, I cleaned up my cut as best I could and crashed.

The next day at school, I found out that what happened last night had already spread everywhere.