Chapter 63

Celeste

The campus garden was a strange setting for confrontation. Birds chirped, a gentle breeze swayed the blossoms, and the world seemed far too peaceful for the tension that buzzed in the air.

I sat on a bench, Fiona at my side, when Sabrina, with her predatory grace, began to close in on us.

“Well?” Sabrina asked, cocking her head to the side. “Do you want my help or not?”

“Leave me alone, Sabrina,” I snapped, my patience worn thin.

Instead of taking the hint, Sabrina chose the spot right beside me, her smirk ever-present. Fiona, always my fiercest protector, immediately bristled.

“You think you’re so clever,” she snarled, her voice low and dripping with venom. “No one’s falling for your dumb tricks, Sabrina. Do you really think we’re that stupid?”

Sabrina tilted her head, her eyes dancing with mirth. “Well,” she drawled, “not entirely stupid. Just a little, perhaps.” Her gaze darted over to me, amused. “But for the record, this isn’t a trick. I actually want to help Celeste.”

I frowned, my skepticism evident. “Why would you want to help me? And what makes you think that I would come even close to trusting you after the shit you posted when I cleaned your disgusting dorm?”

Sabrina shrugged, her casual demeanor in sharp contrast to the tension that hung in the air.

“Believe it or not, I’m bored. Your little escapade, the whole ‘Rose’ thing, is quite the diversion. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised you even have the capacity to be remotely interesting, but life’s full of surprises, isn’t it?”

The insult stung, but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of seeing me flinch. Fiona, however, wasn't so restrained. “Watch your mouth,” she hissed.

Ignoring Fiona’s warning, Sabrina leaned in closer to me, her voice soft yet forceful. “I’ll ask again: do you want my help or not?”

I hesitated. Sabrina was the last person I would ever want to ally myself with, but her offer dangled before me like forbidden fruit, tantalizingly out of reach.

Beside me, Fiona’s anger radiated in palpable waves. “Celeste, you can’t possibly be considering this,” she whispered. “This is Sabrina you’re talking to. She’s a psycho bitch.”

Sabrina raised an eyebrow at Fiona, her smirk back in full force as she clamped her hand dramatically over her heart. “Darling, I’m hurt! Why would you say such a thing? What, are you afraid that Celeste might actually get what she wants for once, without hiding behind a mask?”

Fiona’s nostrils flared, her face flushing with anger. “You don’t know anything about it,” she shot back. “Of course I want Celeste to get what she wants. But you don’t have the same motives.”

Sabrina’s gaze was unyielding as she stared down Fiona. “Perhaps I don’t,” she murmured. “But I know enough to see that our dear Celeste here is at a crossroads. And I, for one, am curious to see which path she takes.”

As much as I loathed to admit it, there was a twisted logic to Sabrina’s words. She was offering me an opportunity—a dangerous, thrilling chance to truly test the waters with Matt. The idea was tempting, if not utterly insane.

Swallowing my apprehension, I turned to face Sabrina. “And what’s the catch? You expect me to believe you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart?”

Sabrina laughed, a soft chuckle that held no warmth.

“Goodness of my heart? Please. Like I said, I’m bored, and this is entertainment. Plus,” she leaned in, whispering in a conspiratorial tone, “seeing you squirm is an added bonus.”

Fiona groaned in exasperation. “Celeste, she’s toying with you.”

But I was lost in thought. Sabrina’s offer was dangerous and tantalizing, and the urge to prove her wrong, to rise to the challenge, was overwhelming. I wanted to show Sabrina, and everyone else, that I wasn’t the timid girl they believed me to be.

“Celeste.” Fiona’s grip on my hand tightened. When I turned to look at her, her blue eyes were tinged with worry. “Don’t listen to her.”

I let out a sigh. Fiona was right; Sabrina was too unpredictable, too calculating. Nothing good could come of this.

“Let the girl decide for herself, Fiona,” Sabrina purred, smirking. “Celeste, don’t you want to be your own person for once?”

“Just leave, Sabrina,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes. My pulse quickened as anger bubbled within me. She had no right to inject herself into my life, to mock my feelings, to relish in my vulnerability. “I’ll handle this myself.”

But, true to form, Sabrina plopped down next to me on the bench, completely ignoring my demand. Her gaze was sharp, observant.

“You know,” she began in that drawling voice of hers, “Matt must really be into you—or this... ‘alter ego’ you’ve created. Did you know that he met up with me at the bar just to find out who you are?”

I blinked in surprise. “What?”

She smirked, leaning back, the picture of arrogance. “Mhm. Back when all of this started. I offered him a simple exchange, really: a fun night with me in exchange for your name. But when it came down to it, he turned down my advances, Celeste. My advances. Can you even believe it? Do you know how rare that is, for a guy to turn me down?”

I grimaced. The ego on this girl! “And why exactly are you telling me this?” I hissed.

Her smirk deepened, and she edged closer, her voice conspiratorial. “Because, dear Celeste, I can help you out. Call it... a sudden fascination with the drama. Your life’s becoming quite the soap opera, after all.”

Suspicion welled within me. “And what do you want in return?”

Even as I asked, I had a sinking feeling. Sabrina was known to twist things in her favor, and I wasn’t about to let her ensnare me in one of her plots.

She chuckled. “Nothing. Just a good show. Consider me... intrigued.”

Fiona snorted from beside me. “You expect us to believe that?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes, then focused them intently on me, excitement dancing in her gaze.

“Look,” she said. “There’s a party coming up at the cabins. Everyone will be there. You could easily switch in and out of your Rose persona, let Matt see both sides of you in one night. Test him, Celeste. See which side of you he truly prefers.”

I sucked in a breath, both horrified and tempted by the idea. The cabins were notorious for their wild parties, and everyone from our college would indeed be there. But the risk of being found out, especially by my brother, was far too great.

“No way,” I breathed out. “Jack will probably be there. It’s too risky.”

Sabrina merely shrugged, an indifferent expression on her face.

“It’s your choice, Celeste,” she cooed. “I just thought you’d want to take the opportunity. Besides, with the right help,” she gestured at herself with a smirk, “it could be quite the performance.”

She stood before I could answer, flipping her long hair over her shoulder with a flourish. “Think about it. The ball’s in your court now.” Without waiting for a response, she sauntered off, leaving a trail of her intoxicating perfume in her wake.

The weight of her words settled heavily between Fiona and me. We exchanged glances, both our eyes wide and filled with a mix of fear and intrigue.