“If you need anything else, let me know. I’m coming over for the night. The RA from fifth floor is covering for me.”
“Because of me?”
“Because I want to be with my boyfriend. So call if you forgot anything. I’ll be here for three more hours.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
Jesse waited until Kara had stepped away before he turned the car out of the parking lot. The same girls who were always outside the door, smoking, watched the entire spectacle, but this time they waved their goodbyes. I wondered if they had known the whole time? They always seemed to be outside.
Derek had the garage door opened and waited until we parked. He came over, nodded to me, and bent to grab the bags from the back of Jesse’s car. Everything, the little I had, was transferred in minutes. It was then that I remembered my car.
Jesse already had my keys in his hand. He dangled them and gestured to Derek. “We’ll go get your car.”
This was so stupid. It was as if some trauma happened and they were treating me with kid gloves, like I was ready to break. Fragile: Handle with Care. Sighing from disgust, I went up the stairs to put my food and soda away. As I stepped into the kitchen, Cord was coming from their garage. He was holding hands with a tall and leggy blonde. She giggled, running her hand up and down his arm. He nodded to me in greeting. “Heard what happened.”
I grunted.
“That bad?”
“What do you care? You don’t have to look out for me now. It’s out in the open. I can handle it from here. Thank you.”
His eyes narrowed, but he shrugged. “Fine, but I wasn’t being nice cause of Jesse. I liked Ethan too. Thought we were friends, but if that’s not what you want, so be it.”
And the Bitch of the Moment Award went to…
I sighed as they started up the stairs. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a great track record with friends.”
“I know. Why do you think I don’t give Marissa the time of day?”
“You did that for me?”
He flashed me a smirk. “Nah. I did that because it showed me what kind of girl she really was, well, that and how she cheated on her guy with me. Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
I snorted and finished putting all my food away. I was still in disbelief at the turn of events. Maybe everyone was overreacting. They could be blowing this entire thing out of proportion. I was turning back down the stairs when the front door opened again.
Keys were tossed on the counter and someone walked into the kitchen. They hadn’t spotted me. It was someone familiar with the house, so, holding my breath, I figured I should get it over with. It must’ve been Jamie. And I didn’t want to imagine his reaction.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Nope.
Tiffany Chatsworth stood before me, rigid and furious. Sadly, the look agreed with her. The ice-cold beauty queen seemed even more stunning before me. All her hatred was directed at me. She said it again, “Are you fucking kidding me?” Waving her phone around, I guessed what was on it. “I thought this was a prank. Had to be, because who the hell are you? You’re no one. You may be pretty, but you’ve got to be blackmailing him. He kept his mouth shut, for you?”
A door was opened and footsteps hurried down the stairs. Then Cord was there, standing between us. He held a hand out to Tiffany as if she was going to attack me, but she knocked it down and twisted around him.
The first dose was only her warm-up. Her face scrunched up as she threw out, “You’re a freak. Hannah told me about you. You don’t think she didn’t? She said you’re not normal and something’s off with you. She said things don’t compute right with you. She’s right, but I can’t believe Jesse has anything to do with you. He must be—”
“Enough!” Cord growled down at her.
Her words stung, but I knew they were true. And she was right, about all of it. What was Jesse doing with me? But it wasn’t the first time I’d thought that. I had always wondered, but Tiffany was wrong at the same time. My gut kicked in, an emotion spread through me. It was—I couldn’t name it, but it felt right. It felt normal. Then I knew what it was and I looked her dead in the eye. Softly, I started, “You’re wrong.”
A bitter laugh wrung from her. She threw her head back and it came bellowing out. She didn’t look very ladylike, not how she always tried to be. The Grant West Royal Court. She looked like a joke right now, but she bit out, “Okay, little girl, why don’t you tell me what I’m wrong about. Please enlighten me! I would love to hear this.”
“You’re the one who doesn’t fit in.”
She scoffed in disbelief. “Please.”
A calm settled over me and I spoke clearly, “I heard you.”
She frowned.
“In the library. I heard what you said to him. You’re the one who wants in. You want Jesse, don’t you? It goes both ways, you know. Your sister told me things too, about you this time. I know you want your boyfriend to use Jesse’s connections to help Jamie run for office. Does Jamie know that? Or no, do you not know about his dream of being a sports news anchor? Because that’s what I heard his plans are after college, not law school.”
Her frown deepened, but it didn’t cut her.
She didn’t care. I realized that and then I knew the real reason she liked Jesse’s connections. “Or no, you’re using your boyfriend to stay close to Jesse.”
Her eyes widened.
Bingo.
I shook my head and took a step closer, softening my voice, “You want him. You want to use him to become famous, don’t you? Or do you just want to be with Jesse? Do you think you love him? You think he could ever love you?”
“And you think he loves you?” she spat out.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Probably not, but I know one thing.”
She rolled her eyes.
“I’m his family.”
They snapped back to mine at that statement. Oh yes. I saw the different assessment. I wasn’t the crazy one now. Wariness flooded in; perhaps she had misjudged the situation? I could see all the thoughts playing over her and then dread settled in, along with loathing. The bitch loathed me. Well, welcome to the club.
I imagined a knife in my hand. I’d just dug it into her and now I ground it in a circle, really making it painful for her. “I grew up with him. He lived with my family. I’m his family. Alex, always Alex. That’s what Zala said. Do you even know who that is?”
Her eyes shuttered, closing and turning away from me. The bitch was being knocked down a peg. It was damn time. The smug smirk on my face wasn’t pretty. I knew that. I didn’t care. As she looked me in the eye again, she saw some of the crazy rage, a gift from my parents. It was the least I could give her. “I have been in his life longer than you and I will remain in his life, past your due date, so don’t get comfortable in this home. Your boyfriend lives here. He’s the only reason you’re allowed.”
“Alex!”
Jesse’s shout didn’t startle me. I heard the gravel on the driveway outside. I was aware of the door opening and how Kara followed Derek inside. Stepping back, I glanced at him idly. He was chalk white, but his eyes were riveted on me. He looked sick.
I frowned.
Tiffany’s voice seethed at him, over my shoulders, “Nice new girlfriend you got here. She’s a complete whack job.”
Taking two steps, he wrapped an arm around my waist, but he frowned down at her. “Do everyone a favor and just stay away from Alex. She’s going to be living here awhile.” He turned for the stairs and I knew our time was up with playing house.
She stopped him at the door. “Was she right?”
He was stiff underneath me. “She’s family, yes. She always will be too.” Then he went down and before the door was closed behind him, I waved my fingers at her. Toodles, Bitch.