“You seem incredibly alive and annoying.” I cracked an eye and was greeted not with Elena’s face, but Pen and Gabe’s sweet faces smooshed together on her phone screen. “Hello?”
“What up, boo?” Gabe greeted.
Pen yawned. “Why are we awake this early?”
“Because, darling—” Elena lay down beside me so we could both see the screen. And fuck if our faces weren’t smooshed together, just like Gabe and Pen’s. “I have the most amazing piece of news I need to share with Helen, but I thought the two of you, being her nearest and dearest, would appreciate it very much as well.”
Gabe cleared his throat. “Look, Pen is nice, so she won’t say it, but she doesn’t actually care that Prada announced the color for next spring is going to be glaucous.”
Elena held up a finger. “That’s not a color.”
“It is.” He turned to Pen. “Tell them I pay attention in my color theory class, Lucky. Tell them I’m a good little student, and when I’m not, you take your ruler and—”
Penelope covered his mouth with her hand. “Gabriel is a good student, and glaucous is the color of the skin of grapes and plums. Can we get back to why you called, El? I need to go back to sleep.”
Gabe winked at the screen. “That’s becausesomeonewouldn’t stop riding my dick all night. I’m not naming names, but it rhymes with Schmelope.”
Elena rolled her eyes violently. “Wow, I’m disgusted while also proud of my gorgeous cousin for getting it.”
I elbowed her side. “Did you or did you not have something you wanted to tell us?”
“Yes, god, it would be nice if Gabe stopped distracting everyone.”
He flipped her off for a second before Pen shoved his hand down. Elena wasn’t fazed in any way, plowing on with her news.
“So, as we all know, Helen got dumped by Theo a few weeks ago. He’s been trying to win her back, but this badass bitch has held strong, as she should have. You two probably don’t know about the asshole I was fucking who stole Helen’s money, do you? Or Reno beating the shit out of her because of it?”
Elena’s eyes slid to mine, and when I looked closely enough, I swore I could see the devil dancing around inside her, all wobbly dicked and spitting vinegar and fireballs. She knew damn well I hadn’t told them about the attack and Daniel. She’d disagreed with my decision not to tell them, so this was clearly her taking matters into her own hands.
I spent five minutes begging Gabe not to drop everything and come to Savage River to “burn some shit down.” I spent the next five minutes apologizing to Penelope for keeping her in the dark when all she wanted to do was be there for me.
Elena clicked her fingers. “Okay, that’s sufficient. Now, the news. As I said, Theo has been working his way back to Helen. Part of that is righting all the wrongs done to her. He dealt out a dose of physical violence to Daniel last weekend, but that wasn’t enough for our Theo. He asked me if I knew anything damning about my ex, and wouldn’t you know it, I knewsomuch. Theo knew some things too—and had access to Daniel’s computer.”
“What happened?” My pulse fluttered wildly in my throat.
“Oh, what didn’t happen? Theo found all the goods. Daniel has not only been not writing his own papers for the last two years, he’s also been running a cheating ring that spans not just this campus, but several others throughout California.Allthat evidence was forwarded to his teachers, the dean of the business school and, of course, President Whitlock. Daniel is done at Savage U. He’ll be lucky to be admitted toanyuniversity anywhere.”
“Oh shit.” Gabe cackled. “That’s brilliant.”
“Elena, were you dating a villain?” Penelope asked.
Elena rolled her eyes. “Dating is pushing it. I was being the good little daughter and spending time with Mom and Dad’s friends’ son of ill repute.”
“Is he really gone?” I asked.
“Well, not yet. These things have proper channels they have to go through. But I have a feeling, since this is such a massive scandal, Daniel will be gone before the weekend is out.”
“And Theo did this?”
Elena nodded. “An eensy bit of help from me, but yeah, Theo did it all. For you.”
A man who’ll burn down the world and rebuild it for you.
“Wow,” breathed Pen. “I’m impressed.”
Gabe clucked his tongue. “One good deed does not erase this dude dumping my Hells.”
Pen smacked him gently. “You, of all people, should be a little more forgiving.”