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I didn’t care what Trent did.
I deserved every single second.
Trent pulled up in front of the Zeta Pi Nu house.
“I’ve got plans, so tonight won’t be the night I break you in,” he said, turning my stomach. He jerked his head toward the door. “Get out and fix your face. You look like a mess.”
I hesitated, anger rising up in a wave and threatening to overpower my fear.
Trent chuckled, reading my mind. “Just try it. You lift a hand to me, or say no to me, and Martino’s toast. Just give me a reason to put the upstart in his place. I’ll enjoy crippling him.”
I stared at him so long he started to chuckle. “If only looks could kill — but they can’t, so get the fuck out of here.”
I stumbled into the house and upstairs to my room, keeping my head forward to hide my bloodied nose. Thankfully it had stopped bleeding for now. I got into my room and sagged against the wood.
Selena jumped up from her bed.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
I shook my head. “I’m not. I’m not okay.” I sank down the door to the floor.
“Did Trent hurt you?” Selena crouched beside me.
I shrugged, tears falling again. My nose chose that moment to start bleeding again, too.
“I hurt him. I hurt Asher,” I choked out in sobs.
Selena stroked my arm. “You didn’t want to,” she said lamely.
I couldn’t stem the flow of tears. It didn’t matter if I wanted to or not, I still had. I could endure whatever Trent threw at me, but the look of hurt in Asher’s eyes would follow me to my grave.
“What can I do?” Selena asked, biting her lip. “I want to help. Just tell me what to do.”
She was stroking my hair. It reminded me of Asher, and how he’d twist it around his fist, and how it would thrill me every time. A good memory. Then earlier in the car flashed through my mind, and Trent’s hand sinking into the thick fall of hair and using it to hurt me. A nightmare.
I stared at the pale ends. I hated it at that moment. My crowning glory. My dad had always loved my hair and praised it. I wore it long because I’d always thought it looked pretty and who didn’t want to look pretty?
I was so fucking tired of looking pretty.
I looked up at Selena. “Do you have scissors?”
“Are you okay?” Selena asked me, watching my face carefully.
No. I’m pretty far from okay. The other night and clashing with Asher in the bathroom weighed heavily on my mind. The whole night had started badly, with Trent insisting that I arrive at the Gala with him.
Then Asher had kissed me and fucked me and in that brief moment, I’d felt more than I had in days, but then it was over, and reality had slammed back in. I’d pushed him away, hurt him so he’d be safe. I’d never forget the look on his face when I’d told him that he couldn’t give me the kind of life I wanted.
He’d really be done with me now. Why wouldn’t he?
We were sitting in the library studying. Well, I was pretending to study, when really, I was thinking about Asher and the terrible things I’d said to him. They were the opposite of how I felt. Fuck money. I’d rather live in that cabin in the woods with him and be penniless but happy than have all the designer clothes and mansions in the world. But I had to make him believe I was breaking up with him, and there weren’t that many ways to achieve that.
Like I’d summoned him with my desperate thoughts, right at that moment, he walked into the library with Marcus at his side. His eyes immediately found mine. I flushed and looked away, trying to focus on the open book in front of me. I ran my fingers self-consciously over my beanie.
A pair of boots came into sight on the floor beside my bag.
“I could swear I saw a sign downstairs prohibiting dogs in here,” Marcus drawled.
“What are you talking about, Bailey?” Selena snapped at him.
