AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Your friend is a bitch — that’s all,” he responded. “Stay the fuck away from Asher from now on, you psycho.” With that, he turned and walked away.
I glanced up, seeing that they’d only sat a few tables away. Far too close.
“I can’t stay in here,” I whispered to Selena.
She raised an eyebrow at me. “Should we move?’
“I just want to go home. I have to grab a few books, and then let’s go.”
She nodded as I stood and headed for the stacks.
I had a list of call numbers I was supposed to be looking for, but my mind was jumping back and forth between the dusty old books and Asher. I sank to a crouch and wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to breathe deeply to fight off the tears.
“Man, what a piece of work,” a voice said, muffled by the stacks around us. It was Marcus.
“I don’t want to talk about her.” Asher’s voice.
They were standing on the other side of the stacks.
“Yeah, I know, but take it from me, you’re better off without her. I heard that Trent Fitzgerald is going around and telling everyone that he was banging her behind your back.”
“What?”
No! He couldn’t think that was true, could he?
“Trent is telling people that her dating you was some kind of game…to see if she could get an Ice God to fall for her and then break his heart.”
I stood. I couldn’t listen to those poisonous lies. But what are you going to do? I couldn’t do anything. It was better he believed I was the worst person in the world. Then he’d stay away.
“Well? Are you just going to let them get away with that?” Marcus demanded.
Their voices were moving away.
“Whatever, man. Honestly, she’s not worth the effort. Who cares? They deserve each other. She’s nothing special. I’m done with her.”
Those final words in Asher’s deep tone, sounding so bored and over it, broke whatever was left of my heart.
I made it to the bathroom before breaking down. I was sobbing so loudly in a cubicle that whispers came from outside and someone knocked.
“Um, are you okay in there?” a tentative voice called.
I shook my head wildly, hitting my chest with my hand, like I might be able to force my heart to beat again. It had stopped in that moment when Asher had spoken in a final tone. “I’m done with her.”
The door slammed and Selena’s voice filled the room. “I’ve got her from here, girls, thanks for your concern.”
She rattled the door. “Bitch, let me in. People are going to call student welfare services or something if you keep it up.”
I unlocked the door and let her lead me out to the sink. She bossily directed me around and splashed water on my face.
“There. You’re getting all puffy,” she muttered.
“I don’t care. I want to be puffy,” I looked in the mirror and pulled my hat off. I’d hidden my new chin-length haircut under a beanie, since it was cold today.
The shorn locks stuck out at odd angles. Why should I hide that it hurts? “It should show,” I mumbled.
“Unless you want Asher to realize what’s up, you’ll find that old poker face of yours, and dust it off. He’d not dumb. You don’t think he can figure out what you’re doing? And when he does…who is he going to go after?”
I swallowed hard. “Trent,” I guessed, knowing I was right.
