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“Fuck,” Caspian murmurs, reading over my shoulder. “What the fuck does that mean, you’ll get what’s coming to you?” He straightens up and looks at Meghan, who wanders closer. “Has she said anything to you about who this is?”
“Uh no.” Meghan’s cheeks flush and it hits me. They had a falling out. This is the girl who judged Emma for being drugged. Now she stands here acting concerned? I almost want to give her a piece of my mind, but Emma had made excuses for her.
Maybe not my place.
“These comments are horrible. And there’s so many, what the fuck?”
“Does Emma have a jealous ex or something?” Caspian asks, retaking his seat. “Some of those definitely read like rejection.”
“She’s had a few exes, although her last was a complete asshole. He got her so worked up that her sleepwalking was pretty bad,” Meghan replies.
My head snaps up. “Who?”
“This guy called Gary. He’s graduated now, but when they broke up a few years ago, he took it really badly. He spread a lot of horrible rumors about her and things got pretty dark for a while.”
“Gary,” I repeat slowly. “Last name?”
“I’m not sure, it’s been a long time but you might be able to find him deeper in her socials.”
It wasn’t much, but it was a start. An angry ex, not over a breakup with her? It was better than my growing theory of the boogie man.
“Thank you, Meghan.” I flash her a tight smile and she nods.
“It’s no problem. I really should get going. I’m sorry, again, for interrupting.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Caspian assures her. “Thank you.”
“Oh, Meghan?” I call to her just as she reaches the door.
She turns to face me, her brow lifted as she waits for me to speak.
“Emma misses you,” I say softly. Something painful flashes across Meghan’s face. “She misses you and honestly, she could really use her friends right now.”
If we can’t be there for her right now, maybe they can.
29
EMMA
“I’m on my way, Ana, sorry I got caught up handing in the last paperwork I ever have to hand into this place.” With a smile on my face, I hurry down the corridor while trying to wrestle my coat on with one hand. My other keeps my phone to my ear, trying to appease Ana with my lateness while also planning which Uber to book so I don’t have to drive.
I’m planning on drinking heavily tonight, to wash away the stress of the majority of my exams and the deep sense of loss that’s taken over me these past few days. Staying away from Finn, Asher, and Caspian is taking more willpower than I’d ever imagined. On top of my parents refusing to return my calls, a constant sickness has plagued me ever since exams started, and the constant anxiety that the dean will turn up to an exam and kick me out, it’s been a stressful couple of weeks.
“Okay, just hurry up!” Ana whines. “I need to go out and get shit-faced and make some bad decisions.”
“An hour, tops. Promise.”
“Okay!” She singsongs her goodbye and I hang up using my nose. Coat on, I make it around the corner to the next corridor and then pause.
At the far end, with his head down reading something in his hand, is Asher.
I haven’t seen any of them since I told them we needed time apart, except for Finn during my exam for his class but that hardly counts. Seeing Asher out in the wild makes my heart skip a beat and a nervous flutter moves through my stomach.
Should I turn around and take the long way to avoid the rising temptation to see him smile?
Or should I hurry past and act like I don’t see him? He seems distracted anyway.
Before I can make a decision, Asher makes it for me. He lifts his head, spots me, and a warm smile blooms across his handsome face.
