Page 80 of Vexatious Queen

“Well…speak. I have five minutes before my date arrives,” Vicky said, settling at her vanity with practiced poise.

Wandering over, I glanced at the photo of her on a beach with a girl I didn’t recognize. There was another of her mother, and one of her and Dad. I viewed them all with new appreciation.

“Oh…who’s picking you up?”

“That’s none of your business.” She looked at me in the reflection of the mirror. “I don’t need you trying to take this one, too.”

I ignored the dig and got to my real reason for being here.

“I’m sorry the whole sister reveal got blasted out to the school the way that it did.”

She shrugged, but the movement was stiff.

“It is what it is. I’ve had worse this year. Like finding out my boyfriend never loved me, then he left me and secretly married my sister. Or that the man who raised me isn’t my biological father, and neither of my parents will tell me who is. So yeah…this doesn’t even crack the top ten.”

I watched as she applied a shade of red lipstick that I’d never be able to pull off with my skin tone. It looked incredible, making her untouchable, a weapon in cosmetic form.

“So, you’re okay?”

“Do I not look okay?”

She capped the lipstick and dropped it on the desk, then switched off the makeup lamp and stood to face me.

“Look, the truth about you was always going to come out. No one knows about the bio thing unless you or one of your merry men decides to be a dick and talk. So…whatever. You’re the heir, good for you. I’m done crying over it. Instead, I’m getting on with my life.”

Vicky walked past me, grabbing her long coat and scarf as she headed for the door. She opened it and then looked at me.

“Unless you have something else to say, I’m leaving.”

“No, I guess I don’t. Just know that I’m here if you need someone to talk to,” I said, stepping into the hallway.

“I won’t.”

Vicky strode away and then vanished around the corner. I stared after her, unsure if we would ever get past the armor and resentment.

One difficult conversation down, one to go.

It only took a few minutes to walk over to the boys’ dorm and find Sabastian’s room. I knocked and waited once more.

“Coming,” he called out.

He opened the door with a twenty in his hand like he was expecting a delivery, but it was the two girls sitting on his bed that caught my attention. One I recognized as a cheerleader friend of Vicky’s, the other I didn’t know.

“Thanks—”

Sabastian looked up and froze. Grabbing the handle, he stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him.

“Ren, I wasn’t expecting you,” he said.

“Clearly. Who are they?”

Sabastian looked over his shoulder at the closed door.

“Just friends.”

“Don’t do this,” I said, and shook my head.

“Do what?”