Page 57 of The Stalker Snafu

My mind kept playing Noah’s words on repeat.

You need to go.

Don’t cause a scene.

A sprinkling of raindrops trickled from the darkening sky as we walked, and I felt them in the very foundation of my soul.

CHAPTER 22

Aftermath

It felt like hours later when Teresa and I trudged into our dorm, both of us wetter than when we left. Rain pelted the window, but I barely noticed my clothes clinging to my skin from the downpour. I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, until Mr. Elephant’s stoic face greeted me from the bed.

I’d used the ride back to go over all the facts:

Noah was supposed to be in New York, but he wasn’t.

He’d lied to me.

And he’d tried to hide that I’m his girlfriend. Again.

That was it. That was all the facts.

“He’s a liar,” I announced to the room, proud of myself for not bursting into tears after the declaration.

All the evidence was there.

Secret phone calls.

Secret friends.

Secret party when he was supposed to be in a different city.

I was an idiot.

Teresa grunted, sliding her shoes off and arranging them neatly next to the closet. I kicked mine off next to my bed, uncaring where they ended up.

My socks were uncomfortably soggy.

Teresa clapped her hands once before rubbing them together. “All right, here’s what we’ll do. You break open the Red Vines stash, I’ll grab the emergency cookie dough from the girls on the fourth floor, and we’ll eat junk until we puke—okay?”

My cold dead heart warmed a little at her efforts, but I already felt like I was going to puke. “I’m not hungry.”

“Shit. He’s not worth giving up junk food, okay?” Teresa bit her lip, stepped closer, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “We can get ten cheeseburgers delivered right here, right now. Just say the word, and I’ll put in an order.”

I shuffled like a zombie across the carpet until I could flop back on my mattress. It took less than a second for my blanket to get damp. “Cheeseburgers won’t fill the hole in my heart.”

But Teresa was too smart for her own good. “Cookie dough might, though?”

I flung an arm over my eyes with a sigh. “You’re not wrong.”

She let out a breath, and footsteps headed for the door. “I’ll go grab Kimi’s tub of choco-chunk, just in case. She’s been dating that basketball guy for months now, so it’s probably still close to full.”

“Thank God for small miracles,” I answered flatly, making no effort to move.

The door clicked shut behind her, and I took a deep breath.

Inhale.