by Cecelia Gray
Rick’s mother immediately launched into conversation and pleasantries, asking Lizzie about Jasta and the paper. While she knew she should have focused on Rick’s mom, she was distracted by Rick. By how Rick seemed distracted by not looking at Anne.
What could have happened to change things so quickly?
Chapter Ten
“Thank you, again, for the invitation,” Lizzie said to Mrs. Wright as she walked her to the passenger door of the car, which the driver had discreetly opened.
“Thank you so much for coming. It was so good to see my Rick happy, with his friends.”
Lizzie forced a smile. Clearly Rick’s mother had not felt the tension at last night’s dinner as Rick ignored Anne, nor the way Rick and his friends quickly excused themselves to the game room, leaving her, Anne, and Georgiana to their own devices. If Dante hadn’t walked by her as they left, gently pressing his hand against her wrist as he whispered good night, she would have assumed they were all being ignored.
When she’d awakened this morning, Rick, Dante, and Georgiana had gone on a horseback riding excursion and Anne had fled, leaving Lizzie and Edward to mumble through awkward conversation at breakfast with Rick’s mother.
Not that Edward seemed awkward, of course. He always seemed happy exactly where he was.
“Bring it in for a hug,” Edward said, appearing behind Mrs. Wright with his overnight bag.
The petite woman turned and giggled, allowing herself to be folded in his arms. “I can see you and Rick will be the best of friends for a long time.”
“I’m just befriending him to get to you,” Edward teased. “Until next time.”
“Soon, I hope.”
They finished their good-byes as Edward and Lizzie maneuvered into the back of the car, and the driver started back to Jasta.
Lizzie’s phone buzzed and she looked down.
Sorry I’ve missed your calls this weekend! Catch up at lunch?
“Is that from Ellie?” Edward asked.
“Yeah, just planning a lunch.” Lizzie stuck the phone back in her pocket, not sure why she felt the need to make it seem like everything was all right between her and Ellie. Not that anything was wrong. Just not…usual.
How ridiculous was it that her strongest relationship seemed to be with Dante?
Her best friend was growing closer and closer to someone else, and it was Lizzie’s own fault for choosing the managing editor’s position over fighting to stay with her friend. Her new roommate Anne couldn’t trust a thing Lizzie said, now that her advice to go after Rick had led to wishy-washy results.
Only Dante knew how hard she was working to save the Jasta tradition. Only Dante had helped her whittle down her suspects. Dante had been the only one to say good-bye before taking off with his sister for the horseback ride.
“Can we talk when I get back?” he’d asked.
She wondered what he wanted to talk about. She didn’t think it had to do with her investigation into Jasta’s new owners—but then, what else could it be?
“Want to play a game to make the ride go faster?” Edward asked.
“Yes!” Lizzie sat straight in her seat. “How about Truth or Dare?”
“Um, I was thinking more like Twenty Questions…or I Spy….”
“I’ll go first,” Lizzie said. “Dare.”
“Um…” Edward’s eyes darted around nervously. “I dare you to stick your head out the window?”
“No! I don’t want to, which means we’re back to truth, and I get to ask you a question.”
“I don’t think that’s how—”
“Why is Rick avoiding Anne?”
Edward glanced around nervously. “Are you sure this is how the game works?”
“Don’t be a sore loser, Edward,” Lizzie pushed on. “I asked a question, now you have to answer it. Those are the rules. Why is Rick avoiding Anne? And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“I wouldn’t say he’s avoiding her.”
“Don’t make me break out a thesaurus, Edward.”
“Okay, okay.” Edward held up his hands in defeat. “I don’t know all the details, okay? So don’t go around saying I told you something like it was the whole story.”
“Journalists always protect their sources.”
“Something tells me this isn’t for the paper.” Edward leaned closer, as if someone might overhear them. “Rick was losing his head over Anne, but the problem is, he’s done it before. They used to date back before he left for the Naval Academy.”
Lizzie nodded, not wanting to tell him she already knew this part, not wanting him to stop. Sources always gave up more information if you let them think you knew nothing and they knew everything.
“But Dante warned him not to give Anne a second chance.”
“Dante did?” Lizzie fought the surprise in her voice. “Why would he do that?”
“He reminded Rick that Anne is the one who dumped him the first time around.”
“But isn’t Rick the one who left for the Naval Academy?” Lizzie asked, forgetting she was supposed to play dumb.
“Rick didn’t want to break up with Anne. He wanted to keep seeing her. Only her parents convinced her it would be a bad idea, so she dropped him. She’s always doing whatever her parents want. Dante was doing Rick a favor by reminding him why they didn’t work the first time. Better than getting messed up over her again.”
“But…but Anne would have been fifteen when that first happened. She’s older now.”
“She’s nice,” Edward said. “We all know she’s nice and a great person. But do you really want to put your heart in the hands of someone who’s looking over her shoulder for what mom and dad want?”
Lizzie sat back in her chair, taking in this new information. By the looks of Anne and her constant mournful expression around Rick, Lizzie would have thought she was the one who’d been dumped.
Still, how could Dante have convinced Rick to give up on Anne? Without even talking to Lizzie about it? Not that Dante and Lizzie were confidants…but she was still hurt. She couldn’t imagine how poor Anne felt.
“My turn,” Edward said. “I get to ask you a truth now.”
“Huh? Oh—yeah. Sure. Your turn,” Lizzie said.
“Why did you keep sneaking off into the other rooms of the house? Don’t think I didn’t notice. No one needs to use the bathroom that much.”
Lizzie blushed. “You want a spot on my investigative team on the Gazette?”
“I only freelance. So…spill it.”
“I was trying to figure out who the new Jasta owners are. Dante was helping me.”
Edward’s brow furrowed, and his lips turned downward. Lizzie realized just then how rare it was to see Edward frown—kind of like Ellie.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “What is it?”
“Nothing…”
“It’s something,” Lizzie insisted. “If you’re hiding something….” Lizzie brought out her biggest weapon, even as her conscience pricked for having done it. “Ellie’s not into liars.”
“I’m not lying,” Edward said defensively. “Don’t tell her that. You’re not going to tell her that, are you?”
“She’s also not into secrets.”
Edward sighed. “It’s just…I don’t get why Dante’s helping you find out the new owners. Because…and maybe I misheard him and Rick when they were talking, but…Dante’s parents are the new owners.”
* * *
Lizzie got out of the car, and walked in a daze back to the room she shared with Anne. She dropped her backpack on the bed and slowly sat on it, her hands curling around the edge of the mattress.
She wished Anne were here. Mainly because she wanted to make sure Anne was okay—but she also wanted Anne to be here so she could talk to someone about her discovery. She already knew what Ellie would say if she brought it up. Ellie would tell her it was a good thing, that now she knew the new owners, she’d know what to do next. Ellie wouldn’t understand why the fact
that it was Dante’s parents made it so complicated.
Maybe Edward was wrong. She couldn’t print the story with the information she had—a source that may or may not have overheard a secondary source speaking about the ownership of the school.
But another part of her knew it was true.
It made sense.
Why else yank Dante out of a perfectly good school like Exeter and move him across the country to a previously all-girls school? His parents must have bought Jasta just so their son would have a place to shine. Maybe he wasn’t top of his class at Exeter. Maybe there was too much competition, and they’d wrongly thought he could waltz into an all-girls school and be number one.
Lizzie’s grip tightened on her sheets so they balled up into her fists.
Dante had lied to her. Lied to her and misled her.
She replayed the events of the weekend in her mind. He’d offered to help her. Then he’d steered her away from the photograph of his parents. He’d turned her focus to other families—other families who were not the owner. He’d even had the nerve to help her whittle down the list—a fake list!
Worst of all, her journalistic instincts hadn’t picked up on it. This shamed Lizzie the most—that somehow he had clouded her senses. That she had been charmed by his smile. By how he’d playfully touched her. It was probably all a ruse to make her the laughingstock of the school so no college, much less Georgetown, would even think of accepting her.
Well, she’d gotten the truth, anyway. Now that she had the story at her fingertips, a moment that should have felt victorious felt sour.
At the sound of a knock on the door, Lizzie wiped at her moist eyes and cleared her throat. “I just got back—come on in.”
It was probably Ellie, and she didn’t want to seem upset. She didn’t want Ellie to have had a great weekend with Emma while she had miserable one.
The door swung open – it wasn’t Ellie.
Dante stood tall, framed in the open doorway. Lizzie stood quickly. Her hands were shaking.
“Let me get this out,” Dante said. “I know we’ve had our differences and there are probably reasons why it’s a bad idea…you and me…but I had a really great time this weekend. With you.”
Lizzie’s mouth fell open. He had a great time this weekend? The time he’d supposedly spent helping her when in fact he’d been laughing behind her back?
“I just can’t stop thinking about you. Don’t get me wrong. It hasn’t always been good thoughts. I mean, at first, you seemed like such a snob and then…everything changed. I was thinking maybe…we could…we could go out. Together. On a date. I mean…I want to go out with you. I’d like to go out with you.”
Silence ticked between them. Lizzie stood slack-jawed. Was he serious?
“Please,” he said, more softly.
Lizzie swallowed. Now her whole body felt like it was shaking. How could this be happening? How could he do this to her? Was he so determined for her not to find out about his parents that he was willing to date her? To toy with her emotions?
“I’m afraid I have to decline,” she said when she could finally control her voice.
“Decline?” he stepped closer. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously,” she said, turning to walk away—walk out of her own dorm room!
“Was this weekend a joke to you?”
Lizzie stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him. “No, but it was apparently a joke to you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let me give you some advice. If you’re going to ask a girl out, don’t call her a snob in the same sentence.”
“I admitted I was wrong about that! You’re just honest…and direct.” He ran hand through his hair. “I like it.”
“So you like honesty and directness in everyone except yourself?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Lizzie spat.
“I don’t know,” Dante said. “Look, if I didn’t get some signal, then I’m sorry, but I thought we had a good time.”
“It would have been a good time—if any of it had been honest.” Lizzie stepped forward again so they were face to face. “But it wasn’t. And that’s not the only reason. You’re the reason Rick won’t give Anne a second chance.”
“A second chance to dump him?” Dante said, getting riled up. “She’s the one who hurt Rick, not the other way around, and don’t pretend you wouldn’t tell her not to give him a second chance if the situation was reversed.”
“The situation is completely different now,” Lizzie said. “Besides, that’s not your great sin and you know it. You’ve been lying to me. This whole weekend, while you pretended to help me, you were just helping yourself! You were trying to keep me from figuring out the truth—that your parents are the owners.”
In the silence that followed, Lizzie could hear her own labored breathing.
“Georgiana doesn’t know,” he said.
“That’s all you have to say? Do you deny any of it?” she asked. “Ruining Anne’s chances with Rick? Lying to me about the new owners of the Academy?”
“No,” he said.
Lizzie stifled a cry. A small part of her had hoped Edward was wrong—she was wrong—even though it was naïve. And now she had proof, a declaration straight from him, that he’d lied to her and trash-talked Anne. “Then we have nothing else to talk about.”
“Guess not,” Dante said. He walked into the hall and Lizzie followed. She rested her hand against the door.
He turned back to her. “Are you going to print?” he asked.
Was that all he cared about? Of course it was. Whether she’d keep his parents’ precious secret?
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
With that, she shut the door.
Chapter Eleven
Lizzie stood with her palm on the door and felt every fiber of her body shaking with anger.
Of all the nerve. How could he? How could he ask her out? How could he further humiliate her? Had it all been an act?
She flashed back to the weekend. To how he’d jumped in to save her in the lake, how he’d stood so close to her in the library that they were breathing as one, how he’d pulled her against him while trying to get the list.
Apparently Josh Wickham wasn’t the only accomplished actor at the Jane Austen Academy.
She must have stood there for ten minutes, frozen, when she heard laughter in the hall—Ellie’s laughter. She wiped at the tears that were making their way down her cheeks and peeked outside her door.
Across the hall, Emma and Ellie were returning from their weekend trip. They still had their beach bags hanging off their shoulders and their hair was still wet—like they’d just taken a dip in the ocean. They looked so effortless with their matching blond hair, flip-flops, and sundresses that Lizzie felt the deep dig of jealousy in her stomach.
Ellie looked up and waved at Lizzie, a big grin on her face. But as she got closer, she dropped her hand and her smile. “Is everything okay?”
Lizzie wanted to say no. Lizzie wanted to fold herself into Ellie’s arms and cry. But Emma was there, also looking concerned but so Emma-like, so superior and full of advice that Lizzie forced a smile.
“Yeah, I just missed you,” she said.
“Los Angeles was great—I brought you back a gift. Come to our room and I’ll find it.”
Lizzie followed Ellie and Emma and tried to push her feelings into a manageable, compactible ball that she could stow away and ignore. But they kept lashing out.
Anger at Dante for lying to her.
Sympathy for Anne about what was happening with Rick.
Depression that she had actually been swept away by Dante’s blue eyes and big grin.
But it always came back to anger.
She could barely keep track of Emma’s story. “So we followed her around for two hours before we figured out she wasn’t Blake Lively,” Emma said, and the two of them dissolved into
laughter.
“Yeah, that’s crazy.” Lizzie forced a smile, but she could tell she wasn’t fooling Ellie. A frown was growing in those familiar eyes. “So, what did you get me?”
Ellie pulled a big, heavy, red-bound book from her beach bag with an exaggerated grunt. “A doorstop,” she said, joking.
Lizzie sat on the edge of Ellie’s bed and balanced the book on her knees. She opened it to the first page. It was a compendium of articles from West Coast newspapers dating back to the country’s founding.
“It’s beautiful.” Lizzie ran her hand over the page. She loved how she could see the old typesetting, back when they used to print the paper using block letter stamps and ink, setting each page of the paper one at a time.
“Emma found it,” Ellie said.
Lizzie looked up at Emma in surprise.
“I was looking through some coffee-table books to find a gift for my aunt,” Emma said. “But when I saw this, I knew you would love it.”
“Thank you.” The ball in her throat made it hard to breathe. To think that the whole time she’d been stressing over Ellie and Emma having a fun weekend without thinking of her…and they’d bought her a gift. What had she done for them lately?
She’d also spent the weekend believing Dante and his lies. How could she be so completely wrong about everything? Were her journalistic instincts off?
“Hey Ellie,” Lizzie asked, “could we grab a bite? Maybe someplace…just…away from everyone?”
“We have lunch plans with Edward,” Emma said apologetically.
“But you should come,” Ellie said. “I’m sure you two will have tons of great stories from the weekend at Rick’s.”
“Oooh, how was it with Anne there?” Emma asked, sitting on the bed next to Lizzie. “I heard she and Rick have history.”
“We should leave them alone,” Lizzie said. “Ellie, can you cancel? Emma, do you mind? I just kind of need some me-time with Ellie.”
“Oh.” Emma stood up slowly.
“It’s not you,” Lizzie said. “I just can’t be around Edward right now.” Because he reminded her of how stupid she was.