by Nora Cobb
Oberlin Hall, compared to the Pit, is the quietest place I’ve ever been in. It reminds me of noise-canceling headphones as I walk across the polished tiles toward the staircase leading down. I hesitate, unsure of who will be there and if I should go find Wyatt first. He and Bryce are barely speaking, but I know Wyatt would stay with me after the trick they pulled.
I’ll never fully trust the three of them again. I hear male voices as I approach the door at the end of the hallway. And the conversation stops as I step into the room. Bryce, Justin, and Pierce are here, but no one else. Pierce sits on the couch with his legs spread open, glaring at me. Justin’s gaze rakes over me as if he’s imagining me naked. And Bryce sits at Getz’s desk as if he’s running the show. I start to back away toward the door.
“Come in, Astrid,” Bryce smiles, “No tasks this time.”
I frown. “I’ll stay here. Where’s Professor Getz?”
“He’s on his way, but we have private business to discuss before he arrives.” He drums the desk before he speaks. “You will be a junior member after a year’s probation.”
I purse my lips. “No, that won’t do, and you know it. And that’s not a rule of the club. You stole from me once, Bryce. Not again.”
I stare at Justin, who shrugs his shoulders as if he had nothing to do with it. Pierce won’t look at me at all, but he knows I’m there.
“I will be a full member, and my vote will carry equal weight to yours.”
“No.” Bryce exchanges an unbelieving look with Pierce.
“Yes,” I reply, “because I have the laptop with the spreadsheets. So while you were jerking off all alone, I’ve been learning how to read those spreadsheets.”
Justin turns a sickly shade of pale when Bryce glares at him. “You took it and gave it to her? God, you’re stupid like your father.”
Justin’s face instantly flushes as he stands up. “I told you about that, Shelton. I warned you.”
“Sit your ass down,” snarls Bryce.
Justin advances, and Pierce jumps in between them.
“You two have lost it,” growls Pierce, “Don’t make me take over.”
They pull apart and stare at Pierce as if he’s now lost his mind.
“Stop your bullshitting,” I tell them, “You can include me, or I can do it on my own.”
They laugh as if they weren’t just at each other’s throats. “How?” asks Bryce, “You don’t have the money.”
I grin, “It’s a broken-down warehouse. All I need to do is find another one and set up my own Pit using your spreadsheet as a guide. Or you give me a cut of everything.”
Someone coughs in the distance, and then we hear the sound of rubber-soled shoes on linoleum. I sit down next to Pierce, hitting his knee with the palm of my hand until he closes his legs.
“I want Mask reinstated,” I whisper.
Bryce gets up from the desk. “Why is that not a surprise?”
“He’s a good fighter,” I reply, “and we’re losing money because you got your feelings hurt.”
Bryce lets the discussion drop as Professor Getz walks into his office. We must not look too innocent because he frowns. “I guess the cat was away too long to prevent the mice from playing,” he says.
Chapter 40
Astrid
I sigh when Bryce demands we talk in private. He claims he has things we must discuss. I only meet him in the stacks because he has my money, and I want confirmation on Wyatt. The temperature is dropping as I hurry across campus, and I realize I’ll need a warmer coat. I could use that money. Charlotte has been generous, but she has to be tired of me borrowing her things.
I wait upstairs for Bryce, and this time he’s on time. “Good,” I tell him, “I need to get some rest. We have a meet in the morning.”
“Come on,” he says. I follow him into the corner stack but keep my distance. I thought I had a crush on Bryce, but he’s really pissed me off. At first, I couldn’t understand how my father ended up so cold until I saw it in Bryce. We’re almost in the corner when he actually tries to kiss me. After all the shit he’s put me through. I push him away. “Are you kidding me?”
“You shouldn’t be mad at me,” he says, “I should be mad at you.”
“What?” I shout, “I did nothing wrong. You stole from me and set me up.”
He has the nerve to look at me like I’m making it up. “How did I set you up?”
“In Wyatt’s room,” I lower my voice, “And I heard an interesting thing. I wasn’t the first girl to be given that task.”
Bryce’s attitude shifts to serious. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. It was supposed to only be you and me. What’s going on with Wyatt?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, on the defensive.
“Why do you want him reinstated? Are you in love with him?”
I blink my eyes, as the thought hadn’t occurred to me. “No.”
“Then what about Justin?” he continues, “He keeps talking about a portrait you’re going to sit for.”
I hold up my hands to stop the barrage of questions. “Stop trying to make this about my actions. You’re the one who’s acted badly. You torment me, you lie about me, and you stole my money. Perfect boyfriend material. Is that the norm in your privileged world?”
“You’re right,” he says softly, “I’ve been a dick. Because I’m jealous. It was supposed to be you and me, Astrid. I told them that when I first saw you.” Bryce moves closer until he’s too close. “Whatever you want as long as it’s only me.”
I avoid his gaze. “So you can get even with Wyatt?”
“Come on, Astrid.” He sighs. “I don’t act like this. You must hear what they say about me. I’m cold and calculating, but when you’re around, I do the stupidest shit.”
Bryce leans in until our lips are close. The chills start again as if my brain has forgotten all the hurt he’s caused.
“I want you to pay attention to me only and forget the other guys. Can you do that?”
“I hate you,” I whisper.
“That’s not a no,” he replies.
I smile despite myself. Bryce bends toward me with a kiss, and I lean into him, my hands resting on my chest. He pulls me closer, and I feel a pinch of guilt. It started like this the last time before those hateful things happened. His tongue pushes against my lips. And I hold onto him as his hands slide down my back and settle in the curve of my back, pulling me close again. My eyes lower, and I feel him hard against my leg as we hide together in the stacks.
“Why don’t we start where we left off?” he whispers.
I scoff. “You always have that on your mind.”
He takes my hand and guides it down along his body until his bulge is under my fingers. Bryce smiles. I’ve done guys before, but this is too complicated, and falling in love with a snake is a wrong move.
“That feels good,” he whispers as he kisses my neck, “You know what? It would feel better in your mouth.”
“My mouth?” I whisper. “I don’t…”
He moans. “Astrid, I’ll take care of you.”
I smile wickedly. “Not until we’re even.”
It’s evil, but I squeeze his balls until Bryce’s eyes bulge out of his head. He howls in pain as he shoves me off him, and I stumble back against rows of books.
I smile. “Let me know when you want more, Bryce.”
“More of what?”
I look up the aisle, and Charlotte is standing there, holding up a note.
“What are you doing here?” asks Bryce, closing his blazer quickly.
Charlotte ignores him as she focuses her venom on me. “Meet me in the stacks. After school. It was pushed under my door.” She advances on us but her anger is directed at me. “I must have been wrong about you,” she says, “I’m usually a good judge of character, but you fooled me.”
Charlotte turns her glare towards Bryce and then back to me. She can’t see what I can see—a slight twist to his lips.
“I want my clothes back
.” She says as she runs back toward the elevator, but Bryce grabs my arm before I can run after her.
I glare at him as he breaks out into a big smile. “You have no idea what you’ve started.” He looks at Charlotte as she disappears. “Oh, and Astrid? Thank you.”
I launch myself at top speed after Charlotte, running past the rows of books as my feet echo throughout, but when I reach the elevator, she’s gone.
Epilogue
Charlotte
I run back to the dorm, cursing Astrid’s name with each step I take. We had an understanding—I told her many times that I was marrying Bryce Shelton. I can’t marry Bryce if he falls in love with her. I pick up speed as I cross the open field between the dorms and the admin buildings. The skinny heels on my boots puncture holes into the lawn, getting caught with each step. I should’ve worn platforms, but I reject that trend.
I may not be the prettiest girl at Stonehaven. I’m definitely not the wealthiest. And my family tree only goes back a few generations. But I was the girl who was going to marry Bryce Shelton, the richest boy at Stonehaven.
The door into the dorm looms ahead of me as my head spins like Alice on a bad trip. I’m about to pull the door open when I hear my name. Astrid is on track, but that’s impossible. She can’t be here. I look around until my gaze lands on Dr. Rawlins.
“Charlotte, I need you, dear.”
Oh fuck. It’s bad when Dr. Rawlins leaves her office to find you and calls you “dear.” I stand still, watching her move toward me, floating like a specter without the chains. My lip trembles, and I know she’s not here because Bryce Shelton cheated on me. Again.
“Charlotte, your father sent a car.”
My head spins as my feet leave the ground. I feel as if I’m floating on a burst of wind that has tossed my body up into the air. But Dr. Rawlins grips my arm before I fall, and she leads me toward a black limo outside the main gate. The denial starts, but I can’t think of another reason why it would be there.
“It’s Mom,” I whisper, and the tears hang on my lashes before they fall.
“Charlotte, go to her.” Rawlins hugs me for a second. “Don’t worry about Stonehaven. It will be here when you come back.”
Stonehaven will always be here. It sounds like a threat. She can’t see me from behind the dark window, but I watch her as the car slowly pulls away. Dr. Rawlins watches the car with a worried look on her face. She doesn’t turn away the minute I am hidden behind the dark glass. She stands there by the granite archway and watches as the limo drives me away.
I stare at my phone, waiting for a text, but the screen remains black. Maybe it isn’t so bad after all. If Mom were ill, they would have taken her to the hospital, wouldn’t they? And here I am at the house—our enormous house with white columns, huge bay windows, and one light lit inside.
I step out of the car and hurry up the slate walk. The red front door opens before I reach it. The housekeeper, Mrs. Donovan, stares at me as if she’d rather see anyone else.
“Charlotte, sweetheart, your mother is upstairs.”
My heart hammers until it aches, and I stare at the double staircase leading up to the second floor.
“Is she?” I whisper.
Mrs. Donovan presses her hand to her mouth, and the tears start before she can tell me.
For each step, I take a deep breath as I walk to Mom’s bedroom. I glance down the hallway toward Dad’s bedroom, but the door is shut. I don’t know if he’s home or not. But he must be here. I walk into her bedroom, and Mom is alone. I shut my eyes tight and swear I won’t forgive him for this.
She looks so frail on her bed, and her eyes are vacant as if she’s already gone. I sit beside her and reach out for her hand. She’s too weak to hold mine, but she knows I’m here. She knows she’s not alone. We sit together and wait.
Mom passes in the night. And Dad doesn’t come home until the following day.
The funeral arrangements have been made in advance. All we have to do is show up. I watch my father across the breakfast room table. He reads the paper as if it’s any other day and not his wife’s funeral.
“Are you going to the funeral?” I ask him.
“Yes. I’ll be there.” He looks at me strangely. “Why do you ask?”
I shrug my shoulders. Not wanting to say what I was thinking, like where were you last night when she needed you? Don’t you care about us? Your family.
“Should we call Astrid?” I ask.
Dad places his paper on the table. His expression answers my question before he can open his mouth. “Why would we invite her?”
“She’s family?”
Dad stands up from the table and checks his watch. “The car will be here soon.”
I have no appetite. My rye toast is cold, and my herbal tea tastes disgusting. The egg makes my stomach turn. I told Mrs. Donovan that I’m a vegan, but she stares at me blankly as if I made the whole concept up to make her grocery shopping difficult.
I wander into the living room and wonder why we have one as I flounce down on the cushion in the bay window. I stare out into the street and wait. Our neighbors live in repositories just like the one I sit in. I never see anyone on the street.
Why did I even ask about Astrid? I see the irony in our situation. My father wanted her mother. My boyfriend wants my half-sister. Is that the fate of the women in our family? To get the ring but lose the man? I watch as a large black town car pulls up to the house. No, Astrid shouldn’t be here—she would do something crude and upstage my mother at her own wake.
I open the door to the driver. “Good morning,” I smile, “I’ll go get my father.”
“Thank you, miss.” He touches his hat. “My condolences.”
I smile again. “Thank you.”
He looks at me oddly. Maybe I shouldn’t smile so sweetly, considering the occasion. My mother would tell me to sit up and not act like my life is hard and spoil my birthday party for my guests. I can’t remember the last time we had a party in this house.
No, Astrid would have been a mistake. Though I feel I ought to answer her texts. She would know how to show grief and not give two fucks about who was embarrassed by her emotional display. I can imagine her screaming and cursing, wailing over the coffin while I sat next to her, smiling and offering to do someone’s nails.
I moan.
“Are you well?” My father frowns at me as if he’s daring me to shed a tear.
“The car is here,”
He frowns harder. “Charlotte, when are you planning to return to school?”
I look at his sullen expression and wonder how my mother didn’t go mad, kissing that face.
I sigh loudly. “Drop me off at Stonehaven on the way back, Daddy.”
END OF BOOK 1
Astrid’s story continues in Book 2 – Twisted Lies
Available for Pre Order:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0933NWGD5