as he opened the paper bag and produced a small container of chicken noodle soup. My empty stomach growled in relief as he wordlessly handed it over along with a spoon.
“I know what you’re going to say,” I grumbled as I pulled the top off and dove in.
His jaw clenched as he pulled out a bottle of apple juice and a chocolate chip cookie. My mouth watered when I realized it had been more than twenty-four hours since I’d last eaten. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he replied dryly. “I’m not a fan of repeating myself.”
“I’m sorry for not having an appetite after finding out that my entire existence has been a lie, and I’m sorry for needing you to be there when it was an inconvenience to you.”
“What about all the other times you forgot to fucking feed yourself?” he snapped. “Was that my fault, too?”
My gaze dropped to the bedspread as every set of eyes in the room zeroed in on me. Vaughn had callously put me on blast, but could I blame him? I wasn’t used to having friends or a social life—much less a love life. Not knowing how best to balance it all, the number of hours I had in a day had been stretched thin. These past months, I’d been killing myself to make sure I not only got into Harvard but remained a top candidate for the Theodore Lidle Scholarship. It was a private fund offered to low-income minorities accepted into Ivy League universities, and they only awarded two per graduating class. That scholarship could pay for my entire four years at Harvard. I just had to keep my GPA once I got there above a sphincter-tightening 3.7.
My grade point average my entire four years at Brynwood Academy had never dropped below perfect, but college was designed to be more challenging. With me attending Harvard, let’s just say it had been causing me to lose a bit of my appetite.
“I’m not blaming you,” I whispered, feeling shame warm my cheeks.
“Maybe we should give them some privacy,” Bee suggested. She’d been silent this entire time, but when our gazes connected, I could sense her understanding. It was a shock to discover that Brynwood’s cold queen was actually one of the warmest, nicest people around.
“And maybe you should come up with better ideas,” Jamie shot back. Folding his arms, he made himself comfortable against the wall. Clearly, he wasn’t going anywhere.
“You’re absolutely right. How about I start with sleeping alone tonight?” Not waiting for a response, Bee sauntered out of the room. Jamie quickly followed her with his tail tucked between his legs. The rest of our friends left, too. Wren was the last one out, closing the door behind him, but neither Vaughn nor I spoke again until our friends’ footsteps faded. I wouldn’t put it past any of them to listen behind the door.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said, deciding to speak first. “Now they all think I have some sort of eating disorder.”
“Do you?”
“No!” Feeling my shoulders slump, I stared into the now cold soup and once again felt my appetite wane. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve been a little stressed out.”
Taking my soup from me, he placed it on the nightstand and pulled me into his lap. “I know what’s at stake,” he claimed in a soft voice. “But none of it will matter if you don’t take care of yourself.”
“I know.”
I felt his chest expand when he inhaled deeply, and then his minty-fresh breath caressed my cheek when he exhaled. “And I’m sorry for leaving you.”
Nodding, I silently admitted to myself that it hadn’t totally been his fault. I still hadn’t told him that my father would be out of town for weeks, so it made sense that he hadn’t stuck around. What didn’t make sense was why he’d left without saying goodbye. If I’d done the same, there would have been hell to pay.
“You’re here now,” I said rather than give into my thoughts. He simply squeezed my hip in confirmation. “Thank you for the soup. I won’t forget to eat again. I promise.”
“I know you won’t,” he responded a little too confidently. “You’re going to eat three meals a day, even if I have to spoon-feed you myself.” Dumping me back on the bed next to him, he deftly plucked the soup from the nightstand. I watched him, my eyes wide as he spooned some of the soup before extending it toward my mouth.
“You can’t be