Torment Her (Rebels At Sterling Prep #5) - Caitlyn Dare Page 0,87
that.”
“I wouldn’t mind. Besides, it would be kind of fun to work together.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I grimace. It isn’t that I don’t want to work and earn my way, but I know what people around the Bay think when they see me.
We reach our dorm building. “I was thinking we could hang out later? Cole mentioned they’re having a guys’ night, so I invited Remi over. She’s going to sneak some wine coolers in and a batch of Ellen’s cookies. It’ll be fun.”
“Maybe. I was going to catch up on some schoolwork.”
“Seriously, Kennedy? You just told me you don’t care about college.”
“I didn’t say that.” Not exactly.
“I’d really like it if you came. I know Remi would too.”
My brows pinch. I’m not sure about that. She and I haven’t always seen eye to eye since I arrived in the Bay.
“Remi is good people, Kennedy. You can trust her.”
“I’ll think about it.” We make our way upstairs, but the second I spot my door, my spine goes rigid.
“Kennedy?” Hadley asks when she realizes I’ve stilled.
“My door is open.”
“Huh, that’s weird. Maybe you left it unlocked by accident.”
“No, I didn’t. I specifically remember checking it.” I creep forward, my heart thundering in my chest.
“Maybe we should get security?” she suggests, but I’m already at the door. There’s no sign of forced entry. I push it open and slip inside. Everything looks untouched. My bed is still half-made and clothes strewn around the floor. I never claimed to be tidy.
“Anything?” Hadley moves up behind me.
“Everything looks okay,” I say, checking my sparse belongings. But when I pass the bathroom door, something catches my eye.
I nudge open the door and gasp.
“Kennedy—what the hell is that?”
“Watch your back, trailer trash.” I read the red lipstick message smeared across the glass mirror hanging above the sink.
“Oh my God, she’s a crazy fucking bitch.” Hadley leans closer. “She even kissed the mirror.”
Sure enough, there’s a perfect red kiss just beneath the message.
“Lylah.” I spit her name, feeling anger explode in my veins.
“I’m going to call Conner.”
“No,” I snap.
“No?” Hadley frowns.
“I don’t want to give her the satisfaction. She’s never going to stop, Hadley. The only way I’ll win is if I ignore her.”
“Yeah, I get that, Kennedy. But she broke into your room. That’s serious.”
“For all I know the RA probably let her in, or she sweet talked someone into giving her a spare key.”
“She’s such a bitch.”
“Yeah.” I inhale a deep breath.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to call Conner?”
“No,” I rush out.
He’s finally in a good place, I don’t want to burst his bubble. Besides, it’s just words. I’ve dealt with worse, much worse.
I grab some paper towels, run them under the faucet, and start cleaning the glass. A sense of resolve washes over me as the red smudges finally disappear.
Nothing is going to ruin this weekend.
Nothing.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Conner
"What do you think?" I ask as we sit on a bench that looks out over Colton U's main buildings.
Since the moment we drove into town, I understood why Cole felt so at home here, because I did too. It's not as flashy as Sterling Bay, and the people aren't so wealthy and pretentious. It's relaxed, homey even.
"It's nice."
"It's nice, is that it?" I ask with a laugh, but it's forced at best. Kenny isn't herself today. I can't quite put my finger on why. She keeps telling me that she's fine, but she's not. She's worried about something.
"It's a nice place; the college looks incredible. It would be a great place to live if you decided to go here."
"What about you?"
"Conner," she sighs. "This isn't about me. I don't have prospects like you. You decide what you want, what will make you happy, and I'll just tag along, I guess."
"You make it sound like a chore."
She turns to me, placing her warm hand on my thigh. "It's not a chore, Conner. I want to be wherever you are. It's just a big step, I guess. Having to uproot my life once again is daunting."
"Everything is going to be okay, K." I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her into my side, kissing the top of her head. "As long as we're together. Everything is going to be okay."
Silence falls over us. It's not awkward, but it's not entirely comfortable either. It's a far cry from the fun-loving Kennedy I was enjoying so much yesterday.
It's just the reality of the future, I tell myself, although there's something deep down that knows that’s bullshit. I know Kenny.