Chapter 42 The Truth
Forty-Two
The Truth
It was Thursday. One week since I’d dropped Dallas’s dad’s bank statements off at Plunkett’s office, and one day until the sentencing. My friends had convinced me to take a break from the cave I’d been living in and go out.
They thought I had good reason to celebrate. I’d received my grade on the chemistry test. I’d gotten a B-plus. A freaking B-plus.
Jay had given me a high five so hard it had hurt. I was back in the game. Ready to prove that I could do this. By the end of this year, I might have the grades I needed.
But that didn’t mean that everything was falling into place. Not even close.
Thirty minutes ago, I had to down an energy drink because, well, I still hadn’t shaken my insomnia.
Then I’d changed four times. I just couldn’t find the right clothes.
The Station was an over-eighteen club and near campus, so not quite like other clubs.
I settled on jeans and a three-quarter-sleeve shirt.
Priya came back from the bathroom and paused. “I’ve never seen you try on so many different outfits. What’s with you?”
I shrugged. “Nothing.”
“It’s Plunkett, isn’t it?”
No. Yes. Ugh. The energy drink was giving me the jitters, and truth be told, I was worried about the athletic director.
Plunkett hadn’t been in his office when I dropped off the printout of the bank transaction, and even though his assistant had told me she’d have him contact me straightaway, he hadn’t. Eric hadn’t heard anything either.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Everything’s fine.”
Priya, Emma, Jay, and I headed out. We didn’t bring jackets. Even in the dead of winter, that wasn’t the way one went out at night. How would we lug around oversize coats from place to place, and where would we put them while dancing?
We exited the front doors of the dorm to walk to the club, but Jay turned right around. “Sorry, guys, it’s way too cold. I’m calling an Uber.”
We followed him back inside, dodging the other residents leaving without jackets.
“They’re brave.” I watched through the window as they disappeared. “Braver than me.”
“They might be, but we’re smarter.” Jay grinned at his cell. “Uber will be here in four minutes.”
“Awesome.” But I didn’t feel awesome. Probably from the overload of caffeine.
Emma leveled her gaze on me. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
Jay looked over his phone at me. “Because you don’t seem nearly as excited as you were when you got the results of your test back.”
“Of course I am.” I stuck my hip out and plastered on a smile.
He shrugged.
Damn it. I needed to do a better job of looking like I was having fun.
I chewed on my bottom lip until a piece of skin came loose. Stop it, Ade. You’re going to have fun. You will. But it was hard when I wasn’t feeling it. The inside of my body was like a cold gothic castle. Creaking and shuddering.
“Have any of you ever been in love?” I asked, but then flicked my gaze to Priya. “I mean, I know that you have, Priya, but what about you, Emma, and you, Jay?”
Jay unburied himself from his phone once again and lifted an eyebrow. “If we’re playing Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Promise or Repeat, I’d never have picked truth.”
I smiled. “What would you have picked?”
“Dare,” Jay said.
“Interesting,” I said slowly, and squinted at him. “Very interesting.”
Emma grimaced. “I hate that game.”
“Not me,” Priya said.
“Okay, Jay.” I had an idea. “When we get to the Station, I dare you to ask someone to dance.”
His forehead creased. “That’s the best you can do?”
“Fine, scratch that.” I squared my shoulders. “Jay, when we get to the Station, I double dare you to ask someone out on a date.”
“Humph.”
“Good. Now Priya, your turn. Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Promise or Repeat?”
“I pick truth, and you don’t have to ask me a question. I have a confession to make.” Priya tapped the toe of her shoe on the floor. “Umm…okay…my truth is...Luke and I broke up.”
Emma’s jaw fell open.
I coughed, but then covered my mouth to stifle the noise.
Jay didn’t move, just stared at Priya. “What did you say?”
“I broke up with Luke.”
Emma shut her mouth and took a deep breath. “As in he’s no longer your boyfriend?”
“Correct.”
Priya’s announcement wasn’t a surprise to me compared to how Jay and Emma were reacting, but the fact that she’d gone through with the breakup was…well…unexpected.
“When?” Emma asked.
“Yesterday.”
“But you and Luke are the real deal,” Emma said. “I’m so confused.”
“If you three weren’t my close friends, I’d probably tell you that it’s a trial breakup. That we just need some time apart. But that would be a complete lie. The truth is I don’t want to be with him anymore.”
“Whoa,” Jay said.
“I know. I’m a horrible, cruel person, aren’t I?”
“No.” I stood straight. “Good for you. If that’s the way you feel, then it’s best not to drag things out.” But I couldn’t relate to her situation at all. I’d never had a supportive boyfriend like Luke in my life. I mean, I’d had Dallas for a brief moment, but that had turned into a disaster.
“What about you, Ade?” Priya asked me. “Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Promise or Repeat?”
My body stilled. I supposed I should take the dare, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t have the spirit for it.
“Truth,” I said.
“Why are you acting so weird?” Priya asked. “Like asking whether or not any of us have been in love before?”
I sighed. I was hoping for something more like Would you rather share a fantasy suite with Justin Bieber or Tom Hiddleston? That would be easy. Tom Hiddleston as Loki, hands down.
I took a deep breath. “Last week, you two came to the verdict, which was lovely and thoughtful, and I greatly appreciated your presence, but deep down inside, I was hoping Dallas would come.”
All three of them paused and stared at me.
“Are you in love with him?” Emma asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s why I was asking if any of you had ever been in love before and what that felt like, so I can figure it out.”
There was a long pause.
Priya put an arm around me. “It sounds to me like you’re not over him, and that’s okay.”
“Right, Ade,” Emma said. “Look, it took me months to get over Thad from last fall, and in the end, I’m not even sure I really liked him to begin with.”
“And as soon as you hear from Plunkett, I’d meet up with Dallas,” Priya said. “Then you can see where you two stand.”
Jay glanced at his phone. “Uber’s here.”
He held the front door open for us, and we raced to the car. The interior was just the right temperature. The driver confirmed our destination, we buckled ourselves in, and the car sped away.
Next to me, Jay said, “If you want my opinion, it doesn’t matter if you love him, like him, or hate him. Something else happened these past few weeks. You developed courage. I’m proud of you.”
“Wow, thanks.” My voice softened, and my heart blossomed. “That’s really nice of you to say, but can you remind me what exactly I have done to earn your high esteem?”
“You made peace with your dad, you accepted what happened to you and your family, you don’t care what people think about who you are, and your grades are improving.” He shifted in the seat. “That’s a lot.”
“Maybe, but then why am I still not sleeping?”
“You will. It’s just going to take time for your body to adjust to this new you.”
I smiled back at him. He was right. I’d come a long way, and I was ready. Ready to believe in myself.