Chapter 8
EIGHT
Mom’s hugs are always the best. Ever since I was young, she’d known how to embrace me tightly enough to ease all of my worries, yet not too roughly to make it feel suffocating.
Her signature perfume fills my nose, and I struggle to pull away from her.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen her and Dad, and now that they’re finally here, I can’t stop myself from feeling like I’m six years old again.
Reluctantly, I pull away from Mom, a smile on my face.
Her face mirrors mine physically. We have the same high cheekbones, the same shade of green eyes, and the same birthmark right below our left eye.
It’s a small, brown dot that I always adored.
It’s one of the things that makes me similar to mom, and the things that make me stand out a little.
“I’ve missed you.”
“My sweet girl,” Mom cups my cheeks. “I’ve missed you more.”
A frown tugs on her lips when she sees mine. The cut where Soren bit me is on the inside, but my bottom lip is swollen, and unfortunately, it’s bruised. The deep shade of blue isn’t something I can hide easily, and no amount of lipliner and concealer was able to cover it fully.
“What the hell happened?”
Worry fills mom’s voice, her brows narrowing. She yanks my face forward, inspecting every inch of my face. It’s not like I can tell her that the bastard bit me and is currently plotting my demise. Instead, I sigh and lie through my teeth.
“Nothing,” I chuckle. “I fell face-first and well… bit my lip on the inside.”
“You lie as well as your father.”
“So, I’m a terrible liar.”
“Pretty much,” she snorts, letting go of my face and taking my hand in hers. “But I won’t press too much. I was your age once, I know exactly what you’re up to, young lady,” she winks, and I roll my eyes.
“I’m not a hormonal teenager.”
“No, but you’re a woman, and you’re in your best years. You should definitely be taking advantage of that. As long as you don’t get pregnant this early in your life, it’s all right.”
Mom sits on the bench outside, and I follow suit. It’s cold outside, but the coat I’m wearing is thick, and the coldness is only on my face. I have a pair of silk gloves on my hands, in a pale shade of pink, matching the scarf, my bag, and shoes.
“How did it go?”
The question hangs in the air between us. The reason Mom and Dad came to Saint Valley Academy was because of the board meeting that was going to decide my fate. There’s no way I’d be able to avoid suspension, but as long as I’m not expelled, I’ll take anything.
Mom takes my hand in hers, giving it a firm squeeze. “It was hell. The Fords wanted you expelled.”
A scoff comes from me. “Of course, they did.”
“It didn’t happen,” she smiles. “As if I’d ever let the bastards get you expelled. But you are suspended.”
“What happened to the innocent until proven guilty?”
Mom rolls her eyes. “Think of it as a little break from school.”
“Break wasn’t on my schedule,” I whine. “And what about my exam scores?”
“You’ll retake them right after New Year’s. January fifth. I know it’s during the break, but—”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt. “I mean, I’m a little pissed that my holidays are ruined, but I’ll live. This is more important.”
“Good. Now, I need you home the day before Christmas. Your father and I will be hosting a small get-together.”
Immediately, I wince, and Mom gives me a pointed look.
Their idea of a small get-together is a list that’s never below a hundred guests, in the venue they built specifically for these events. They love hosting because it’s a great opportunity to network, and find clients. And another discreet fuck you to the Fords, since they never receive an invite.
“Fine,” I sigh, relenting, because knowing my mother, she never would’ve let go until I agreed to come. “Is that the only party?”
“That we are hosting, yes. We’ve been invited to a charity ball for New Year’s, though. I RSVP’d yes for you, too.”
“Now, why would you do that?”
“What? You love these events!”
“I do, but I also have to retake seven exams five days after New Year's. I need to study and prepare accordingly.”
“Sweetheart, you’re a young woman. I understand your need to succeed and have a good career, but you won’t be in your twenties forever. You need to learn and relax.”
“My idea of relaxation includes a perfectly conducted schedule that is followed to the smallest of details.”
“I hate how much you look like your father,” she mutters. “But since I’m having a dress made for you — well, two, one for both events — you’d better come. If you want, you can invite your friends to come for Christmas. The Lennons are invited anyway, so you’ll have Grace.”
Relief is almost instant. I adore all types of parties, balls, and whatnot, as long as they align with my schedule. Having Grace there to take my mind off things will make it a lot easier.
“I’ll invite Avalon and Lila.”
“Invite whoever you want,” she pauses. “But not that Ford boy.”
“Why in the world would I ever invite Soren?”
“Probably the same reason you leaked that video — a sudden loss of all reason.”
“I did no such thing.”
Mom gives me a pointed look. “The moment the news hit all the articles, I smelled Sophia Sloane all over it. You’re the only person on campus reckless enough to do something illegal.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“As I said, you’re a terrible liar sweetheart, and that whole revenge thing is rather amusing.
I mean, the scandal went international, and a lot of clients switched from the Fords to us, so I should probably be thanking you.
However,” she pauses, then gives me the stern mom look.
“This better be the first and only time you do something like this, understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Perfect. Now, let’s go. I told the Dean you’ll be off campus tonight.”
“Where are we going?”
“Your father is taking us out to dinner. There’s a fine restaurant in the next town over, and a four-star hotel. I booked us a spa night.”
Spending the night with Mom and Dad was just what I needed.
From his terrible sense of humor that somehow always makes Mom laugh, to her unmatched gossip that I’ve been yearning to hear all about.
The spa was absolutely amazing too. It helped me relax, and it was much needed. A little break never hurt anyone.
Now that I’m back, I’m constantly looking over my shoulder.
Soren’s going to strike when I least expect it, and I can’t be unprepared.
My lip has started to heal, the swelling has gone down, and the bruise is almost invisible.
The worst part was having to explain to the girls how exactly it happened, and of course, I lied through my teeth.
“Your suspension starts tomorrow,” Grace rolls over on her bed, propping her chin in her hands, elbows resting on the bed, with a pillow tucked under her stomach. I don’t know when my dorm became the hangout spot, but I don’t mind it. “What are you going to do?”
“She’s going to study,” Avalon responds without looking up from the screen, scrolling on her phone.
Her feet are lifted up on the edge of the bed, as she sways the chair left and right, half-spinning.
“And we probably won’t hear from her during the duration of her suspension. She’ll be stuck in the library.”
“Alright, no need to pick on me,” I mutter, sitting on the floor.
My reading glasses are on, and I struggle to hold in my laugh.
I’ve been keeping tabs on the Soren scandal, and even though it’s been a week and a half since I leaked it, it’s still one of the biggest news in the industry.
The man’s done for; his reputation has plummeted beyond repair.
“I’m just trying to fix the mess the bastard put me in. ”
“You keep calling him a bastard,” Lila chimes in. “Is he really not his father’s son, or do you just like using the word to insult him because it gets to him?”
I look up from my laptop, shoulders slumping. “There was a rumor. It’s supposedly been debunked, but I don’t know. If it’s not true, why would it bother him so much?”
“Maybe because that rumor almost ruined his family?” Grace snorts. “Who even started the rumor?”
“Oh,” I blink and chuckle to myself. “I did.”
All three turn to look at me. Lila stops eating her chips, mouth dropping open a little. Avalon’s eyebrows slowly lift to her hairline, and for the first time tonight, she puts the phone away. Meanwhile, Grace has this smug smirk on her face, almost as if she’s known all along.
“What?” I ask, a frown on my face. “Are you really surprised?”
“Well, no,” Avalon drawls out. “But really? That’s what you came up with?”
I shrug. “It’s not like I pulled the rumor out of my ass, Avalon. I happened to spend a night at a hotel, and see his mother with a man that was not his father, and well, I’m not sure what happened there, but I let my imagination run free.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Grace laughs, then sits up.
The pillow that was under her stomach is now on her lap, and she’s holding it tightly.
“You’re telling me that instead of coming up with a rumor that his mother’s having an affair, you thought of sending into Sinners that– thee Elena Ford has been unfaithful to Robert for the entirety of their marriage and the kids might not be his? ”
I lift a shoulder. “Why not? I wanted to go all out.”
Grace leans in, thoroughly amused. “Why did you do it? What did he do to provoke you? You don’t do it without a reason.”
“We were at a party, and he spiked my drink with laxatives.”
“Oh, then it was deserved.”
“No, it wasn’t!” Avalon groans. “You can’t let her get an even bigger head, Grace. Her ego’s the size of the academy as it is.”
“What?” Grace blinks, an innocent-looking smile on her face. “I’m just supporting my friend’s rights and wrongs. I’m all for this. Watch Soren and Sophia become this epic enemies-to-lovers story.”
That sentence alone makes me want to barf. A gag comes from the depths of my throat, making Lila giggle. Grace looks satisfied with herself, whereas Avalon just seems tired of us and our antics.
“Hell will freeze over before Sophia even thinks of something as stupid as that,” Avalon snorts.
“Thank you!” I lean back against the bed, still sitting on the floor and glancing from time to time at the laptop, just in case I receive an email. I’m waiting for a confirmation from the Dean.
In order to shorten the suspension sentence, my mom agreed for me to do two days of community service somewhere. He’s supposed to send me the email with all the details, and it’s been giving me anxiety to wait.
“Hey, so how about—”
Grace starts speaking, but is cut off by a ding. Her phone screen lights up, and then Avalon’s, Lila’s, and mine follow suit. The sound of receiving an email echoes in the room, and it can only mean one thing if all four of us have received it.
Sinners and Saints.
With a sigh, I pull the laptop onto my lap, quickly switching from the Soren scandal articles to the email tab, opening the pink icon. It’s the newsletter, and the first bit is mainly mocking Soren’s inability to handle the situation. However, the more I scroll, the less amused I become.
Looks like Sloane has a soft spot for Ford after all. Is this a killing game, or just two people who like to experiment with knives? Either way, the rest of the semester is about to become very interesting.
The paragraph catches my attention, and there’s an image right below. My face pales, the smile drops from my face, and I’m frozen in place, my finger hovering over the keyboard.
It’s an image of Soren and me. It’s from the night he locked us in Colton’s office, and it was taken from the side. Soren’s hand is wrapped around my throat, and the knife makes it into the frame as our lips are pressed together.
It hasn’t been doctored from what I can tell — the way he’s holding my neck, the way our bodies are pressed together is all just how it happened. Yet, it was taken from a distance that no one can tell he was actually biting me, not kissing me.
But it looks like we’re kissing.
Immediately, my body starts shaking in anger. The motherfucker recorded the entire thing, and as revenge, he sent it to Sinners and Saints himself. The moment this reaches my parent’s ears, I’m fucking done for.
“You know what,” Avalon’s voice is filled with disbelief. “I take back what I just said.”