Chapter 38
CHAPTER 38
Fifteen Years Ago
1:49 a.m.
Grace
“Hey … you sleep?”
Lying against the pillow, unmoving, Sarah said nothing.
“Got you some water,” Grace said. “Sarah … can you hear me? Shit. Do not have time for this.”
Grace stared at her. Was the bitch alive? Placing a finger beneath Sarah’s pert little perfect nose, she felt a slow stream of warm air. Grace made a face. Still alive. Which was a relief. She didn’t want Sarah to be dead, but Grace had to admit that it would have been interesting.
Placing the glass of water on the bed table, Grace sighed. Why was Sarah so out of it? Normally, Sarah could hold her liquor. How much had Sarah drank? Or maybe the better question was, what had she drunk? What had made her so dizzy? Why had she been stumbling, practically unable to walk without assistance?
Had someone put something in her drink? Drugged her? Grace wouldn’t be surprised if some dumb jock or rich asshole had roofied Sarah, hoping to pull her into some dark corner and rape her. Which, ironically, would have been unnecessary. Sarah was an unrepentant slut. Guys didn’t need to drug her to hook up with her. She’d sleep with just about anybody.
Like Alex.
Who should have been off-limits.
Not because Sarah was Mia’s friend, because she wasn’t. They had the appearance of friendship in that they acted like friends, hanging out together, talking and confiding in each other, and doing kind and supportive things for one another, but it was all performative.
Sarah and Mia couldn’t stand each other. They were staunch rivals, always competing with one another, always secretly wishing the other the worst. When it came to clothes, Mia was the better dresser because she often had extra money, given to her by her older brother, a lawyer in Waco. As a result, Sarah, who was perpetually broke, had developed a system of buying clothes and returning them, using the credit card her mom allowed her to use for books and other school necessities. In terms of looks, both girls were beautiful but Sarah had a slight edge with her sensual, exotic beauty. In response, Mia made sure to stay stick thin by exercising, eating once a day, and taking diet pills. Academically, they were both smart but girls didn’t go to WBU to get a degree in physics or economics. Girls enrolled to secure a husband, preferably wealthy and handsome. Rich bitches sought a fellow trust fund baby. Together, they would embark on a life of privilege and excess, mansions and yachts, caviar and diamonds.
Mia and Sarah were no different, despite knowing their prospects were limited.
Neither was going to snag an energy scion or an oil and gas heir. Not without a lot of back-stabbing, cutthroat manipulation. Which was why Mia had been thrilled when Alex chose her, declaring them a couple. Alex wasn’t wealthy or well-connected, but he was unrepentantly deceitful and brutally manipulative. He was determined to become well-connected and wealthy and wouldn’t hesitate to backstab and manipulate. He’d probably cut a few throats, too, if need be.
Alex was smart and could have gone to any number of Ivy League schools, but he’d told Mia he wanted to attend a university where he could become acquainted with guys destined to rule the world. Mia was determined to stick with Alex, dedicated to becoming the woman who remained by his side as he elevated them to a lavish, upper-class lifestyle.
Mia would let nothing get in the way of her plans to become Alex’s wife. Even if it meant enduring Alex’s flippant betrayal and disrespect. Mia knew Alex hooked up with other girls, which she despised, but she put up with it because, as she’d explained to Grace, she was looking at the bigger picture, Looking toward the future.
Sarah hated that Alex had chosen Mia, and not her, so she’d slept with him to spite Mia. The crazy part was that Sarah wasn’t even interested in Alex. She wasn’t in love with the guy. Hell, Sarah didn’t even want to get married. She’d told Grace that she liked having sex with different guys too much to settle down with one that she’d have to have sex with forever.
Grace figured Sarah hooked up with Alex because she saw it as a victory in the rivalry with Mia.
But it was still a shitty thing to do, considering that Mia and Sarah were roommates, and in a sick, twisted way, they were friends, as well.
It was only right that Mia should know about Sarah and Alex. Grace didn’t regret telling Mia and had secretly enjoyed watching Mia’s face crumble into despair. Sarah was a deceitful slut, but Mia was skinny and good-looking so she deserved a little despair and desolation, as well.
Grace sighed, staring at Sarah. “Okay … get some rest. I’ll come back and check on you later.”
She glanced around the room, eager to look for items to take, but deciding that it was too risky. Standing, Grace left the bedroom, closing the door behind her.