Fallen Crest University
Page 70
“You weren’t going to come to college…at all?”
“No. The modeling thing was true. My contract ended with an agency, and I was going to sign a new one, but he got in my head. He said I was perfect, that I would be ingratiated with you immediately.” Her shoulders dropped another inch, closing together. Her size seemed to shrink from a six-foot-one model to a tiny little girl. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and she grabbed a chunk of it, wrapping it into her sleeve, as she began picking at the end of her shirt. “He picked me because of Heather.”
“What?” I was so far behind. “Heather?”
“I’m just like her. That’s why he picked me. Said my personality was like your best friend. There was no way you couldn’t not trust me. He said you’d trust me without realizing it even. I’m so sorry, Sam. I really am.” She waited a second. Her shoulders lifted as she took in some air. She started again, “He wanted me to come clean because he wanted me to further gain your trust. It was all a part of some mind game he’s playing with you guys.”
“Okay.” I frowned. A headache was forming behind my temples. “How was that supposed to gain my trust?”
“He said that it was going to come out anyway. He wanted me to tell you before it did, and he said that we could spin it. The whole changing-the-key thing—that was part of the charade. He was supposed to show up. I was supposed to get mad at him. Someone would use me against him, but he didn’t think it’d be you. He thought Mason would try to get information from me. Not you. None of his plans have gone the way he said they would.” Her chest heaved up and held. She fisted her hands in her shirt. Her shoulders dropped, and a sob wrenched out.
My chair was a few feet from me, and I slowly edged closer before sitting. I never turned away from her. It wasn’t that I thought Summer would move against me. I didn’t want to spook her. She’d run away, and I wanted more answers. She was right. The charade was done.
“Summer.” I held on to the back of my chair. My nails dug into it. “Tell me what was the truth.”
“What I’ve already said. I do like you.” She looked up now. Her tears left trails through her makeup, running down her face. Her mascara was in clumps under her eyelids. “And I do like football. I always have, but all my weirdness around Mason wasn’t because of his stats. It was because of my brother. He made Mason out to be a villain. Park said he hated Mason because Mason wanted to destroy everything for him. Sebastian even said that Mason would try to hit on me. Park wanted me to sleep with Mason.”
My eyes got big with that one, but I held back. I couldn’t scare her away.
“But Mason didn’t. It’s so obvious how much he loves you and Logan.” She sighed. “Park said that Logan would hit on me, too, and he did, but it wasn’t like how Park said it would be. Logan…there’s more to him. He’s not the asshole my brother portrayed him to be.” A defiant glint showed across her features. “And I don’t regret sleeping with him. My brother isn’t entitled to know everything. It’s none of his business.”
She was going to spill more about Logan. I needed to know more about Sebastian, how it pertained to me.
I urged gently, “Summer, what else was a lie?”
Her head went back down. More sniffles wheezed from her, mixed with tears. “I don’t know why I’m a mess. I mean, it’s you. You’re not even mad. I’d be livid, knowing my roommate was lying to me. I love you. You have no idea. I can’t be your friend, but I want to be. My brother said it’s him or you, but fuck him.” That defiant look was back.
“I’m leaving, Sam.” She gestured to the box and bag and around the room. A sad and bitter laugh left her. “Not that you couldn’t see that yourself, but I’m leaving school permanently. My mom is going back to New York. I’m going with her. I’m going to go back into modeling.” She paused, glancing up at me from underneath her eyelids. “If you ever come out there, please call me. I’d love to see you again. Or you could stay with us. My mom’s not like my dad. She’s not involved with that college group they have. She doesn’t believe in using their connections. She said it’s all one big scandal that’s waiting to be taken down anyway.”
My mind was buzzing. I needed to get an invite to Sebastian’s party, and Summer was the only avenue for that to happen. But she was leaving…
My shoulders slumped down.
“I’m supposed to invite you to his party tomorrow.”
My head popped up. “What?”
“I know. I know.” She waved at me, wiping at her nose. “It’s completely stupid, but Park said to make it happen. He doesn’t know I’m leaving. I should be in New York by the time he finds out, and it’ll be too late. He doesn’t dare take our mom on. He has our dad wrapped around his finger, and Molly, too, but not our mom. My mom loves Park, but she thinks he’s a manipulative weasel, which he is.” She groaned. “There it is. That’s the last of my confessions. I’m sorry, Sam, but I told Park everything you told me. He already knew about Garrett because we know him, obviously, but Park knows everything else. He knows about your other dad, David, and also Malinda. He knows about Mark. He knows Analise is in a psych place, but to be fair, he knew about your mom before I told him. I have no clue how. Wait.” Her lips puckered up, and her forehead bunched together. “Your mom went to college with all of them, didn’t she?”
“All of whom?”
“My dad, my mom, your parents, Professor Baun.” She waved her hand in the air. “There’s more, but you know about all of that, right?”
I cocked my head to the side. My fingers were digging into the chair now. I didn’t dare show her my card. I wanted her to spill everything, so I murmured, “Oh, yeah.”
“That’s the other reason for me, you know. You’re in The Network by default, like me. Your mom, too, but all her stuff is known I guess. There’s not much they can blackmail her with.” A dry chuckle slid from her lips. “Oh. Hold on.” Digging in her bag, she pulled out a flash drive and handed it to me. “That’s for you.”
“What is it?”
Her eyes fell on it, now in my hands, and she was quiet for a moment. She shrugged. “It’s whatever you want it to be.”
“No. The modeling thing was true. My contract ended with an agency, and I was going to sign a new one, but he got in my head. He said I was perfect, that I would be ingratiated with you immediately.” Her shoulders dropped another inch, closing together. Her size seemed to shrink from a six-foot-one model to a tiny little girl. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and she grabbed a chunk of it, wrapping it into her sleeve, as she began picking at the end of her shirt. “He picked me because of Heather.”
“What?” I was so far behind. “Heather?”
“I’m just like her. That’s why he picked me. Said my personality was like your best friend. There was no way you couldn’t not trust me. He said you’d trust me without realizing it even. I’m so sorry, Sam. I really am.” She waited a second. Her shoulders lifted as she took in some air. She started again, “He wanted me to come clean because he wanted me to further gain your trust. It was all a part of some mind game he’s playing with you guys.”
“Okay.” I frowned. A headache was forming behind my temples. “How was that supposed to gain my trust?”
“He said that it was going to come out anyway. He wanted me to tell you before it did, and he said that we could spin it. The whole changing-the-key thing—that was part of the charade. He was supposed to show up. I was supposed to get mad at him. Someone would use me against him, but he didn’t think it’d be you. He thought Mason would try to get information from me. Not you. None of his plans have gone the way he said they would.” Her chest heaved up and held. She fisted her hands in her shirt. Her shoulders dropped, and a sob wrenched out.
My chair was a few feet from me, and I slowly edged closer before sitting. I never turned away from her. It wasn’t that I thought Summer would move against me. I didn’t want to spook her. She’d run away, and I wanted more answers. She was right. The charade was done.
“Summer.” I held on to the back of my chair. My nails dug into it. “Tell me what was the truth.”
“What I’ve already said. I do like you.” She looked up now. Her tears left trails through her makeup, running down her face. Her mascara was in clumps under her eyelids. “And I do like football. I always have, but all my weirdness around Mason wasn’t because of his stats. It was because of my brother. He made Mason out to be a villain. Park said he hated Mason because Mason wanted to destroy everything for him. Sebastian even said that Mason would try to hit on me. Park wanted me to sleep with Mason.”
My eyes got big with that one, but I held back. I couldn’t scare her away.
“But Mason didn’t. It’s so obvious how much he loves you and Logan.” She sighed. “Park said that Logan would hit on me, too, and he did, but it wasn’t like how Park said it would be. Logan…there’s more to him. He’s not the asshole my brother portrayed him to be.” A defiant glint showed across her features. “And I don’t regret sleeping with him. My brother isn’t entitled to know everything. It’s none of his business.”
She was going to spill more about Logan. I needed to know more about Sebastian, how it pertained to me.
I urged gently, “Summer, what else was a lie?”
Her head went back down. More sniffles wheezed from her, mixed with tears. “I don’t know why I’m a mess. I mean, it’s you. You’re not even mad. I’d be livid, knowing my roommate was lying to me. I love you. You have no idea. I can’t be your friend, but I want to be. My brother said it’s him or you, but fuck him.” That defiant look was back.
“I’m leaving, Sam.” She gestured to the box and bag and around the room. A sad and bitter laugh left her. “Not that you couldn’t see that yourself, but I’m leaving school permanently. My mom is going back to New York. I’m going with her. I’m going to go back into modeling.” She paused, glancing up at me from underneath her eyelids. “If you ever come out there, please call me. I’d love to see you again. Or you could stay with us. My mom’s not like my dad. She’s not involved with that college group they have. She doesn’t believe in using their connections. She said it’s all one big scandal that’s waiting to be taken down anyway.”
My mind was buzzing. I needed to get an invite to Sebastian’s party, and Summer was the only avenue for that to happen. But she was leaving…
My shoulders slumped down.
“I’m supposed to invite you to his party tomorrow.”
My head popped up. “What?”
“I know. I know.” She waved at me, wiping at her nose. “It’s completely stupid, but Park said to make it happen. He doesn’t know I’m leaving. I should be in New York by the time he finds out, and it’ll be too late. He doesn’t dare take our mom on. He has our dad wrapped around his finger, and Molly, too, but not our mom. My mom loves Park, but she thinks he’s a manipulative weasel, which he is.” She groaned. “There it is. That’s the last of my confessions. I’m sorry, Sam, but I told Park everything you told me. He already knew about Garrett because we know him, obviously, but Park knows everything else. He knows about your other dad, David, and also Malinda. He knows about Mark. He knows Analise is in a psych place, but to be fair, he knew about your mom before I told him. I have no clue how. Wait.” Her lips puckered up, and her forehead bunched together. “Your mom went to college with all of them, didn’t she?”
“All of whom?”
“My dad, my mom, your parents, Professor Baun.” She waved her hand in the air. “There’s more, but you know about all of that, right?”
I cocked my head to the side. My fingers were digging into the chair now. I didn’t dare show her my card. I wanted her to spill everything, so I murmured, “Oh, yeah.”
“That’s the other reason for me, you know. You’re in The Network by default, like me. Your mom, too, but all her stuff is known I guess. There’s not much they can blackmail her with.” A dry chuckle slid from her lips. “Oh. Hold on.” Digging in her bag, she pulled out a flash drive and handed it to me. “That’s for you.”
“What is it?”
Her eyes fell on it, now in my hands, and she was quiet for a moment. She shrugged. “It’s whatever you want it to be.”
