Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb
Chapter 25
Astrid
A phone call can be overheard, but the sound of tapping on a laptop reveals nothing. When I return upstairs to my room, it doesn’t look like Roni’s back from her weekend with Terri. Locking the door, I pull the laptop out of its hiding place to study the spreadsheets. I grab a sheet of notebook paper and start working on the figures to figure out what I need to make the Monarchs profitable without the Pit.
While I work, I start grinning, and if I could high-five myself, I would. The numbers aren’t as impossible as I thought they would be. I’m sure I can get the money. After all, Howland owes me back child support.
I have quite the list of figures written down when I hear Roni’s key in the lock. The hours passed while I was putting my ideas down instead of being pissed at everybody.
I slip the extra laptop under my covers as Roni drags into the room.
“I wasn’t expecting you back so earlier,” I smile. “How was it?”
Roni doesn’t return my excitement as she stands by the closed door, looking like she walked home instead of drove in a nice car. Her eyes are puffy, and her hair is pulled back into a ratty tail. An oversized sweatshirt that is a hundred sizes too large conceals her curves but not her hunched shoulders.
“The one time I needed you not to be around.” Roni sighs.
“What happened?” I ask, thinking I might have to kick a boy’s ass. I might not do it for myself, but I’ll do it for Roni. “What did he do to you?”
Roni tosses herself onto her bed, and her voice is muffled in the pillow. “Nothing happened.” She beats her pillow with her fists then stops to moan pitifully. Her voice is loaded with tears. “Nothing. He couldn’t do it.”
My jaw drops, and it can’t close. Holy fuck. Gulping helps me to shut my mouth. “Was something wrong with Terri?”
Roni’s red face leaves the pillow. “He couldn’t get it up. He apologized to me. We were lying naked in bed together, and nothing happened.” Roni scoffs. “He said it was him, not me. But I’m sure it was me.”
I sit on the edge of her bed and rub her back gently as Roni’s ragged breaths slow down. What do I even say? Ghost his ass and move onto the next? What if Roni likes him too much?
“The worst part,” she says, lifting her head, “is that I was really hoping we would end up together.”
I gawk but tamp that shit down fast. “Are you going to keep seeing Terri?”
Roni sniffs her snot loudly, and I quickly get the tissues. She covers her face with a handful, turning her skin a raw red. “I like him, but I don’t know if he likes me enough.”
“If you like him,” I stroke her hair off her hot cheek, “then you should try again.”
I don’t sneak out after curfew. I wouldn’t dare while poor Roni is this devastated by love. She doesn’t do much for the rest of the evening except watch a sappy movie where an impossibly beautiful actress gets her Prince Charming. Maybe it cheers her up. It looks boring to me. I wait until Roni’s breathing morphs into a soft snore.
Quietly, I place the laptop back in its hiding place, but I take the notepad to bed. Using my desk lamp, I make a list of the boys, listing their pros and cons. I have no intention of repeating my mother’s mistake. Or Roni’s. And though I’m not to blame, I was the result of poor planning. Let that not be my downfall.
I pop my birth control pill and swallow as I write Bryce’s name on the far left. What does he have? I don’t need to write the question. I just need the answer. My mind wanders off in a daze as I imagine Bryce’s good looks and the confidence he has that nothing and nobody can screw with. Confidence that I thought I had until I met someone who really did. Next to Bryce’s name, I write down: status.
I write down Justin’s name next. He’s the creative type, with the smooth language that makes my body want to cling to his, but he’s not as sure of himself as Bryce. But Bryce can only explain the books. He can’t manipulate them into practical knowledge. Justin can be both creative and do the math. I blow out a low sigh as my mind grasps the notion that someone can be good at both subjects. He’s definitely the brains, and that brainpower is attractive. Next to Justin’s name, I write down: brains.
I wince as I write down Pierce’s name, but maybe Bryce is right. I hate the guy. No doubt we will never get along. The barrier is built up between us, and nothing will make it come down. I don’t want Pierce, but I wouldn’t mind getting even. Someone does need to teach him how to act around people. Pierce thinks he’s all that, and maybe he is, but he needs to learn that there’s always someone better. Next to Pierce’s name, I write down: ego.
Lastly, I write down Wyatt’s name but leave the next column blank. There’s nothing I need to write next to his name. I know how deeply I feel about Wyatt. He’s the one I’m saving for last, and then it’s only us. I know how he feels, and I feel that way too. It’s like I was sent to Stonehaven just so I could meet him. But I have to settle up my debts first.
And my father owes me the biggest debt. He’s offering compensation, but what are the terms? It’s got to be more than not shaming the family name. I write down Howland’s name and next to it: birthright.
Carefully, I tiptoe to my desk and slip the paper inside the laptop. I stand over Roni, looking down on her puffy face, and shut off her laptop. If I had a wish, I’d give it to her and keep making my own luck up as I go.
