Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb
Epilogue
Charlotte
I’m through with watching Bryce chase after my half sister. It’s pathetic the way he stares at Astrid across the dining hall. He pretends to hate her, but his eyes always find her in a crowded room. I step into his field of vision, and he jolts out of his daydream when he notices my face looking back at him. How dare Bryce run after a girl who only leads him on? I turn my back on him and storm out of the hall. And as soon as I’m back in my room, I send him a text.
Charlotte: It’s over forever. You have lost big time. Don’t bother texting me when she dumps you. And you WILL get dumped.
Lying down on my bed, I remember how I was also dumbstruck by Bryce’s charms. And how I shamelessly followed him around Stonehaven like his shadow. I’d sign up for all of his classes and then sit next to Bryce, staring at his pensive profile while he smirked. Cocky bastard.
Oops, he’s not the bastard.
I shudder at the cruel thought. Astrid can’t help that my father was devoted to my mother enough to return home. Daddy simply made a mistake in judgment in the same way I thought Bryce was also making one. Well, I’m not ending up like my mother. She may have won my father back, but she fought every day to keep him home. The Cordon Bleu cooking lessons, the spa treatments in LA, the wardrobe from New York, and lingerie from Paris. I sit up on my bed, realizing that I can’t recall if Mom’s things are still in the house.
I toss myself down again and stare blankly at the ceiling as if a movie of my life is about to start. I should hate Astrid, but if it hadn’t been her, it would’ve been someone else. There’s no denying that he chases after her and looks at her the same way I used to look at him. It’s a decision I have to make. At least Astrid has enough sense to feel guilty.
I used to smile uncontrollably whenever Bryce was around, but he’d only grin when he saw me. He used to walk ahead of me while I struggled to keep up. He’d take me out and spend the evening talking to his friends. Thank God I insisted we wait on sex. Imagine losing your virginity to that ego.
I wipe a stray tear off my cheek. I don’t know where that came from. Nope. I need someone who will be loyal to me. Someone who answers my texts right away and wants to spend time being together alone and not always in bed. Is it too much to want a man to love me blindly? I bounce off my bed when my phone chimes and grab it off my desk. It’s a text from Bryce.
Bryce: K.
That’s it. That ungrateful motherfucker. It’s really finished now. I pull a dress out of my closet, holding it up to my body as I check it out in the mirror. I keep tossing more dresses onto a pile on the floor until I stop on a red T-shirt dress that goes down to my knees. Red always looks hot with blonde hair and attracts attention. I slip it on and pull my school blazer over it. My reflection looks precisely the way I want it to look. Every curve is on point. I grab my tote and head off to the library in search of my next boyfriend.
I get lingering looks as I walk into Stonier, but my sights are set on one boy. I don’t see him on the first floor, so I head to the second, where the STEM geeks like to camp out. The elevator doors open, and I step out onto the floor. Time slows down to a freeze-frame as I spot my target. His eyes widen behind his wireframes, and that’s the response I want when a boy looks at me. Terri Hamilton of Connecticut definitely has the pedigree and a bulging trust fund.
Tall and slim—he’s not bad looking either. He’s a borderline nerd who could be a geek. With the right haircut and clothes, Terri could almost be sexy. Well, he’d need a script for his anxiety. But would I fuck him? That’s something I’ll only know after a kiss. And to think I once told Astrid to marry him. I wasn’t thinking ahead that day.
I slowly walk toward Terri and let him see the curves underneath my blazer. My nipples have popped in the cold air, walking across campus, and Terri cannot keep his eyes off my chest as it bounces slightly. I stop by the empty chair beside him and plop my tote down on his open notebook.
“May I sit with you?” My voice rises to a crescendo.
I shift my weight, and Terri jumps up from his chair. He pulls the one next to me out, and I sit down. Bravo, Terri Hamilton; that move won you a lot of points. Terri sits down beside me and continues to stare. I should be freaked, but my vanity needs a nice long stroke after years of neglect. I cross my legs, and my knee rests against his thigh.
I smile, and Terri blinks like I blinded him. “Are you studying alone?” I whisper against his ear.
“Y-y-y-yes,” he chokes out. Oh my, the boy can hardly speak.
My gaze lowers to his crotch and stays there. I wonder if the rumors are true about his size. Pierce showed me the pictures, but they were shot above the waist. I shrug off my jacket, purposely twisting my chest back and forth as I take my arms out of the sleeves. I read the title of a book on the table.
“Oh, I need a tutor for biology.” Enticingly, I leave that suggestion out there.
“I could help you,” he whispers. “I want to help you.”
“Could we study somewhere else?” I ask.
Everybody makes out in the stacks, so I lead Terri by the hand up to the fourth floor. The sooner I know if we’re a match, the better. He looks around the rows of books as I lead him by the hand into a dimly lit corner. His breathing is ragged, and though it was sort of cute at first, mouth breathing is not attractive. He stumbles a little, and I slow down the pace.
Leaning against a tall bookcase, I let go of his hand and recline against it, jutting out my hips.
“Have you ever kissed a girl before?” I whisper.
His lip trembles as he looks down the length of me. “I’ve done a lot of things.”
I smirk, wondering what that could even include. Maybe a little harmless grope in the dark while sticking his tongue down a girl’s mouth.
“Show me.” I take a step, closing the gap between us.
I almost lose my shit. Terri reaches for me and pulls me into a deep kiss. My feet leave the floor as he holds me firmly against his body. Every nerve in my body shivers as his lips press hard against mine. I like kissing Terri Hamilton, which means I’m willing to do a lot more with him.
He releases me, and I have to grab for a shelf to keep from tumbling to the floor. I’m the one breathing heavily and holding onto my beating heart as I look up at him. Terri smiles and reaches for me again. I relax my body as he pulls me in. My hand presses against his hard chest as his hands play in my hair. My body lights up as Terri’s kiss makes Bryce fade away.
“Holy shit,” I whisper. I move away from Terri, straightening the hem on my dress. I clear my throat. “Maybe you should ask me out?”
He launches himself at me again, but I hold up my hands to stop him. Thankfully, he takes the apparent hint and stops pawing me in the stacks.
“Where do you want to go?” he asks eagerly, “I’ll take you anywhere.”
I smile with satisfaction. “I’d like you to meet my father.”
***
Gossip spreads like a spark landing on gasoline. The looks I get the next day as I walk around campus range from awe to disbelief. I don’t care if my status may have slipped overnight, but I have no intention of staying single for long. Before lunch, I return to my room to check my appearance. With so many people staring at me, I have to look amazing. There’s a knock on my door, and before I can say come in, Astrid races into my room.
She’s anxious as she shuts the door firmly behind her. “We need to talk, Charlotte.”
“About what?” I watch her in the closet mirror as I reapply my lip gloss. “What’s troubling you now?”
The question startles her, but this is our routine. I checked our birth dates, and oddly enough, I’m younger than her, but I’m constantly giving her advice.
She stands beside me. “Are you seeing Terri Hamilton?”
I close the tube and slip it into my pocket. “Yes, the rumor is true.” I look into her eyes. “Many rumors are true.”
“Look, he’s supposed to be dating Roni,” she says, “And she’s really upset about him seeing you. She refuses to leave the bathroom, and she’s ranting that she’s been played. She says it’s my fault.”
I wait until the irony hits her smack in the brain.
Astrid’s eyes widen as she stares at me in the mirror. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
I turn to face her. “The world doesn’t revolve around your life or mine. No, I’m not dating him to get even with you or Bryce or anyone else.” I take a breath, choosing my words deliberately for maximum impact.
“I hated you that night we went out to eat. I wanted to call you all the names I could think of and find a few more. But you really were sorry about it all. And Bryce never looked at me the way he looks at you. So why waste my energy being jealous?” I brush past her and put space between us. “I barely know your roommate, and I didn’t know they were dating. Are they even exclusive? Besides, I have no intentions of leaving Stonehaven without an engagement ring.”
“You have time!” Astrid shouts, “You’re going to college, Charlotte. You should be having fun, not trying to pin someone down.” She screws up her face. “It’s weird.”
“How many times must I tell you: it’s what we do,” I tell her firmly, “Girls like us have first pick. Bryce never asked me out. He was told to take me out. That’s not what I want anymore. I want someone to choose me.”
“And did Terri?” Astrid glares. “You can do better and know it, so why are you really going after him?”
“He’s my safe choice,” I reply. “You have yours, and I have mine.”
Astrid shakes her head. “After this weekend, I blew all my choices,” she pauses, “And you know what? I’m okay with it.”
The confidence in her eyes sparks my curiosity. “Who did you put in their place?” I ask.
She grins but won’t tell me a thing. Her worldview is such a mystery to me, almost alien. “Charlotte, I have no business asking,” she says, “I get that, but I’m asking as a favor that you back off.”
“You really think I’m just playing with him?” There’s no humor in my words. “Astrid, it’s a game that we all take it seriously. I kissed Terri and liked it. We’ve only been a couple for less than a day, and he’s already planning our Christmas. I’m going to Connecticut with him.”
“Don’t you find that a little creepy?” she asks.
“Astrid, in our world, you pick a plan and follow it.” I check my phone and delete Bryce’s last text. “I want to marry well and will do it. You, on the other hand…I don’t know what you’re doing. Do you?”
She looks at me and sighs. “I have a plan too, and I’m sticking to it. Look, Roni really likes Terri. She’s not like you, all girly, but she cares about him in a quirky way.” Astrid stops talking and rubs her hand on her face. “Maybe I shouldn’t get involved. I have enough going on.”
“You should listen to your own advice.”
I thought I would like having a sibling, but this is work. A lot of work. Seeing each other only on major holidays wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
A pounding starts on my door, and my heart lurches in my chest. Christ, I hope it’s not her roommate. That girl looks like she would scratch. But Astrid is unfazed as she yanks the door open. Gemma walks into the room, pointing her finger at Astrid. “Get her out of our bathroom.” Then she points at me. “Until then, I’m using yours.”
I sigh. “Take your time. It might be a while.”
Astrid stands beside me. “I am sorry, Charlotte. If it’s any consolation, Bryce is finished with me.”
“It’s not,” I whisper. “And I doubt that he is.”
END OF BOOK 2
Astrid’s story continues in Book 3 – Brutal Lies
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