The girls kept throwing me worried glances at breakfast the following morning. It was understandable seeing as Veronica was cuddled up next to Noah. No one other than Luther and Kaden ever sat at Noah’s table, so her presence at his side was essentially the dining hall equivalent of updating their Facebook status to “in a relationship.”
We weren’t the only ones watching them with curious eyes. Everyone in the room was captivated. I was trying my best not to look. No one wanted to witness their ex engaged in dining hall PDA. But it was almost impossible not to notice them when Veronica’s high-pitched giggle kept drifting across the room toward us.
“I honestly can’t believe they’re together,” Cress said. “Noah can’t stand Veronica. He’s been trying to avoid this for years.”
It was hard for me to believe too, but Noah had proven himself to be his grandfather’s little lap dog, so it wasn’t all that surprising. “The two of them deserve each other.”
“I guess Veronica and Noah are the least of your concerns after the weekend,” Anna said. I’d told the girls about Noah punching my dad when I’d returned to my room yesterday.
“Definitely,” I agreed. I’d struggled to get over Noah, but when a guy punched your father and dated your nemesis, it made you wonder what you saw in him in the first place.
Cress grimaced as she looked his way. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on with him,” she said, shooting me another worried look. I couldn’t tell if she was more concerned about me or Noah.
“Seriously, stop worrying,” I said. “I’m with Wes now, and I’m happy.” Being with Wes was light and easy, like a breath of fresh air after everything I’d been through with Noah. I often felt like I didn’t deserve him.
“Yeah, we can tell,” Cress said, relaxing slightly. “You guys are really good together.”
“Speaking of good together,” I replied. “I haven’t asked you about your Ferris wheel ride with Kaden yet. How was it?” I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten. It had completely skipped my mind thanks to all the drama with Noah.
“It was okay,” Cress said. “There’s not much to tell. We just chatted.”
“Really?” I found that hard to believe. Especially after he’d been so sweet at the kiss or scare booth, kissing the back of her hand and inviting her to join him on the Ferris wheel. It was so romantic.
“Yeah, don’t get me wrong, it was really nice,” Cress continued. “I just thought he might try and kiss me.” She sounded so disappointed. “And then after we got off the Ferris wheel, it turned totally awkward. He got a phone call, and he said he had to go. He left pretty quickly, and it felt like he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
“I’m sure he didn’t want to go,” I said.
“And what about the lack of kissing?”
“I told you already,” Anna said. “It’s Kaden. He’s pretty reserved and doesn’t really date. He probably just wants to take things slow.”
“Or maybe it took one spin on the Ferris wheel for him to realize he doesn’t like me that much,” Cress replied.
‘No way,” Anna gasped. “How could he not like you? You’re the most likable person I know.”
“He’d have to be crazy not to like you,” I agreed.
‘So, I guess that means he’s crazy.” Cress shrugged.
Kaden was a hard guy to read, but he definitely wasn’t crazy. He didn’t say much, and he usually sat back and allowed his friends to do most of the talking. I had a feeling Anna was right, and if he hadn’t been more forward with Cress, it was simply because that wasn’t his nature. It didn’t seem to matter how much we tried to reassure Cress though. She seemed convinced Kaden wasn’t into her.
“We’ll just have to wait until he asks you out again,” I said.
“Or you could cut to the chase and ask him…” Anna suggested.
“I’m not asking him out,” Cress gasped. “Not when he pretty much ran away from me like I was the most terrifying thing at the carnival. No, I don’t want to waste any more of my time waiting around for a guy who’s just not that into me.’
“I don’t think you should give up on Kaden completely,” I said. “He might surprise you.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But I’m not so sure.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and as I glanced up, I found Wes grinning down at me. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before taking the spare seat at my side.
“How was practice this morning?” I asked.
“Hard.” He grimaced. “You’d think Coach would go easy on us since we won this weekend, but no such luck. My shoulders are killing me already. I’m probably going to be sore for days.”
“That’s what you get for exercising,” Anna said in a matter-of-fact voice.
Wes winked at her before focusing on me. “How was your night?” he asked. “Are you feeling any better?”
“I’m okay,” I said. “A little better after sleeping on it.” That wasn’t strictly true. After I left Wes’s room last night, Noah had reignited my anger to a whole new level, but I had calmed down a bit since then.
“That’s good.” He drew in a breath and looked like he was going to continue, but then he paused. I could tell there was something on his mind and he was carefully considering how to voice it.
“What is it?” I asked.
He exhaled loudly. “It’s Noah and Veronica. I didn’t know they were dating until this morning. I wanted to check how you’re feeling. Seeing them together, I mean.” He frowned as he spoke, and I could see how uncomfortable he was asking the question. I hated he felt he had to worry about how I might be feeling at the sight of my ex moving on.
“It’s news to all of us,” Anna said. I was relieved she’d been the one to speak first so I didn’t have to respond straightaway. I knew Wes was only asking me to be supportive. We’d both been through bad breakups recently, so he knew there was a chance it would be weird for me to see Noah and Veronica together. But the question felt loaded with pressure. There was only one way I could answer without hurting his feelings. Thankfully, after everything Noah had put me through, I didn’t have to lie.
“I’m okay,” I said. “We’re talking about a guy that punched my dad. Dating Veronica sounds like a suitable punishment for him.”
The tension released from Wes’ shoulders, and he smiled at me. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said. There was such a clear look of relief in his eyes it made me wonder just how anxious he was about my feelings toward Noah.
“So, I was thinking about our study session tonight,” Wes said, eager to get off the topic of my ex-boyfriend. “What do you think about ditching the library and coming to my room so we can get takeout delivered while we work? Sawyer’s got soccer practice, so we’ll have some peace.”
“Interesting. What kind of takeout are you thinking?”
“How about your favorite burgers…”
“Toddy’s?”
He grinned and nodded.
“I’m surprised you even had to ask.” I laughed. “That sounds perfect.”
The bell rang, and we started to gather our things to head to class. I said goodbye to Wes and Anna before heading off to English with Cress. I was looking forward to burgers for dinner, but I was most excited about getting some uninterrupted time with Wes. It was just what I needed.
“Are you sure you’re okay about Noah and Veronica?” Cress asked as we walked down the corridor to English. “It would be understandable if you weren’t.”
“I mean, I’m about as okay as I can be.” I let out a sigh. “Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t sit right with me that he took her to the White Ball and said he didn’t have feelings for her. Clearly, he was lying about that. But I’m too mad at him for everything else to be upset by that.”
“I still don’t like it,” Cress said. “I just don’t understand why he’d start dating her now after rejecting her all these years.”
“It seems he’s fully embraced the dark side.” We walked a little farther down the hall before I continued. “Do you think it was weird that Wes asked me how I felt about Noah and Veronica?”
“I think he was just being thoughtful,” she said. “He knows what you’ve been through. He’s been through it too.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t know, it’s just strange talking about my ex-boyfriend with my current boyfriend.”
“Totally,” Cress agreed. “Maybe because you and Wes were friends first, he felt like he could ask you.”
“Yeah.”
“He also probably needed to ask. For him, I mean. I think Wes finds it hard where Noah’s concerned.”
“What do you mean?”
“He hasn’t said anything to me, but I just wonder if he struggles a bit. You guys were close friends when you were going out with Noah, so he knows how much he meant to you. It must be hard not to be jealous.”
“You think Wes is jealous?”
“I’m not saying he’s jealous of Noah exactly. But maybe of the connection you two had.” She shook her head. “We all saw how strong it was. And you and Wes are just starting out. It must be hard for him not to make comparisons. Like, how would you feel if Sarah went to school with us?” Cress was starting to rush over her words, like she was desperate to make herself clearer so I didn’t misunderstand. “Do you know what I mean? I’m not sure if this is coming out right.”
“No, that makes sense.” I fell silent as I considered her words. My relationship with Wes was so different from the one I’d had with Noah. That didn’t mean it wasn’t as good. It was better in so many ways.
“Do you think I need to talk to him about it?” I asked. “Try to reassure him?”
“I don’t know, maybe just give it time,” Cress replied. “Wes knew you were slowly getting over Noah when you started dating. I think this is all to be expected. I’m sure he’ll relax once he sees you’re not going anywhere.”
I smiled and nodded, but everything Cress said stuck with me during class. Was Wes really jealous of what I’d had with Noah? And what did I have to do to prove he had nothing to worry about?
I WAS STILL WORRYING about Wes as I went to my next class. I entered the math classroom and made my way to the back of the room to find my usual seat next to Luther and Kaden. I’d given up trying to sit somewhere else in the room because the two of them always found a way to drag me back there.
When I reached my seat, I went to pull it out, but Luther’s hand clamped down on my arm, stopping me.
“This seat is taken,” he said.
I stilled as I glanced at him. Luther was looking up at me, his face stone-cold as he returned my gaze. He had to be joking, right?
“Very funny, Luther.” I went to grab the seat again, but his hand on my arm didn’t move.
“Like I said, this seat is taken. Find somewhere else to sit, Isobel.”
Hearing him say my name made me realize he wasn’t kidding around. Luther always called me newbie. I didn’t think he’d ever used my actual name.
“What’s wrong, Luther?” I lowered my voice as I spoke.
“Nothing’s wrong. You just can’t sit with us anymore. Isn’t that right, Kaden?”
Kaden nodded but his gaze remained fixed on the front of the classroom. He refused to look my way.
“I thought we were friends,” I replied. Luther had definitely talked and joked with me like we were friends ever since I’d started at this school. Even when Noah and I broke up, Luther had still been his usual cheeky self to me.
I wasn’t sure why I was surprised though. Luther’s friendship had always felt unusual. He was one of the most popular guys at school and the best friend of my ex-boyfriend. He had no reason to want to hang out with me. Still, I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around his sudden change of heart.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
Luther grew tense, his lips forming a hard line as he stared back at me. “We had to pick a side. And, well…”
“You didn’t choose me,” I finished for him. Now it all made sense. This was coming from Noah. His vindictive streak against me was continuing. This time, he was isolating me from his friends. My friends. A part of me had worried this might happen eventually now we weren’t together. Luther and Kaden were Noah’s closest friends, so of course, they would choose him. But this way just felt spiteful.
I could sense hurt flashing across my eyes. I didn’t want Luther to know how much this was affecting me, so I quickly turned and made my way to a seat at the front of the room.
I should have been happy. Finally, I’d be able to get some actual work done in my math class. It was hard not to feel upset though. My friendship with Luther might not have made much sense to me, but I liked it. And Kaden had always been so kind to me. It almost hurt more to know that even he was following Noah’s orders.
If there was a silver lining to this situation, it was that Veronica had not arrived in time to see my confrontation with Luther. It would have been so much worse if she’d been here to witness the embarrassment of my rejection.
Still, when she entered the room and found me sitting in a different seat than usual, there was a satisfied glint in her eyes. She was obviously well aware I’d fallen out of favor with Kaden and Luther.
My day only grew worse from there. When I entered my business management class, I found Noah seated at the far back corner of the room. He usually sat right behind me, but today he’d moved himself as far away as possible. His nearness in this class had been driving me crazy for weeks, but it was like a slap across the face to see he’d moved. It was further confirmation he’d finally put our relationship firmly behind us. But it felt like even more than that. He seemed to be doing everything he could to entirely erase what we had.
He’d attacked my father because of his insulting comments, but I wasn’t sure what I’d done to turn him against me quite so completely. He was the one who deserved to be punished. Maybe seeing me go to my father’s aid on the weekend had settled it for him. Maybe that night had settled things for me too.
Noah didn’t acknowledge me as I sat down. Some guy who was wearing an overwhelming amount of aftershave had taken his regular spot. I spent most of class trying to breathe through my mouth to avoid the smell. Still, I preferred it to the constant tingles I used to get across the back of my neck whenever I felt Noah watching me in class.
I didn’t feel them now. Not once. There were no longing gazes. No lasting looks. It was like I didn’t exist to him anymore.
After class was over, Lily pulled me aside.
“So, Noah’s not sitting behind you anymore…”
“Seems so,” I agreed. “But, it’s for the best. We’re both moving on. It’s easier if we keep our distance.”
She frowned slightly. “Yeah, I guess.”
“What?” She seemed like she was holding something back.
“It’s nothing; this just feels so final, you know.”
“Him moving seats?”
She shook her head. “Well, no, not just that. He’s with Veronica now, and you’re with Wes.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I know,” she quickly rushed to say. “But the way Noah used to look at you… It was the kind of thing you’d only read about in fairy tales.”
“He didn’t look at me like that,” I muttered.
“He did. He looked at you like you where the very thing his universe revolved around. It was kind of epic.”
“Well, we must have been an epic tragedy rather than an epic fairy tale because we were never going to work.”
“I guess so,” Lily said, somewhat reluctantly. “It just seems weird that he could turn that off so quickly.” She paused and shook her head. “But it’s great you have Wes now. He’s such a nice guy. I don’t think he’ll mess you around like Noah did.”
“Yeah, I don’t think he will either.” I agreed. How could he? Unless he too went to war with my family. I’d seen his father talking happily with mine at the carnival though, so I liked to believe we were good on that front.
“Are you studying in the library tonight?” Lily asked.
I was there almost every Monday night with Wes but not tonight. “Actually, Wes invited me to study in his room so we could get takeout.”
“Sounds romantic,” Lily said with a suggestive smile.
“It’s just studying.”
She tilted her head at me, looking thoroughly unconvinced. “Uh-huh.”
My cheeks flushed. “It is.”
“Okay, well, I’m off to meet Amber. Have fun studying with Wes.” She winked at me before taking off in the other direction.
“I will,” I called after her, a flurry of anticipation prickling my skin.
Maybe she had a point, and tonight would be a little romantic. Wes and I hadn’t had a chance to go on a proper date yet, so maybe this would be our first. There’d been so much to distract us since we’d first got together. Not to mention Sawyer’s constant interruptions. We might not have been calling tonight a date, but there would be food and we would finally be alone—it certainly sounded like a date.
Besides, if it was just studying, why was I so excited about it?
