I spun around in the mirror and dipped my gaze down to my tanned leg sticking out from the black dress that Rose lent to me. At least the leg that had slipped out from the split in the thin black fabric wasn’t the one sporting the nasty blue bruise from my fall onstage.
My face burned at the memory of my fall, and although it was just two days ago, I still felt the sting of embarrassment like it was an hour prior. I had a meeting with Professor Petit on Monday, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was sure they’d given the lead role to someone else, which made sense, but shit. I needed it. I really, really needed it.
“Here.” Taytum popped beside me in the mirror and handed me a black mask with feathers and small bright gems outlining the sides. I took it hesitantly, still unsure I wanted to be at her sorority party after such a wonky weekend. I’d hardly spoken to Theo since he left me in the hospital on Friday evening. He got in from his game late, having had a lengthy conversation with his coach and Tom Gardini. I was exhausted from my concussion, and the doctor recommended resting as much as possible for at least twenty-four hours, and Theo had taken the concussion protocol very seriously, along with the rest of his team.
They had dropped off an eye mask, an extra-comfy pillow, an entire case of water, and headphones to block out any noise. I made the joke that they just wanted their favorite waitress back at The Bex for extra fries, but instead of laughing, they each wrapped me in a light hug and demanded I text them if I needed something while Theo was slaving away in the rink at their coach’s demand.
I felt terrible about that.
Theo didn’t let on that he was in trouble for being late to his game, but considering he was hardly in our dorm all weekend, and when he did come back, he was covered in sweat, it was obvious he was trying to make it up to the team.
He told me not to worry and checked on me every few hours in the middle of the night to make sure I was okay, but I still felt like something was off. We hadn’t chatted about why I’d taken a fall during my rehearsal, and to be honest, I hadn’t wanted to think about it. The doctor said to rest my brain, and thinking too much about Chad, my mother, or the future would have been the complete opposite of resting.
And even though going to a masquerade party at Alpha Chi Omega, Taytum’s sorority, just a few days later, wasn’t my idea of fun, what was I if not a good friend to the girl who had stayed in the hospital with me the entire evening, missing her own audition?
“You look hot.”
I flipped my hair over my shoulder. “I look hot in Rose’s old prom dress? That’s a compliment I’ll take, I guess.”
Taytum laughed as Rose entered the room, along with one of her friends who eyed Taytum and me nervously.
“No surprise that you look better in that dress than I did.” Rose huffed as she pulled her red mask over her face, applying lipstick a moment later. Taytum did the same, and I was next, noticing how blue my eyes looked against the black mask surrounding them.
“So, is Ford your hot date?” I asked, peeking over at Taytum, who was strapping her heels on. I opted for flat sandals, although my feet were going to be freezing if I decided to go outside in the chilly, near-winter air, but heels weren’t the best option for someone who was still sporting an ankle injury.
“Emory would lose his shit, and plus, I don’t have dates for these sorts of parties.”
Rose’s silent friend spoke up. “I thought having a date was a rule.”
“I don’t follow rules.” Taytum smiled deviously, and I laughed under my breath.
“And Theo is your date?” the girl asked quietly, taking her eyes from me as soon as I looked over.
“Um, yeah,” I answered, rolling my lips together. This was something Theo and I had planned to go to weeks prior when we were still in our era of fake dating. I wasn’t sure what we were now, but it wasn’t fake. “I haven’t talked with him much, but he should be here. He’s been on the ice almost all weekend.” I sighed. “Which was my fault.”
“How so?” Taytum asked, opening the door to her room. The noise from the foyer floated up the stairs, and butterflies overtook my belly at the thought of Theo seeing me dressed up.
“He’s getting punished for being late to the game on Friday.”
“Oh, right.” Taytum darted her eyes away, and the blush on her cheeks looked a little darker than before.
“What?” I asked, eyeing her suspiciously. It wasn’t like her to hide something from me, but the telling look in her eyes was even more obvious with a mask on.
Rose and her friend left Taytum and me alone, and the very second they were down the stairs, she pulled me in close. “Has Chad texted you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think so. I haven’t really had my phone. The doctor told me I needed to stay away from electronics for a couple of days. Why?”
“He showed up at the hospital.”
That was a swift blow to my mood. “The nerve,” I gritted, crossing my arms over my chest. “He’s the reason I fell. He was glaring at me from the back, just behind Theo and the rest of the guys.” Tom Gardini was there too, but I kept that to myself.
“I know. I saw him as we were leaving, and then he showed up at the hospital, and I thought Theo was going to go to jail by the mere look on his face.”
Panic rushed to my heart. “What? Did he say something to him?”
“Not in so many words, but…” Taytum sighed. “You need to tell Theo what’s really going on if you two are more than what you say you are.”
We are. We are more than what we say we are. Right?
“I don’t know what to say.” I peered down the length of the black shimmery dress. “I don’t know what to do, Tay. Chad has me in a chokehold—and not in a good way.”
“You need to tell him to fuck off.”
“My mom does not have the money to pay his parents back all that she owes, and not to mention, my mom’s entire income is held by a string that his parents can untie in a single second. Then what? She’ll be homeless because she can’t afford her rent? I will have to drop out of school before my senior year and pay—”
Taytum’s hands wrapped around my upper arms. “No, Claire.” Her blonde waves bounced as she shook her head. “Your mother’s financial situation is not your burden. What do you think she’d say if she knew that Chad had cheated on you and then pretty much blackmailed you into staying in some sort of fucked-up relationship with him just to save her job? That’s ridiculous, and if your mother is deserving of all that you’ve given her, she’d never ever stand for that kind of disrespect. Are you willing to give up what you feel for Theo for her?”
“She’d feel betrayed by me if she knew that I blatantly picked Theo over her. Because that’s what I would be doing. That’s why I’m trying so hard to—”
“To what? Have your cake and eat it too? Because no matter how I see it, Chad is going to try to destroy you and your mother if you don’t do what he says. He’s a narcissist, and he’s using your selflessness to trap you in a future that you will regret for the rest of your life, and to be honest, Theo deserves to know what’s going on because that hunky jock has fallen hard for you.”
The door opened downstairs, and my gaze drifted over the banister and into the foyer. Several broad-shouldered guys walked in, each of them wearing black suits and black masks, stealing everyone’s breath. I knew which one was Theo just by the air that surrounded him. My stomach dipped the moment he peered up the steps. Our eyes snagged right away, and I burned when his soft lips parted and curled on one side.
“See?” Taytum whispered. “And don’t you dare tell me that you haven’t fallen for him. I hardly recognize you when you look at him—and that isn’t a bad thing.”
I let out a soft breath and smiled down at him.
I’d ruin the world for Theo Brooks, and it was about time I told him.
