Page 11 of Brutal Little Secrets

But I want to have good friendships too, and coffee should take less time than the scrimmage. Besides, I need to tell her about Chase.

Me:

Yes, please

Mia:

I’ll text

I close her message. Taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I open the one from Chase. Will he be hateful or will he be remorseful? And would I really believe him if he was remorseful?

Chase:

Fuck, babe, got busted

Coming to get you now. Sorry I was a dick

Where r u? Fuck.

Are you home already?

Drove past your place. It’s being torn down?

Please let me know you’re okay

I feel like shit

I shouldn’t have left you

I look at the time stamps. He would have left me out there for three hours before he came looking for me. It also meant he went back to the party after ditching me. He did say he was going to find someone to fuck.

Why did he even bother texting me? I release my breath and focus on what he said about our house.

Our house is getting torn down. That gives me pause. I really did like living there and it was a good little house for us.

As for Chase, I need to be cordial to him since he’s a principle in my play. But that doesn’t mean I need to be nice to him.

Me:

I’m safe

No thanks to him. And then I silence the conversation, because I don’t really want to listen to whatever excuse he has for his behavior. I’m done.

I run a hand over my face, and my chest lightens. Done.

Rehearsal will be awkward for a while, but he’ll get over it. And I know better for the future than to get involved with a self-absorbed actor like him ever again. Not that the Devil’s trio aren’t full of red flags, but they aren’t asking me to date them. Just fuck them, which the more they make me come, the more curious I am about the actual fucking part.

And after last night, I want to be the one who decides when I’m ready. Not someone pressuring me to fuck him to keep him. Like it’s my fault Chase cheated. Though I am curious what he gets out of our relationship because why would he ever think I’d take him back?

How desperate does he think I am?

And speaking of cheating, I need to talk to the Devil’s trio about letting other girls hang on them. Even at parties. Yes, I understand they don’t want our relationship to come out into the open, but that doesn’t mean they have to be so…givingto the female students.

I open one of the anonymous text conversations.

Unknown number:

Where u at, goody two-shoes?