Page 166 of Brutal Little Secrets

You can keep driving Damon’s car or we can get you a new one

My first response is nearlyyou sold my car?!But I don’t send it, sitting with this information first and letting it digest. The carwasn’t anything special to me. Great Aunt Maude had it in her garage, and since she couldn’t see well enough to drive anymore, she passed it on to me.

It’s not even that it’s gone that bothers me. The thing that really got to me is that she’s willing to buy me another. Not with her money, because I know she doesn’t have the money for it, but definitely with Adam’s. I love my mom, but honestly, looking at this from Damon’s point of view, she comes off as a gold digger.

Moving in here. Her new outfits. The clothes she bought me. Offering to buy me a car?

Me:

I’ll make do with what I have

I wish you would have asked before selling the car

I set my phone to the side and look around my room. This is just the place I keep my stuff. At night I sleep with Damon. The only thing I need money for is college. And it’s not like Mom’s going to make Adam pay for that.

My academic record and my directing should help me get into almost any school, but it won’t mean I can afford any school. Yes, I can get scholarships, but I’ll need living expenses too. The guys all have the means to go to any school they want. What happens when I get in and then can’t afford to go to the school with them?

That’s the compromise I’m worried about. I may have to compromise location to go to a school that’s good for directing and acting, plus one I can afford. What if that limits Damon’s dream? Or Hawk’s? Or Cam’s?

I don’t want to be responsible for limiting their futures. My battle was always going to be an uphill struggle. Any moneymy parents might have put away went to my father’s treatment. After that, money was always tight.

But I don’t have time to think about that right now. I have homework I need to focus on and a rehearsal to lead.

I glance at my phone. Fuck it. I can at least do one thing the guys want me to do. It makes sense. I can’t just let Chase keep using me.

Me:

Chase and I broke up

I wait a minute or two, staring at the conversation with my mom. Maybe she only had a few minutes to text earlier, and she’s busy now. Maybe her phone ran out of charge. A small part of me whispers that maybe Damon’s right and she just doesn’t care.

Chapter 52

EvanAnn

“Let’s take it from the top of the scene.” I turn and look at Keira. She gives me a thumbs up from the back of the theater.

Mr. Watson sits to the side working on grading homework. After the first few rehearsals where Chase behaved himself, Mr. Watson’s been less vigilant. But he still shows up to make sure things go smoothly, which I’m thankful for.

I don’t need anotherwhoreincident.

The actors take their places. It’s a scene with Chase and Hawk. Chase keeps messing up his line. It’s supposed to goWell, happiness to their sheets!, but he keeps sayingWell, happiness is to their sheets!. If he doesn’t get it this time, we’ll have to keep going to get through the entire play today.

“Your line isWell, happiness to their sheets!” I look at Chase. It throws off the cadence of the words when he messes up, and the rest of the speech gets muddied. Practice is the time to get this right.

Chase glares at me. “I know my fucking line.”

“Then say it correctly this time so we can move on,” I say sweetly, like it isn’t a problem. I glance at Mr. Watson. Chase’s frustration is normal during a play. But it’s pissing me off today,and I’m trying not to show it. It doesn’t help that Chase came in with a smug smile on his face after the party yesterday.

The guys were right. I should have ended the charade then and there. Tom and Jessica have always been nice to me. They might have still introduced me to Sandra Cox. After all, Adam and Mom were there. It’s not like I came alone as Chase’s girlfriend.

I rub the bridge of my nose. “All right, let’s do it again.”

Hawk and Chase begin their back and forth as Cassio and Iago. Iago wants Cassio to drink more so he’ll get in a fight.

They get to the line Chase has been messing up and he does it again. He flinches as he realizes it.

“Keep going. We’ll work on it in Tuesday’s rehearsal.”