Page 30

Byron

“How do you know this isn’t an old video?” Her eyes display her last sliver of hope.

I lock my eyes on my phone screen. I’m not going to be able to stomach the hurt in her eyes when I tell her, “Look at the clock on the dresser,” it’s one of the flips up and has both the date and time. “This was made last Thursday, Lola. I’m so sorry.”

She doesn’t cry or even look sad when she tosses me the keys. “You’re driving now.”

All of our other friends are riding in Aaron’s car, plus Lola wanted the extra space so her desserts wouldn’t get ruined. “I’ll just be a couple more minutes.”

The car is packed, cookies sitting safely on the floor when she comes outside with a brown cardboard box.

“We have a stop to make. Do you know how to get to Hamilton University?”

When I hesitate to answer, she tells me, “I’ll give you the directions.”

I watch her walk to the passenger side, head held high with confidence radiating off of her. “Get in, Byron. I don’t want this asshole taking up any more of my weekend than necessary.”

I was prepared to spend the thirty-minute car ride to our rival college in silence. Instead, she spends it talking about the tweaks she wants to make to some of the recipes for class. I just take her lead.

“One of my friend’s dad’s owns a restaurant supply company in the city. He services all the high-end restaurants, and when I told him about our project and how we need to style our table. He said we can have whatever we need and as long as we return it he won’t charge us.”

Lola’s hand stops running down Mia’s head, and her head snaps toward me, “Really?”

“Yeah, he said it’s no big deal, and when I told him how happy you’d be because then we can use the money we save to buy better ingredients, he said we better come home with an “A” and the win.”

We were recently told that each group in the class will have the same stipend to use however we need to for the class, but we had to have a menu printed, the room styled as a restaurant would be, and we’d have to use this to buy the ingredients we need.

So, being able to get the restaurant decor for free is going to make it so we can elevate the food portion of the project.

Lola opens her mouth before snapping it shut. Something in the driver’s side window catches her eye. Her blue eyes darken and for the first time since we got in the car her body goes rigid.

“It’s that dark gray house on the corner.”

She doesn’t need to explain any further, “Do you want me to come in with you?”

She shakes her head gingerly, “I don’t even know if he realizes the video has been leaked or that I’ve seen it.

” She puts on a fake smile. Her eyes betray her and hold on to the sadness she’s desperate to hide.

“I think you coming in will only make his defenses go up quicker. Make the whole thing more tense.”

I hate that she has a point. I want to go in not because she needs protecting, but so she knows that she is not alone. I don’t want to make this harder for her, so I pull into the driveway and leave the car running.

“Give me Mia. I’ll hold on to her until you get back.”

She looks more nervous now than she has during the drive here. “I’ll leave the car running so we can make a quick exit if things go sideways.”

I watch her chest move in and out at a rapid pace. “I’ll always help you hide the bodies.”

The silence is louder than my chuckle of nervous laughter.

Her large eyes grow soft, “You’re so stupid.”

She hands me Mia before her shaky hands pick up the box of Dalton’s things.

“I’ll only be a second.”

Without waiting for an answer, she walks up the stone pathway to the front door and struts right through.

I don’t know if it’s shock or because she is just that much of a badass, Lola doesn’t project anything but confidence.

Perception is reality, and there is no other way to perceive Lola right now than the strong, brave woman she is.

Not even ten minutes later, she walks out of the house with Dalton on her heels. Her face is now showing more of the emotion she was trying to keep tucked away.

It always amazes me how my absentee father and her overbearing parents have done the same damage to us. It gave us the unmatched gift of hiding our emotions.

Mia stirs on my lap before yipping at the strange man standing on the other side of my car door.

“Lola, it’s not what it looked like,” Dalton pleads.

“So, you didn’t film a sex tape while we were together?”

The stupid fucker.

Without so much of a second thought, he says, “Well, I didn’t know she was filming it.”

He’s kidding right?

“You really are that dumb? It doesn’t matter who filmed it. You made the decision to cheat on me, so I’m making the decision to dump you.”

Dalton’s eye starts twitching. His hands are in fists at his side. He looks like he is about to lose it. He’s never been a fan of people who put him in his place.

Mia lowers her head and grits her teeth. A low growl I’ve never heard before grab’s Dalton’s attention and he officially blows his lid when he notices that I’m in the driver’s seat of Lola’s car.

His eyes become slits, and a devilish grin peaks through. “You really think I’m dumb enough to believe that you two haven’t been hooking up all semester.”

“Can’t say we have Dalton,” she punches out his name, grabbing his full attention. “But thanks for making it perfectly clear that I’m the idiot for choosing you over him. It’s fair to say I’ll never make that mistake again.”

With a stunned motionless Dalton, Lola gets back into the passenger seat.

I see the mischievous gleam in her eyes, “What are you about to do?” I ask her as I look back, making sure I’m okay back out of the driveway.

By the time she is able to get her window down, Dalton and all of his roommates stand in their driveway.

“Maybe if you spend more time watching this kind of film you’ll learn to bone as well as you play hockey.”

Fury takes over Dalton’s face, it turns a shade of red I’ve never seen before, as his roommates try to hold in their laughter.

“Damn, Pips, I didn’t know you could be so ruthless.”

“Don’t act like this isn’t the best day of your life.”

She’s right. This is going to be the best day of my life, not because I just got to watch her tell off that asshole, but because I finally have the chance to make things right between us.