"You okay, darlin'?"
I sigh, my heart hurting—but not as badly as I thought it would. Maybe the three weeks Cam disappeared from my life helped lessen the blow.
"I'm fine."
"What happened?" he asks.
"I told him I wanted a break and it just went all kinds of wrong."
"Was he a dick to you?" he asks, stopping us from walking.
I look up at him, lifting a brow. "What do you think?"
"I'm sorry, Livvy," he says, then kisses my forehead.
I take another deep breath, letting out the hurt and hate and pain.
"Thanks, but I've been through worse. I've survived a near-death experience, the death of my best friends—I can surely survive Cameron," I tell him, though the hurt in my heart isn't going to make it easy.
"You can survive Alison, too. You're one tough cookie," Bash assures me.
"Only because I have to be."
And just once, I wish I didn't have to be.
six
The next day is Saturdayand it's too quiet. I'm bored. Lex never came home last night. I'm sure she hooked up with her secret football player. Eventually I'm going to figure out who he is. No word from Bash either.
I sigh. What to do, what to do.
I look out the window. The sun is shining brightly and it's supposed to be a bit warmer today. As much as I dislike exercise, I'm going to take a walk.
After lacing up my Chucks and putting on my coat, I tuck my hat and gloves into my pockets just in case, and head out the door. I'll explore the other parts of campus I haven't had a chance to get to—or haven't been bored enough to get to.
I wander over in the poly-sci area, biology, history. Nothing too interesting. It's rather boring, really. I sit on a bench that overlooks a small creek and try to make sense of my life.
I have to admit, I'd been pretty damn blessed—up until graduation night. And now I thought I'd turned tragedy around and found something promising. What a joke. I should have realized that Cameron Stone, my childhood and teenage bully, would always be just that—a bully. I mean, if he could be so disrespectful back then, I don't know why I thought he would respect me now.
He said he loved me. I'm not sure that's true either. I honestly don't think Cameron knows how to love. That makesmewonder… do I know how to love? I didn't really love Danny—not an all-encompassing love, and since breaking up with Cam hasn't turned me into a blubbering mess, I don't think I had that with him either. I thought I did, but it was probably just the lust—the first guy I had super passionate, toe-curling sex with.
It's easy enough to confuse mind-blowing orgasms with sex, I suppose.
I sigh again.
And then I smell it. That sweet, headache-inducing perfume drifting in the breeze, getting stronger, and I know psycho Alison is close and coming for me.
I look heavenward toward my friends and Him and wonder:Haven't I had enough?
A cloud drifts in front of the sun, blocking the warmth, and that's when she sits down next to me. A shiver runs down my spine. Alison is pure evil.
"All alone out here?" she asks, her tone mocking.
"You're sitting on my invisible friend," I snark.
"I wouldn't doubt it. Seems like the only kind you'll be able to get now that Cam dumped you," she replies with a grin.
I just roll my eyes and she narrows hers.
