CHAPTER 14
Amy
Tristan is too goddamn charming for me to resist.
The sun glints off the leaves, casting dappled shadows as I walk along the concrete walkway. The warm breeze brushes against my skin, but it does nothing to calm my racing thoughts.
What would Elizabeth do? She was charmed by Wickham, yes, but never enough to really fall for him. When he started courting Mary King, she was happy for him. She wasn’t heartbroken at all.
How will I feel if Tristan doesn’t pick me at the end of the game, if his plan really is to pull the rug from under my feet?
He won’t get the chance to do it, because I’ll have already gotten my revenge. He’ll probably let me know his whole plan right after I send my text saying he was boring in bed. He’ll tell me the whole ugly truth, how he never wanted me at all.
And it'll wreck me.
But I’ll get over it. A romantic nerd like me who’s spent countless hours writing about intense, passionate love is bound to get hurt by a fantasy. Whoever Tristan is pretending to beright now is like a Mr. Darcy come to life. Rich, handsome, and utterly adoring. Not just adoring, but actively making amends for his previous poor treatment by making me feel like a queen.
The fact that I can’t resist him even knowing what he’s up to shows just how soft my heart has become after years of hiding myself away. Harper’s rejection made me overly cautious. I haven’t pursued friendships or romantic relationships. I even chose my first boyfriend, Derek, out of certainty that he couldn’t hurt me. My tepid feelings for him were his greatest asset.
That’s no way to live. I’ve been a coward.
Even my revenge plan is cowardly, if I’m being completely honest with myself. A mature woman would withdraw from the game and admit, at least to herself, that she’s hurt for being used. For being toyed with.
I don’t think I could do it. The thought alone makes my skin crawl with uncomfortable heat.
“Hey, Amy!” a familiar voice calls out, snapping me out of my head.
When I look up, Nick is heading toward me with a warm smile on his face. His wavy hair is tousled by the wind, and it brings me back to the days when he was a rowdy little kid who took pleasure in annoying me and Harper. Warmth fills my chest.
I smile at him, and he must see the pleasure on my face, because his eyes brighten. “Can I buy you a coffee? I want to hear about how you beat Tristan’s ass after what he pulled at the party.”
I giggle. “I didn’t beat his ass. It wouldn’t work very well with my seduction plan.”
He shakes his head as we start walking in the direction of the nearest campus coffee shop. I find myself unable to keep my curiosity at bay.
“Listen,” I begin, biting my lip as I glance at him. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. About Tristan.”
Nick frowns, but his expression remains as open as ever. He never was one for secrets growing up. “What about him?”
“Why did you offer to help me? You mentioned something about not wanting him to interfere in people’s lives anymore. What happened between you two?”
For a moment, Nick stays silent, his gaze focused on the path ahead. His expression grows tense. “Tristan told me Serena was only dating me to get closer to him. I broke up with her because of it.”
My mouth falls open. Knowing Serena like I do, it couldn’t be further from the truth.
“What a megalomaniac,” I mutter.
Nick laughs humorlessly. “Yes, he is. Now that I’ve seen Serena with him on their dates, I know there’s no fucking way she ever had a thing for him. She’s clearly not into him.”
“No, she isn’t,” I say firmly. “I’ve gotten to know her since the game started, and I can tell you with one-hundred percent certainty that she’s not into Tristan. She’s in it for the fun of it. She knew he’d never pick her after she dated you, but she loves going on fancy dates.”
Nick’s jaw clenches. “He thinks she was just using me. Probably because most girls we know are into him. I think it annoyed him that she liked me more.”
“Or maybe he was jealous. Maybe he wanted you all to himself. I think that may have been part of what happened with Harper. He put a wedge between us.”
Nick’s head jerks in my direction. “You think Tristan told Harper to end your friendship?”
I nod. “I think she wanted it too, but he probably encouraged her to stay away from me.”
