I watched as she returned her attention back to Jack and kissed him softly on the cheek. I clenched my hand into a fist, but before I could do anything, I heard Daniel’s voice behind me.
“Interesting change of events,” he said.
“It’s not her fault,” I said. “I am with Stella now. She has every right to be with anyone she wants.”
“Why are you with Stella again?” he asked. “When I heard you two were back together, I was shocked. After all, she did, Gale. Why?”
I didn’t reply. Even though Daniel was my closest friend, I couldn’t tell him what happened. I couldn’t tell him about the proof she held. It was too risky. No one could know about the secret.
“I heard your father is hosting a party to welcome her,” he said.
“Yes,” I sighed. “He doesn’t know the truth about what happened between me and Stella. No one does, except for you. And I would like to keep it like that.”
I continued looking at Hillary as she laughed at something Jack had said.
“I feel so guilty,” I finally said. “I betrayed her. I hurt her. I went with Stella even though I had-”
“Say what you want, Gale,” Daniel said. “But she is a gold digger. Think about it. When you were available, she went after you. But now that there is another card on the table, she is after him. She knows now that Stella is here, she has to shift gears. She doesn’t have a chance with you anymore.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “You are getting it all wrong. She isn’t like that.”
“Just think about it,” he said. “You thought she was sincere with you but look at her. How long has it been since Stella came back? Do you really think someone could move on so quickly? Mark my words, she is no different than other girls of her type. She was after your money, and now she sees a better prospect elsewhere. The moment she saw him, she lunged at him, disregarding you in an instant.”
“Let’s go elsewhere,” I said, and turned around to walk away, Daniel’s words echoing in my head.’
Could it be true? Was she just looking for money? Is that why she was with Jack so soon? The doubt had settled into my mind, and as much as I tried to fight it, it stayed.
Chapter 10
Nothing Hurts More
Hillary Beck
Ilooked around the party, making sure that my blue, silk dress had no wrinkles. It was a very fancy party thrown by Gale’s father in honor of Stella’s return. The only reason I was there was that Jack invited me. I thought back to when I first met Jack, how charming and handsome he had been. His dark brown eyes and dark hair complimented his chiseled face and his muscular body. He was kind and enchanting, and I had instantly thought him attractive. Of course, I had no plans of being with another man. Not after the hurt Gale had caused me. I had already been a plaything once; I didn’t plan on being used again.
It drove me crazy to see Stella and Gale together. She was always there, prancing around as if she was the mistress of everyone. Every time I saw them kiss, it broke my heart, and I felt betrayed and jealous. So when Jack had asked me out, I said yes, even though I had no plans of falling in love anytime soon. I needed Gale to see that I wasn’t some weak girl who depended on him. That if he kicked me out, I wouldn’t spend my time crying and whining after him.
I felt a bit guilty using Jack like that, but it was worth it to see the look of anger on Gale’s face. And when I did go out with him, I realized Jack was a nice, quiet guy. Unlike Gale, he was rather sweet and a bit shy. He was interested in me and asked me about my life and didn’t seem to be looking for more than friendship. I didn’t even realize when I started to like Jack. He became a good friend, even though I had a feeling he saw me as something more.
I looked up and saw Gale with his arms around Stella. They were dancing. Stella laughed about something he said. She looked gorgeous, dressed in a sparkling red dress with a slit that ran up her leg.
“Hillary,” I heard Jack’s voice. “You look absolutely beautiful.”
“Hi,” I said. “You look very nice yourself.”
He put his arm around me and said, “Care to dance?”
I looked around and saw Gale intertwined with Stella, and I said, “Sure!”
He offered me his hand. I took it, and he twirled me around. I laughed as he took me in his arms and dipped me down before pulling me up and twirling me again.
“Why are you doing that?” I asked.
“Because it’s liberating,” he said. “Look at all these posh people, dancing so formally. To them, it’s all about appearances and being sophisticated. They don’t know what it’s like to be free from these constraints.”
He held my hand as we continued to dance. “Isn’t this fun?” he asked in my ear.
“You are right,” I said. “This is so fun!”
