Alexis. Alexis didn’t just have ahandin the forum. She’s the one whostartedit.
Of course she did. The more I think about it, the less shocked I am. Sure, the entire female student body has had it out for me since I began hanging around Wes, but no one wants to ruin my life as much as my ex-friend.
I stay stock-still as the girls leave the bathroom, their voices drifting away. Paranoid they’ll return, I wait a full minute before pushing free of the stall, wobbly on my feet as I wash my hands.
The idea of going back out there, of facing Wes’s parents after eavesdropping on an exchange like that, makes me queasy, but I guess I don’t have much of a choice. Taking a deep breath, I pinch some color back into my cheeks, fluff out my hair, and smooth down my dress. I head back into the dining room, keeping my eyes trained straight ahead as I walk back to the table.
I do my best to keep my spirits up throughout the rest of the meal, but I know Wes can tell something’s off. My strained smiles and anxious fidgeting don’t go unnoticed by him, thoughI do a pretty stellar job of fooling his parents. The moment we step outside the restaurant, they pull me in for another round of hugs, and I force myself to appear relaxed.
“Thank you so much for coming to dinner with us, Ivy,” Alice says, looking between Wes and me with a huge smile on her face. “We’re so happy we got to meet you.”
I return the sentiment, thanking her adamantly for the meal.
“Any fun plans after this?" asks Jim. "It’s still early yet for you two, I’m sure.”
“We’re going to go see a friend’s band,” Wes tells them. “Do you guys want to come?”
Alice laughs, waving him off. “Oh, no, no. We’re too tired for any college bars. You two enjoy your night.”
We wave goodbye as they turn away, walking back the way they came. The moment they’re out of earshot, Wes turns to me with a frown. “What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing,” I’m quick to assure, the lie tripping up the word. I feel awful for making him worry about me when he should be focused on his parents’ visit. “Everything’s fine.”
Wes looks unconvinced. “Ivy.”
“Wes.” He shakes his head at me, his eyes studying my face, but I change the subject to something that actually matters. “Your parents are nice.”
He hesitates, clearly wanting to press me, but must decide against it. “I think they really liked you,” he says, taking my hand and squeezing it lightly. He gives me a soft smile. “Thank you for coming.”
I attempt an answering grin, but my cheeks tighten up, and it falters. “Thanks for inviting me.”
His smile falls. “Ivy,” he says again, and his eyes roam my face as though trying to decipher my thoughts. “What’s going on? You know I can tell when you’re upset, right? You’re not very good at hiding it.”
“I’m excellent at hiding it,” I retort, pulling my hand out of his grasp.
He shakes his head, looking slightly amused. “You’re not, but it’s cute that you think that.”
I roll my eyes at him and sigh, letting my shoulders droop. Clearly, he’s going to keep asking me what’s wrong until he gets an answer. “Fine. If you must know…” I hesitate, trying to figure out how best to phrase what I overheard. Wes waits patiently for me to continue. “Some girls in the bathroom were talking about you.”
His eyebrows shoot up like that’s the last thing he expected me to say. “Aboutme?”
“And me.”
His eyes harden at this information, and his jaw ticks. “What exactly were they saying?”
I shrug, not wanting to get into all the specifics. “Just…mean stuff. They were friends with Alexis.”
"The girl who attacked you?”
I nod. “They said she’s the one who made the forum.”
He stills, immobile except for the muscle twitching in his cheek. When he speaks, his voice holds an unfamiliar edge. “What’s her last name again?”
I shake my head. The last thing I need is for him to seek her out and give her a chance to spin her side of the story. She’ll spew her lies all over him. She’ll ruin the little peace I’ve managed to find at college, and he’ll see me differently because of something that’s not even true. “It doesn’t matter. You got it taken down.”
“Ivy.”
“Wes.”
