Leni: Take a break from studying tomorrow and meet me for ice cream?
It doesn’t take her long to reply.
Willow: Damn, girl. Who broke your heart?
Leni: I’m allowed to enjoy a treat every now and then.
Willow: Meet you at one?
Leni: Make it ten?
Willow: Done.
Tossing my phone to the side, I flop back on my bed, covering my face with my pillow, my high from earlier completely dissipated.
I am enough just as I am. I am unstoppable in pursuing my goals. I am strong and capable of handling whatever comes my way.
“What’s gotyou so flustered you’re forgoing your clean eating?” Willow teases as she drops into the seat across from me.
I pull a face and spoon another bite of vanilla swirl into my mouth.
“That bad?” she asks with a raised brow.
“Mr Green messaged me last night.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s bad? I thought you two had a thing going on.”
I huff out a sigh. “Key word beinghad.”
“Okay,” Willow draws out the word, picking up another spoon and digging into my dessert. “I’m going to need details, because I’m confused.”
My stomach churns, and I swallow down the bile rising in the back of my throat. “I’m done letting men come in and out of my life as they please. I’m sick of feeling like I’m not enough.”
She shoots me a sympathetic look, and I blink back my tears.
“It’s fine,” I say, forcing a smile. “I’m not going to let him stand me up for two months straight and then go running when he decides to show up again.”
“Oh, Len.” Willow reaches over and grips my hand in hers. “Forget about him. He’s not worth your time. It won’t be long until you meet someone worthy of you…” Her voice trails off, her brow narrowing.
I glance over my shoulder to see Theo Walters sitting at the counter staring over at us.
He smirks when he catches my eye, giving me what I’m sure he thinks is a flirty head nod.
My stomach turns, knowing exactly what he’s thinking. The worst thing about being stuck here in Beckford is that no matter how hard I tried to reinvent myself after high school, my past will always haunt me.
Willow emits a soft growl. “Ignore Theo. He’s an arsehole. Getting back to my point, there are plenty of decent guys around campus. We just need to find you one.”
I turn back to her. I’m grateful she’s trying to make me feel better, but she doesn’t understand why boys our age don’t interest me, or how deep my abandonment issues really go.
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t need a man to make me happy.”
A total lie, but I’m not about to confess how fucked up I really am.
“Oh, shit,” she mutters, the spoon paused halfway to her mouth, her eyes locked in Theo’s direction.
“What?” I glance over my shoulder again, then immediately wish I hadn’t.
My heart skips a beat when I lock eyes with Dylan Rourke, the one person I hoped I’d never see again. The one guy I tried to give my heart to, but he shattered it topieces. He’s the reason I don’t trust any boys our age—they’ll throw you under the bus at a moment’s notice.
