“Five hundred.”
“Damn,” I snort.
“But anyway, you really can’t outdo that. What should you do next?”
“How about you calm down?” Lila offers. “I mean, after youcome back from the camp, we’ll have three weeks left of the first semester. Why not leave it until post-graduation?”
“Because I won’t be seeing him after that. Not if I can help it, at least. I want to do something grand to make him remember me for life. I want him to look at himself in the mirror and see me whenever he sees that damned reflection of his.”
“So, you want something permanent?"
“Absolutely.”
“I have an idea,” Grace grins.
“Oh, please don’t offer your input, I’m begging you! Where’s Avalon when you need her?” Lila groans, exasperated. “You know what? I want no part of this. I’m out. Bye!”
She finishes her coffee and slams the mug on the counter, then glares at both Grace and I for a moment. When she realizes we’re not kidding, she rolls her eyes, and leaves the dorm, closing the door behind her.
Grace turns to me. “How far are you willing to go?”
“As far as possible.”
“Alright, then… you’ll be there till Sunday, right?”
I nod. “Yes, and hopefully Colton doesn’t extend it. Why?”
“I don’t have any plans for Saturday. I’ll sneak inside and bring you everything you need.”
I frown. “It’ll be hard to execute my revenge without Soren present, though.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.”
“Fine, what did you have in mind?”
“Listen carefully…”
TEN
Colton called for one of the school’s drivers to come pick me up, and drop me off at the campsite. It’s made all out of wood, with a gorgeous view of the lake. It’s late, and even despite the darkness, I can see this place is so well-maintained and deeply cared for.
It’s just past ten in the evening, and the ride here lasted approximately an hour. The driver was very chatty, so I barely noticed how much time passed since we left the campus. Getting out of that place feels great, even though I’ll be spending the next couple of days just cleaning and barely resting. At least, I’ll get some exercise done I suppose.
I glance down at the key I got from Colton, and it has a keychain with the cabin number on it. It’s the cabin twelve — which is a great coincidence. I always spent summers in that cabin. Sometimes, Grace would join me, then we’d be roommates, but more often than not, I was all alone. She doesn’t like this place, and she always dreaded the summers when her parents would send her here.
With a deep breath, I fix the duffel bag so it sits nicely on my shoulder, feeling the weight of it pulling me to the side. It’s heavy, and given that I have no idea what tasks I’ll be doing exactly, I had to bring a lot of different things.
I push the key into the hole, then a frown etches on my face. No matter how much I turn the key, it won’t unlock. It means another key is inside the keyhole from the inside. I didn’t expect to be greeted so late.
My hand pushes down on the doorknob, and I’m surprised to find it unlocked. The door opens, and I take a single step inside when my entire life flashes before my eyes.
“Hey there, roommate.”
Soren is standing, leaning against the wall right across from me, next to the window. The cabin’s poorly lit, with only a couple of lights on the walls providing light. He’s holding a glass of whiskey, sipping on it, and looking at me like he’s just witnessed something hilarious.
The duffel bag falls off my shoulder, landing on the floor of the threshold with a loud thud. Slowly, I take a small step back, my eyes never leaving Soren’s.
“Oh, hell no!” I shout.
