Astrid swallows, and tears stream down her cheeks, falling onto her lap. She takes in a deep breath, her eyes glossy. “I’m sorry, Soren. I wasn’t thinking about how this would affect you. But you’re being a hypocrite — telling me to break things off with Sawyer while doing that with Sophia. So, maybe, on a subconscious level, I did do it to hurt you, too. Because you’re not being fair.”
“That’s your takeaway from all of this?” I scoff, disbelief in my voice. “Astrid, those two aren’t related in the slightest. You did something to hurt me, knowing how terribly it would’ve ended up for both Sophia and me. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Your sorry doesn’t mean shit,” I spit out, hands curling around the armrest of the chair, squeezing it tightly. “You’re not a prepubescent kid who doesn’t know what she was doing. You somehow got those images, saw them, and sent them everywhere. You knew damn well what you were doing, so apologizing doesn’t mean a goddamn thing.”
“I know,” she whispers. “I didn’t think.”
“Do you ever?”
“I just wanted to hurt you and Sophia,” she admits, and somehow, it breaks my heart a lot more. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s truly being remorseful, or the fact that she’d go to such lengths to get back at me. “And I didn’t go about it the right way. I’m sorry.”
“Why do you hate Sophia so much? It can’t be because she didn’t want to be your friend. You’re not that dense, are you?”
“Because we got the same head-start in life,” Astrid looks at me, and I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at the pure hatred in hereyes. “Sure, the family rivalry has always been there, but we both got the best of the best — education, clothes, and all the advantages and privileges that come with being wealthy. But she just…”
I lift a brow. “She just what?”
“She has a group of friends that everyone either fears or likes. She has the confidence, and she knows she has all the life advantages. Sophia is perfect in every way, shape, and form. She’s what little girls want to be when they grow up. Pretty, fit, and smart enough to make people go silent when she starts speaking.”
“You’re jealous of Sophia.”
It’s not a question — it’s a statement. Astrid, realizing what she just admitted to, looks away in shame. She’s staring out the window yet again, her mouth clamping shut. Her body’s tense, and it finally sinks for me.
This isn’t anything new; this isn’t something Astrid did on a whim. She might not have had anything to do with my sex tape being leaked, but this little scene in the elevator with Sophia was something she’s been waiting for.
“Astrid,” I lower my voice, careful not to wake Nina up. “Did you start dating Sawyer just to spite Sophia, knowing she’d lose her shit?”
Astrid’s head snaps in my direction. “What? No! Sawyer… he’s such an amazing person, Soren. He’s wonderful, he’s kind, and he treats me like the rest of the world treats Sophia, like I’m royalty. Maybe, at first, it was a little about getting a reaction out of her, but that’s long gone. I love him, I really do.”
“What’s your plan, then?” I lean in, resting my elbows on my knees. “You fucked up, Astrid. Mom and Dad are encouraging you to press charges against Sophia, so how do you think that’ll end for your relationship with Sawyer? Unless, of course, the two families sit downand have a proper discussion about this.”
“I will press charges, the bitch beat the crap out of me,” she snaps. “But Sawyer… he understands. He’s taking my side.”
“For now,” I snort. “Knowing Sophia, she’ll tell him he’s dead to her and all that nonsense, but when all’s said and done, Sawyer will go back to his sister. The bond between those two is too strong to be broken by you, Astrid. I’m fucking angry with you beyond the point of repair, but you’ll lose everyone if you continue acting like this.”
“You mean, as Sophia acts?” She scoffs.
“It’s different.”
“How is it different, Soren?”
“It’s different because Sophia, no matter how much of a bitch she is, she does things for a reason. And spite isn’t one of them. She thinks ahead, considers all the consequences before springing into action. You just do shit for the sake of doing it. And I’m fucking done with you.”
Her whole demeanor changes when the words leave my mouth, and she pales a shade. “What? No, you can’t do that.”
“You fucked me over because of some petty jealousy, because of your own insecurity,” I bite out, knowing the words will hurt her. But hell, I’m fucking hurting, too. “And now, not only have you dragged our family’s name through mud for no fucking reason, but you’re also going into a law war with Sophia. She will fucking crush you, because unlike you, she actually has the guts to stick to her guns. And I won’t be sitting here, waiting for you to realize how utterly stupid this was.”
“You hate me now,” she whispers, crying yet again.
“I don’t hate you. I just don’t want anything to do with you until you grow out of that teenager mindset, Astrid. You’re twenty-two, for fuck’s sake. Act your goddamn age.”
“I’m sorry, Soren,” she cries out, burying her face in her hands,her body trembling while she tries to weep silently.
“You should be.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
