I’d never seen such a lavish dorm. Though the spawn of the elite probably didn’t sleep in standard dorms.
I never saw myself as part of the elite. Nor would anyone else.
Maybe that was because I never had money growing up. It was my mother’s husband, who she didn’t become involved with until I was older, who paid for everything now.
Also, most people didn’t even know I existed. I was the secret she kept hidden. The one who threatened to expose her past.
The beds sat on opposite sides of the room, nestled into cherrywood alcoves beneath sculpted archways. Each alcove had its own window and chandelier above the bed. Maroon curtains draped in front of the alcoves, the option to draw them across the opening for privacy, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves framed each side.
The room also had two long desks, two dressers, a vanity, and a private bathroom.
It didn’t take long to figure out which side belonged to Daphne. Except for the pile of clothes dumped on my bed, my side was empty.
The space felt just as dark as the rest of the university.
But there was a sense of comfort, like I could bemehere.
Could lose myself in books and my studies in that alcove.
“I swear, I’m not a bitch,” Daphne blurted.
Her upbeat voice made me flinch, and I looked toward her.
“Arisono’s late-night dorm visits usually mean someone’s about to get expelled.” She grabbed the bundle of sage and blew it out. “I was a tad freaked because my mom would literally kill me if I got kicked out. I’m already on Arisono’s shit list.”
She tossed the sage in an ashtray and padded across the room. “She could’ve at least given me a heads-up that I was getting a new roommate. I would’ve taken my things off your bed.”
I shuffled aside as she swept the clothes off my bed and dumped them into a basket.
“And excuse the mess,” she rambled. “I’ve had the room to myself since Clarissa fell out of that stupid window.”
My gaze moved from the window to the bed. “She fell out of the window?”
Daphne dropped the basket on the Persian rug, kicking it away with her slipper, and muttered, “Technically, yes.”
“How does onetechnicallyfall out of a window?” I tossed my suitcase onto the bed, hopingIwasn’t the one coming off like a bitch.
I clutched my stomach; the thought of sleeping in a dead girl’s bed sounded as appealing as being burned alive. That new piece of information just made this place even creepier.
“Ugh, blame it on Enzo’s crazy ass.” She collapsed onto her bed and hung upside down while digging through a drawer beneath it. When she resurfaced, she held a bottle of tequila. She released a breath while untwisting the cap and took a long swallow without even flinching.
I dragged my fingers through the wet knots in my hair. “Who’s Enzo?”
“He’s …” She frowned, searching for the right word. Failing to find one, she took another drink. “Just to let you know, I didn’t push Clarissa. I’m a great roommate.” She pointed the bottle at me. “I was voted Best Roommate at my boarding school.” A proud smile hit her lips. “You’re in good hands.”
Her need to clarify that didn’t calm me.
If anything, it did the opposite.
She took another swig, capped the bottle, and shoved it back inside the drawer. “The sheets are new, and we checked the mattress for blood. You’re all good!” Sitting upright on her bed, she fluffed her pillow and made herself comfortable. “What year are you?”
“Senior,” I replied. “You?”
“Sophomore.”
I’d never shared a room with someone in a different year before.
But right now, that was the least of my worries.
