“No,” I tell Clover. Even though I feel guilty and awful, I still find it in me to bristle at her attitude. “I don’t think that’s a rule I plan on adhering to. But luckily, we were just about to head out, darling.”
The girls are quick to evacuate the bed and Tex leads the way, giving Clover a polite nod.
Clover yanks the beanie off Felicity’s head as she walks past her, and Julian lingers for just a moment before giving Clover a hug.
With a discontented sigh, Clover returns the embrace, her anger deflating just enough to indulge in this reunion. “You look good,” she whispers.
“Oh, I know,” he says. “Don’t be too hard on him. I’m the one who invited them all.”
“Yes, and I’m sure you also had them throw their bodies all over my bed.”
“Actually, he did,” I say, but am ignored.
Julian gives her a kiss on the cheek before joining the others, and the moment we are alone, Clover prickles like a porcupine.
“I swear to god, if I find any of their loose hairs on that bed, I will murder you in your sleep and I’ll wake you up halfway through so that the last thing you see is my face.”
“It’s my room too,” I remind her. “Considering I’m the one paying for it.”
Her shoulders slope. That was an asshole thing to say, but it’s true.
“Whatever,” I say, and begin to step past her.
“I’m picking up as many extra shifts as I can to cover next semester’s dorm fees, so you’ll have your life back before you know it.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to come up with a backup plan,” I tell her. “Maybe look into community college.”
“That’s none of your business,” she says bitterly.
“It is when you’re using me to game the system.”
She lifts her hand to her face and swipes it across her cheek.
Now I’ve made her cry.Fuck.
She turns her body away from me and it’s such a stark difference from her warming my lap just last week that I can’t believe these two instances can even coexist in the same universe.
“Get out.” When she doesn’t immediately hear me move, she says it again more loudly. “Get. Out.”
So, I do.
That night, after class, I go to the town house with Tex and Julian. I’m tempted to stay the night, but I guess I have to go back eventually, so I decide to get it over with.
I’m about to walk into our building when I get a text from Vanya inviting me to a party.
I stand in front of Haystack Hall and count to the fifth floor. I’m not sure which room is ours exactly, but every window in the right area is still lit up, and I think I can make out Clover’s fairy lights from here.
I should go upstairs so we can talk and at least come to some sort of truce.
But the invitation in my phone doesn’t come with any guilt or need for conversation, so I turn around and send up a flare to Tex and Julian.
The girl upstairs, waiting with her light still on, already has plenty of opinions about me. It’s easier to just let them be true.
CHAPTER 9
Clover
Sure enough, there is one single strand of auburn hair on my bed. Gross. At least it’s on Bennett’s side. I pick the hair up using a pair of tweezers and drop it intohistrash can.
