So Wrong (Heart of Hope 3)

“See, I told you it was her.” Corrine gave him a light punch.

“She has a daughter?” Matt’s expression was incredulous.

“Yep.”

“I guess she’s taking Maisie for the weekend. Did you stay so long to soothe Dylan’s soul?” Corrine waggled her brows suggestively. I guess I did, but I wasn’t going to admit I gave myself to him only to have him get away from me as fast as possible.

“He owed me money.” I said.

“So what is she like?” Matt asked.

“Maisie?”

“No, Veronica.”

“She’s not your type,” Corrine said.

“She’s all right, I guess. She’s married again.” After I said it, I wondered if I shouldn’t have. Was it a secret? “I’m heading back to my room.”

“You okay?” Corrine asked.

“Yeah. Just tired. And I need to check in with my parents. I haven’t spoken to them this week.”

Corrine seemed to accept that. I just shut my door behind me when mortification at what I’d done with Dylan hit, and then I cried. Planting myself face first on my bed, I wept. I wanted to hate him or at least be mad, but it was my own fault. He’d told me he wasn’t interested in relationships. He tried to stop me from throwing myself at him. The only person I could be upset with was me. How would I face him again?

Eventually I fell asleep, but in my dreams, Dylan was there, looking so sexy but out of reach. I was a fool to think he’d be interested in me.

I woke feeling completely drained. The house was quiet as it was still early. I headed to the kitchen to make coffee, glancing out the window as I filled the carafe with water. Dylan’s curtain was closed. He normally had it open by this time. Was he sleeping in now that Maisie was away? Did he know that I liked to look over to catch a glimpse of him and wanted to make sure I couldn’t? Humiliation flooded me again.

I finished making coffee and sat staring off into space as I tried to figure out what I’d do over the weekend and how I’d ever face Dylan again.

“You’re up early,” Corrine said entering the kitchen.

“So are you.”

“Matt’s gotta get going, so …” She gave me a sheepish smile as she went to get coffee.

“So, you and Matt?” I said, trying to be happy that at least one person had a love life.

“Maybe. So far so good, anyway.” She sat at the table with me. “He’s showering and then heading out.”

“Where’s Allison?”

“She went home. Her grandma is sick or something. You want to do something today?”

“Sure.” Anything to take my mind off my disastrous eve

ning with Dylan.

After coffee, I showered and dressed. Corrine and I decided to go to the mall to shop. Since we were planning to go out that night, we wanted to buy new outfits. It was money I shouldn’t spend, and yet since I probably wouldn’t be able to afford my last year of grad school, I decided to live it up a little. Retail therapy.

I found a dark green dress that was more revealing than I normally wore, but feeling like it was time to move on from Dylan, I decided to buy it.

“Ooh la la,” Corrine said when I exited the dressing room to show her. “You look hot, Tessa. The guys are going to be all over you.”

I swallowed the nerves at that idea. After all, that’s what I needed. It was time I stopped pining for Dylan and opened myself to the idea of meeting another guy.

We had a late lunch, and then headed home to get ready for the club that night. I worked to push Dylan out of my mind as I put on the sexy dress and did my hair and makeup. But it was no use. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I wondered if he’d like what he saw. Would he see a woman or a love-sick coed?