Private (Private 1)

what’ll happen to me.”

“Listen. There’s . . . one more thing. I know I have no right to ask A tear spilled over and before I knew it, he was crying. Crying in this, but I’m hoping . . . I’m hoping you’ll still have brunch with us earnest. He leaned toward me and I found myself reaching out to tomorrow,” he said. “My parents are expecting to meet you and I him. Holding him. Letting him sob against my shoulder. How could know they’ll love you.”

I have ever thought I could turn my back on him? He needed help.

He was right. He didn’t have any right to be asking me this. But he

“I’m so sorry, Reed. I swear I’d never hurt you,” Thomas said.

was so sincere. So troubled and sad and penitent. He was laying his

“Please. You’ve got to believe me.”

heart out on the line for me and I didn’t have it in me to crush him.

He looked up at me, his gorgeous eyes rimmed in red. He seemed

Not even with Noelle’s voice ringing in my ears. Telling me that so helpless. So scared that I wouldn’t forgive him, that in that if I ever spoke to him again . . .

moment I was ashamed. Ashamed for being so disloyal. The way he’d

“Okay,” I said, my throat dry. “I’ll be there.”

acted toward me—it was an accident. A mistake. Everyone made

Thomas’s whole body relaxed. His grateful smile touched my

mistakes. And besides, he loved me. I knew he did. I was all he had.

heart and I knew right then that I would do anything for him. I did

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love him. Nothing that had happened had changed that. I was in for whatever was coming. The thought both excited and petrified me.

“Thank you,” he said, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. I

closed my eyes and fought the urge to cry. He kissed me again, on the lips this time, then slipped out.

WALK OF SHAME

When I stepped out the back door of Bradwell alone fifteen minutes later, I was both emotionally and physically exhausted as well as completely unprepared for the sight that met me. A huge crowd of students had formed around Billings and the throng grew with each passing second. What had happened now? My blood pressure raced

as I joined the confusion. I quickly found Constance, Diana, and Missy in the crowd.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Hey, are you all right?” Constance asked me pointedly.

It took me a second to realize she was talking about Thomas’s

visit. Two seconds of intrigue and I’d forgotten all about him.

“Yeah. I’m fine,” I said. “What’s up?”

“They’re throwing her out. That girl from Billings,” Constance