Revelation (Private 8)

mine.

Anything they could do. Like what? Plead my case to Noelle for me? Tie her down and make her

listen? Build me a time machine so I could go back to the Legacy an

d not hook up with Dash?

"Help me pack?" I suggested with a sad smile.

Sabine and Constance looked at each other and seemed to come to a grim agreement. Constance

turned toward the closet and Sabine got up to help her take the sweaters off the top shelf.

"God, I hate Noelle," Sabine said. "Someone should really give her a nice kick in the--"

At that moment the door to our room swung open and Noelle strode in. Sabine's mouth snapped

shut and we all froze. Had she heard what Sabine had been saying? If so, she showed no sign. Her

attention was focused on me.

"I want all your Billings things back," she said, her arms crossed over her chest.

I blinked. "Billings things? What Billings things?"

Noelle rolled her eyes. "The Chloe bag, to start. And any other gifts the alumni stashed inside of it.

What did they give you? Cash? A credit

20

card? Whatever it is, I'll take it now." She held out a hand and flicked her fingers, like I was just

going to drop it all in her palm.

This was a test. I could feel it. Noelle was trying to see just how far she could push me. I knew from

experience that I had to push right back.

"No," I said, lifting my chin defiantly.

"Excuse me?" Noelle replied, her eyes narrowing.

"No. I'm not giving you the bag or anything else," I told her. I couldn't give in to her. Couldn't show

weakness. Not if I ever hoped to win back her respect. "Those gifts were given to me. They're

mine."

"They were gifts given to you when you were president of Billings," Noelle said, taking a menacing

step toward me. "You no longer live here. You have no right to--"

"Sorry, but I think I have every right to keep the things that were given to me as gifts," I said, trying

to be blithe even as my heart pounded in my temples. "They didn't come with a disclaimer."

To punctuate my point, I picked up the gorgeous leather Chloe bag and dumped it into Astrid's