Dirty Revenge (Hawthorne Holy Trinity 3)

Dana wraps an arm around my shoulders. “No, you’re not. This wasn’t really your fault, you know. I mean, you did dare her, but it was her choice to jump off of the balcony.”

I nod slowly. “I know, and what you’re saying is true, to a point.”

Dana frowns at me. “What do you mean, to a point?”

I sigh and look down into my mug. “If I hadn’t been so hell bent to show you how different I am now, how rich and all-powerful, then it never would have happened. She wouldn’t have jumped if I hadn’t already been paying everyone to do crazy things.”

“I know, but that was her choice. You and I both told her not to, and she did it anyway. She did this to herself.”

Dana reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You aren’t any different now, Teddy. You’re still the same sweet, sassy, smart, big-hearted girl you’ve always been. You just have a lot of money now. It’s still you, though.”

I nod slowly as her words sift through the chaotic thoughts jumbled all through my mind. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“You guess so? You should know so,” she tells me seriously.

“I know so,” I say after a long moment. Then I look at her. “You’re right. I’m still Teddy Price from the foster care system in New York, and the new name and the mountain of money doesn’t make me a new person.”

“That’s my girl,” Dana tells me encouragingly.

“Thank you, Dana. I am so lucky that you are my best friend.” I hug her back, and we watch in silence as the sun comes up over the Mediterranean Sea.

It’s an odd silence.

I try not to think too much about the girl, but I can’t help it.

This, this is what they warn you about.

I glance back through the window towards the sleeping figures of Blair and Wills on the other side. Everything I’ve gone through to be with them, to be near them, I nearly threw it all away.

It makes me wonder what else I’ve thrown away that I should have fought to keep.

Or fought to forgive.

Chapter 17

I return from break with a shadow hanging over me.

Both Wills and Blair notice, but I can’t bring myself to tell them what it is. I don’t even know for sure myself.

I just know that I’ve made a horrible mistake, and I don’t know if there’s any way to make it right.

I’m sitting in the dorm room working on a paper about a week after we get back when Dana comes in looking more excited than I’ve seen her in a long time.

“What is it?” I ask. “What’s got you glowing like that?”

She hands me a big envelope. “This is for you, and if it’s what I think it is, we’re both going to lose our minds!”

I look at her curiously and take the big envelope from her. I turn it over in my hands while she bounces on her tip toes, and I see that the return address is New York University.

My heart starts to pound in my chest, and I shake my head.

“I can’t open it. You open it,” I push it back toward her, but she refuses.

“No. Go on! Do it!” She clasps her hands tightly under her chin and I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

“Okay. I’ll do it.” Opening my eyes again, I rip the flap up on the envelope and reach inside. I feel like I might pass out as I pull out the contents, but before I can do that, my eyes fall on the letter paper clipped to the top.

“Dear Ms. White, we are pleased to notify you that you have been accepted at New York University!” I scream and start jumping up and down, as does Dana, and we grab each other in a huge hug as tears stream down my cheeks.