“What?” She blinks at me.
“You heard me. It’s time to go. And please don’t ever show your face here again. You and I are done.”
“Who do you think you are speaking to me that way?” she demands.
“Well, I’m certainly not your daughter,” I answer bitterly. “Because it’s obvious the only trait we share is DNA.”
“I don’t need you,” she threatens as she heads for the door. “There are other ways to find out, you know.”
“Just leave me alone,” I tell her. “Leave me alone and don’t ever come back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
STELLA
“DOyou want to hang out tonight?” Sybil tosses a gummy bear into her mouth and then does a ballet trick in the middle of the quad.
“What about Micah?” I ask. “I was beginning to think you two were permanently attached at the hip.”
“Ha-ha.” She pokes her tongue out. “Micah has a thing with his parents this weekend. I want to party.”
“As appealing as that sounds, I think I’ll have to pass,” I say.
“C’mon,” she begs. “We haven’t done something fun in ages.”
“Something fun is an entirely different concept than sneaking into the boys’ dorms to get drunk on cheap liquor while they try to molest you.”
“Ugh, when you say it like that, it does sound lame,” she agrees. “What about your secret lover? Why aren’t you over at his place getting your jollies off?”
“He’s busy.” I deflect the question and check my phone for the hundredth time. Sebastian read my texts over two hours ago, and he still hasn’t bothered to reply. I’m trying not to overthink it, but the same thought keeps playing on repeat in my head.
He’s abandoning you, just like everyone else.
“What is he busy doing exactly?” Sybil pries. “Or should I say who?”
I flinch at her question, shaking my head on autopilot. “He isn’t sleeping with anyone else.”
“How do you know that for sure?” she presses.
“Why would you say that?” I narrow my eyes in her direction, and Sybil flops back onto the grass with a dramatic sigh.
“Ugh, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s just that men are dogs, and you can’t trust them.”
“Did Micah do something?” I ask.
“He told me he was going home for the weekend.” She squints up at the stars. “But I saw him sneaking off campus with Bethany Lind.”
“No way.” My lips pinch together. “Why would he do that to you?”
“Because that’s what guys do, Stella,” she answers as though it should be obvious. “Look at our parents. Your mom was having an affair with Luis. Who knows what your dad was doing. And I’m pretty sure my dad’s banging his secretary. So, if you ever wonder what Mr. Carter is doing on the weekends when he’s not with you, I’m just saying, don’t be surprised if you catch him dogging around too.”
Her words cut right through the last thread of my sanity as I check my phone again and type out yet another message. I’m aware that I’m starting to sound needy, but that’s because I am. Sebastian should know this by now.
“He isn’t texting you back, is he?” Sybil asks quietly.
“What?”
“You’ve been staring at that stupid phone all night. If you want to know what he’s up to, then let’s just go see.”