Lora wraps her arms around me the moment I walk into our place. Her embrace tightens around me, and she sobs like someone has died. I wish I could be a little enraged, but I can’t. That was yesterday.
“I’m so sorry, Anya. I really am.”
I close my eyes and give her a tight hug. My heart hurts for her, but I miss her. “Why don’t you just start explaining?”
“I will. I swear.” She lets me go. I notice her puffy face and nose. With her swollen eyes, she appears to have been crying all night. “But where were you?” She takes notice of my baggy outfit. “And what are you wearing? Are those men’s clothes?”
“It’s a long story.” I sigh. “But does this mean I didn’t lose you?”
“Come on, Anya! You’re my best friend. My only one.”
“Yes, but you will tell me everything you know.”
“Yes, of course.” She wipes her tears away with her fingers. “We’ve been calling and waiting all night.”
“Come.” I reach out and take her hand, leading her gently to the couch. I see that the house is also a mess. On the living room’s center table are empty bottles of beer, a shattered glass, and five cups of coffee. “Please don’t cry, If you cry, I’ll cry, and we both know we’re terrible at it.”
She laughs in between sobs. “We are.”
“So? What exactly is going on?”
“Remember when I told you Candice was engaged?”
“Yes. That’s what I’ve been wondering because if she is, what was she doing with Kristoff?”
“Okay, so, um... I have an aunt. Gwen. She is a friend of the Stevens.”
“And?”
“Particularly Kristoff’s mom,” she continues. “Aunt Gwen likes my sister so much. Candice lived in her house in Berlin, so they’re pretty close. Then, three years ago, Candice was introduced to Melissa, and she thought she’d—”
I grab Lora’s arm to stop her. I already know what she’ll say next. “Alright, that’s it.”
“I’m so sorry. I honestly had no idea.”
My heart just breaks. This is why she apologized yesterday.
“It’s him, isn’t he? Your sister’s fiance?”
She closes her eyes, and tears stream down her cheeks once more. “He’s the guy she’s supposed to meet on Christmas and New Year’s and the day after that.”
With a tender twitch in my chest, air escapes from my lungs. Suddenly, I’m shivering a lot. Kristoff didn’t show up because he was with me. This was also what America was talking about when we were at the party. He didn’t deny it and even admitted it, so how could I be so oblivious to it? I had faith in him.
Lora pulls me back against her, encircling me. I sob in her arms.
“That can’t be true. You must be joking.”
“I couldn’t do anything. She’s my sister, and she’s hurt. I’m truly sorry, Anya. Please believe me.”
“He could have simply told me...”
“Kristoff didn’t want her, Anya,” she laments. “That freaking jackass.”
I let her go and look at her face. “What do you mean?”
“Candice and Kristoff met before he went to Whitlock. They dated for nearly a year before she had to leave for Berlin to study music. Kristoff wanted her to come to Whitlock, so he was distraught when she left.”
“And you didn’t realize it?”
“She didn’t tell me anything about him, not even his name,” she asserts. “It was meant to be a surprise. She wanted me to meet him once they were officially engaged. But then he met you, so I wouldn’t really know.”
“Why didn’t he say anything? You’re identical to your sister!” I nearly yell.
“I know. It’s absurd to believe he’s aware of what’s happening, but he is. Candice told me everything.”
“So, is this it? Is this the real him? A liar?” I shake my head. “I don’t believe it.”
The Kristoff I know is more than just his good looks. We’ve helped each other out, done each other’s homework, and he’s taught me everything he knows about music. He rescued me from my solitude. And I gave myself to him. All of me.
“But it’s true,” she insists. “Now that I know that, I’m scared for Candice because, believe it or not, I think Kristoff wants you. It bothers me too. But she adores him. What should I do?”
“I’m sorry you’re in the middle of this.”
“But that’s not even the most serious issue. Yesterday, I was with Kristoff. We were searching for you everywhere. The filming was even forced to cancel.”
I lower my gaze to my lap. “I was somewhere where I could breathe. So, what’s the problem?”
“Kristoff received a call from America while we were waiting for you. Phillis collapsed last night. It happened in their Los Angeles home. Kristoff left early because they needed him there. Candice went with him.”
I close my eyes and take in all the aches. My spirit broke in two, and now it feels like it’s shattering into a million pieces. I feel bad for his father, though. How is he now?
“This is it, Lora, isn’t it? Kristoff’s no longer mine...”
“You should have come home. I knew I should side with my sister, but I’m on the side of the truth. Kristoff clearly loves you. Have you read any of our messages?”
“Will it make a difference?”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles.
“How come everyone I care about abandons me?”
Lora’s shoulders slump. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But you will eventually. That’s the way it is. Always.”
She looks at me in disbelief. “Anya, I don’t know what happened to you because you didn’t tell me everything about your personal life, but everyone is different.”
“But it is!”
“There will always be someone who will be there for you. You simply had to see that. You have Mr. Pitch, right? Hasn’t he been there for you since the first year?”
My breathing slows. I fix my gaze on Lora’s concerned expression. “Yes, except he seems so invisible. We’ll be cutting ties when I graduate.”
“But you haven’t asked him to meet, have you?”
I shake my head. “Because he won’t meet me.”
“You assumed he wouldn’t,” she asserts. “Mr. Pitch wants to remain anonymous, but this doesn’t imply that he’ll remain anonymous to everyone. He’s got to be someoneI slump back on the couch across from my best friend when I’ve completely cooled down. “Do you think I can convince him to meet with me?”
“Simply explain why you want to see him and maybe promise him you won’t tell anyone you saw his face.” She smiles warmly. “No one knows. Maybe you’d feel better after all this craziness.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes! There’s no harm in giving it a shot. It’s not like you’re going to lose your scholarship as a result of it.”
I agree. It’s not in the contract. “I’ll probably ask his assistant. I’ve never met Mr. Melnard, but he’s the only one with a picture in his email address profile. He appears to be quite young.”
She grins meaningfully. “How young?”
I finally laugh. “Oh, please.”
“But, hey.” She pats my leg. “Tell me where you were last night and why you’re dressed like a man. You’ll not get away without explaining.”
I look into her curious turquoise eyes. “You’d never believe it.”
“Tell me.”
“Nope.”
Her brows furrowed in suspicion. “Are you with someone? You and I both know how much you hate being alone. Also, I told you everything, so don’t be unfair.”
“Fine. But please don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t. So, you went out with some random guy last night, huh? That’s totally not like you.”
I roll my eyes. “Your imagination is incredible. I’m still me.”
“Last night might have been an exception.”
“I never had a one-night stand, Lors. I was with Professor Sebastian.”
“Oh. My. God. Really?” Her eyes widen, and she clasps her mouth shut.
“Yes.”
“You little witch! What happened?”
“We went to a bar. We drank some old-fashioned... and we talked... That’s all.”
“Julian Sebastian? Are you serious?” She cannot help but laugh. “That’s almost everyone’s fantasy. At such a young age, he’s already on his way to becoming a music legend. Well, did you sleep with him?”
“Oh, god, Lora! Are you really my friend? I didn’t have sex with the professor!” I hiss emphatically. “He’s really kind to me.”
“But isn’t that where it all starts?” She gives a sheepish grin. “What did you talk about with him?”
“Kristoff and a few other things.”
“Isn’t that boring?”
“He’s not boring. He’s intriguing, he’s... hypnotizing.”
“Uh-huh.” Her lips twitch amusingly. “Okay, so you stayed up all night at a bar just to talk about another man. Then what?”
I pause, trying to think of the right word to say. “No, we eventually left the bar. The next thing I knew, I was in his bedroom.”
His mouth forms the letter ‘O.’ “No way! How can I believe you that nothing happened?”
I explained to her how I ended up in his room and how my craziness led to me wearing his clothes.
“You were alone in a bedroom with a demigod, and nothing happened? You’re insane. Anya, I’d jump on him right away. You squandered a golden opportunity.”
“You sound ridiculous.”
“Because, well, why not? It’s not the first time a student has fucked her professor.”
I got chills from what she just said. Instantaneously, I picture Julian’s body looking absolutely luscious, wearing only a T-shirt. And I’ve always thought men looked sexier in sweatpants. Now, imagine ripping off all that...
Nope, nope. That’s not something I should be thinking. That’s totally obscene.
“Stop it. I still have shame in my body. It’s not okay to cheat back. Kristoff has yet to explain himself.”
“Screw Kristoff. He’s a scumbag.”
Her expression makes me laugh. “But I can’t deny that I was swayed by the professor’s charms. He’s physically attractive. He’s... hot,” I admit, biting my bottom lip.
“Now you’re talking.”
“That’s all. We’d just finished our cocktails at the bar, and he let me drink from his glass. Isn’t that too personal?”
“Sure is. But you’d be much better off trying his cock-tail“Oh my god, Lora.” I completely forgot who I was speaking to. She is overly invested in topics like these. “We’re not going to talk about his dick. You know what? I’m not sure how we became friends.”
She snorts. “Okay. Sorry. It’s just—”
I glower at her. “Hey!”
A thin line forms on her lips. “Fine. What else?”
“I fell asleep after two and a half glasses. Then he took me to his penthouse and made breakfast for the two of us this morning.”
“Wow,” she whispers in awe. “I’ll even pay him to eat breakfast with me. I guess I was just worried about you too much.”
“I’d be concerned too if it were you.” I hug her again. “I was afraid I’d lost you, Lors.”
She strokes circles on my back. “You won’t. We’re BFFs, remember?”