I rise from my seat and send him a death glare. The invisible string that held us together has finally snapped. I can feel it. My urge to talk to him has faded in recent weeks. But I need to address our unresolved issue to get this over with.
My building tears up as I sniffle. “I’ll just talk to him, Lora.”
My best friend shoots me a quick, contrite glance before jumping to her feet to confront Kristoff. “Where’s Candice?”
“She’s in Berlin,” he says.
Lora places a hand on her hips. “Did you know you were a traitor?”
“Please, it’s not like that.”
Ben suddenly appears behind Kristoff, hooking his arm around his shoulder. “Man, long time no see! How’s your dad? I’m sorry to hear about what happened to your dad. How is he doing now?” Ben asks, his eyes darting to mine. “Hello, Anya. How are you doing?”
I squint my eyes and cross my arms. “I’m sorry, Ben, but we want to talk privately.”
“Oh.” Ben’s face blanches. “I guess we’ll just have to catch up later. See you later, man.”
Kristoff nods, and then Ben turns away.
Kristoff brushes his hair with his fingers. “I’m sorry, babe, I know I’ve been—”
“Don’t start. Let’s talk outside.”
I walk out of the cafeteria while he follows me. I apparently can’t find a good place to talk without being scrutinized by the people around us. My feet lead me to the courtyard of Whitlock’s buildings, which are rarely visited. The sky is turning orange and indigo, showing the approaching sunset. The heavens appear to be sympathizing with my dejection. Some people look at us, but no one dares to intervene. I turn around to face Kristoff.
He appears glum, and the gleam I used to see in his eyes has faded and been replaced by dimness. I can tell he’s not my Kristoff just by looking at him.
Looking down at his restless feet, he slips his hands into his pockets.
I encircle myself with my arms. “Lora told me everything about you and her sister, so your excuses are no longer valid. I simply want to hear it from you. Kristoff, did you cheat on me?”
He raises his head and opens his mouth but cannot speak.
“Are you the fiancé Lora is talking about?”
He exhales a trembling breath. “I’m sorry.”
The pain in my chest returns and rises in my throat. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“But it’s not what you think. If you give me a chance to explain, a lot has happened. Anya, please.”
My vision becomes hazy. “That’s what we’re doing right now. You don’t get a second chance, Kristoff. This is all I can give you for our own good.”
“Please, Anya.” He reaches out his hand to me. “Don’t say it like it’s over.”
I take a step back. “It’s over, so don’t get any closer. People may suspect you of having an affair with me.”
“I don’t fucking care!” he exclaims, balling his fists. “Anya, you’re my girlfriend.”
“Were“Are you breaking up with me?”
My heart sinks at the sound of his voice. When he was sad, I’d just embrace him, and everything would feel better. That’s not the case anymore.
I snivel my tears back. “What makes you think I’d be waiting for you here with open arms after what you did?”
“But I didn’t want to deceive you, okay? I broke up with Candice a long time ago and then met you. This was my family’s doing because they were setting us up. They’re making a mistake because I’m crazy about you. Anya, believe me. I’m not interested in any of this. Then there’s dad in the hospital. I’m powerless. His condition could worsen, and they needed me around—God!” He wipes his face with his palm.
“So, why was she with you in Los Angeles?”
“She was just there!” he proclaims. “I didn’t want her to come.”
“She was photographed with you. Intimately. How do you explain it? You’re both in the news.”
“What am I supposed to do, then? Tell them she isn’t my girlfriend? Humiliate her in front of the public? She’s still Lora’s family. She’s a McQueen!”
The weight of his words shatters my heart. “So she has more value than I do? Is it okay just because I’m nobody?” I laughed hysterically. “You have such a low opinion of me.”
“It’s not like that,” he says softly but firmly. “That’s just how the industry works. You’ll notice it as well if you put yourself in my shoes. On the outside, it appears to be covered in gold, but the world in which my family lives is cruel.”
“And I don’t know because I’m not a celebrity, right? Not yet, at any rate. I’m Anya Scott, the scholarship girl with no parents or accomplishments to be proud of.”
“Please, Anya.” He grabs my arm. “I feel like a prisoner here. I don’t want to be without you. You know how much I care for you.”
“You will not get to play the victim here, Kristoff. You’ve made your decision. I’ll make my own.” I can’t hold back my tears any longer.
“Is that it? Are we just going to throw it all away?” he bemoans.
“No, I didn’t. You did.”
He lets go of his grip, and sadness settles across his features. “Then I’ll win you back. I’ll make things right and prove that everything I said was true. No matter what it takes.”
“This is where you stop, okay?” I raise my voice. “I’m afraid I can’t do it with you, Kristoff. I can’t believe I waited for you to explain. You’ve just confirmed what I was afraid of.” I inhale deeply and exhale the tension in my chest. “I don’t think I can bear talking to you today. But thank you for telling me the truth, no matter how pathetic. Please don’t bother following me.”
I step back from him and return to where we came from. I wipe my tears away with the back of my hand. He has no idea how irresponsible he is. A third party is involved. His family’s reputation is at stake. Is he expecting me to wait until he can finally stand for me? That is not something I can live with.
However, as I approach the building, I notice a familiar sophisticated middle-aged woman with three students coming toward us. One of them points in my direction.
What the hell? I stop walking. It’s Melissa.
“Mom!” Kristoff rushes up to her, but she ignores him and stomps toward me.
Her nostrils flare as she points her finger at me. “You!”
Seriously?“You lured my son here,” she says in a low voice that is as sharp as a knife. Her index finger is almost poking my face. “This is why I believe girls like you are trash. What are you doing calling an engaged man here? Have you no shame?”
“Mom!” Kristoff pulls his mother’s hand away from me. “We’re at school, and you’re being disrespectful. I came here on my own.”
“What will Candice say if she discovers you didn’t accompany her to Berlin for this... whatever this girl is? I left you for a minute, and you came running here.” Melissa Stevens’ insult pricks me right in the heart. She is the same height as me, but she knows how to make people feel small.
Kristoff rubs the back of his neck in frustration. “Are you even hearing yourself, mom? This is my school.”
“And I told you to transfer to Berlin!” she scolds, her voice still muffled. She looks at me with a disgusted expression again. “I know everything about you, Ms. Scott, and why you came to this school. Your parents are dead, you had a mediocre educational background, and you were homeless as a child. Did I get everything right?”
My stomach flips, and my muscles tense up in rage. “You have no right to say that.”
“Oh, sweetie. I know people like you and why you associate with my son. Your species is a leech. I can always see right through people like you. You don’t deserve to be a part of Kristoff’s life. You had no place here. Keep away from him and stop seducing him.” She dismisses me with a snarky wave of her finger.
“I said stop!” Kristoff yells.
My eyes well up with tears, but I fought them back. I just hate crying all the time—not for this, anyway. She doesn’t get to say these things to me because she was born into an average family like me.
“Don’t patronize me, Mrs. Stevens. I know about you and where you came from. We’re not that different.” I closed my eyes. I immediately regretted what I said, but it was inevitable.
Her face flushes, and her mouth opens in astonishment. “How dare you?” She raises her hand, ready to strike, but another tall and broad man appears and grabs her wrist.
“That’s enough!” yells my rescuer.
Kristoff’s mother’s eyes widen. “Julian?”
A vein in his neck pulsates as his jaw clenches. “You’re still on school grounds, Melissa. I will not tolerate your hostile behavior.”
Melissa pulls her hand away from his gaze. “Then teach her manners, Professor Sebastian.” Her voice softens. Even someone as powerful as Mrs. Stevens yields to him.
“No, you’re treating a college student like she’s a child. Anya Scott is one of the best students in her program, and you’re supposed to take care of your family matters at home,” he chastises, then narrows his eyes at Kristoff, who can’t even show his face. “What the hell are you doing, Kristoff?”
“Please, Professor. I’m fine,” I say.
He gives me a tender look. “Go to my office and wait for me,” he whispers.
“But I was also impolite—”
“Right. Now,” he commands.
I hurry away without looking back.