Page 42 of Spiteful Lies

Pissed off, I stop walking. I raise my hands and show him both palms. “I want to be alone. And believe it or not, that means you too.”

The range of looks I get from all of them. I feel like I just drop-kicked a puppy across the campus green when I look into Wyatt’s big brown eyes. I’ve seen him angry and upset, but never hurt. If shit had feelings, that’s how I feel right now. I grab him into my arms and hug him close.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, “I didn’t mean it to sound that way.”

Wyatt pulls me tight into him, and my body instantly responds, pressed tight against muscle. “It’s okay, Astrid. It’s about you. Not us. I don’t want you to feel like you’re being bullied into something.”

“Oh, there we go,” Pierce scoffs, “The favorite is licking his wounds.”

I pull away to glare at Pierce, and out of the corner of my eye, I see a smirk pass over Wyatt’s face. The cocky bastard. I shove him hard away from me, and he stumbles backward into the iron fence. He tries to look all innocent like Justin, and sometimes Bryce, but he sucks at it.

“What did I do?” he asks as he tries not to smirk, “Shoot me down for caring.”

“Caring, my ass,” Pierce walks over, followed by Justin and Bryce. “You’re always smug because she and you have a connection.” Pierce faces me, “Did you know he has a trust fund that he gets when he graduates?”

I narrow my eyes as Wyatt scowls at Pierce. “You’re an asshole.” Wyatt snarls at Pierce, and then he looks at me. “I wasn’t playing a game. I still have to work, not like these rich boys.”

“Ha, managing a hedge fund when he’s twenty-one,” snorts Pierce.

Wyatt grabs my hand. “When I get my money, Astrid, we’ll take off and leave here. Plus, my mother likes you.”

Justin narrows his eyes. “You pretend to be antiestablishment, but you’re the worst ass licker I know.”

“Hang out with a lot of them, do you?” replies Wyatt with a scowl.

My tears have backed up into my head, which is pounding as if it’s going to explode. “If you all don’t stop fighting, I will dump each one of you and marry a vibrator. I had no idea this went on when I wasn’t around. What about ladies’ choice? Aren’t you all supposed to behave like gentlemen?” My sentence ends in a growl.

“Astrid, I seriously have to talk to you, and not about this.” Justin looks at the others, and I know something is wrong when they instantly back down. “Let’s walk back to the gate.”

I take Justin’s hand, and we walk in silence as the others slowly follow behind us along the sidewalk. My fiery emotions start to recede as a biting wind cools my overheated face. And I squeeze his hand softly to let him know I’m okay now.

Justin inhales sharply. “I hate being the messenger,” he says, “But Ted is going to court for a preliminary hearing. There’s a firm date set to hear the testimonies. You need to prepare your statement.” He pauses. “Do you think Charlotte will go to court?”

I shake my head. “No one will believe she’s ever been inside the Pit. One look at me, and they’ll know which one of us was there.”

“That’s the thing,” replies Justin, “She can testify on your behalf, and it won’t be considered hearsay. In fact, you can even testify in anonymity.”

I stop walking and look at him. “Is that true?”

Justin nods. “I talked to a lawyer, one that no longer wishes to represent my father.”

“I’ll talk to Charlotte alone.”

“Astrid, I’m so sorry this thing happened to you. But we’re okay, aren’t we?”

I nod, but I know if I don’t do this right now, it will never be okay. I stop walking and kiss Justin on the lips with all my heart. The chill I feel when he used to touch me races up my back, and I tremble in his arms. I sigh and open my eyes slightly, and I see no trace of Ted Leister anymore.

“Thank you,” he whispers, “I thought I had lost you.” We start walking again. “Whoever you choose, Astrid, it’ll be okay. We all love you, and I know that it won’t change even if I don’t ever see you again. You’re my muse forever.”

I smile shyly. “My mother almost passed out when she saw my portrait.”

He runs his thumb along my fingers. “It was a labor of love, but I didn’t mind it. I won’t feel bad if you pick one of the others. In fact, I’d understand after everything that’s happened. But I do love you. No matter what happens in court. My feelings for you won’t change. I have no sympathy for the man after what he tried to do to you. Once I might have forgiven him, but it’s all gone.”

“I love you, Justin,” I whisper the words, but I’m not embarrassed to say them. “You were the first person to make me believe that I was worthy just as I am. But the problem is I love all of you. I don’t think I can choose one person to be with forever.”

He lets go of my hand as we approach the corner and shoves his hand into his coat pockets. “Don’t worry about it, Astrid.” He eyes the students eyeing us back. “No one is going to make you choose.”

I shake my head. “But we can’t do this forever.”

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