Page 43 of Revenge Cake

Not waiting for Dean to make an awkward apology, I start in the direction of Lani’s room. I’m almost out of the kitchen when I’m halted by her voice.

“No,” she says. When I turn around, she standing in the same place she was before. “We’re done talking. We understand each other perfectly, and anyway, I don’t have time to talk right now.” She picks up a chunk of her damp hair and runs her fingers through it. “I need to get ready. We’re going out as soon as Brenna gets home.”

“Going out?” I ask, unable to hide my dismay.

When I said I wanted a break, I meant I wanted her to seek help. To increase her sessions with Dr. Scott. To start going to NA meetings. And that was the best-case scenario. Worst case, I worried she’d lay around all day crying, start taking even more Ativan, call me and beg me to end our separation…

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine she’d be going out to clubs with Brenna and her fuckboy older brother.

“Yeah,” she says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Dean is only here for the weekend and we want to make the most of his time.”

I stare at her in stunned indecision, clenching my teeth in an effort to keep my shit together. The idea of her spending the night out with Dean makes me want to hit something, but what could I possibly say? If Brenna is going, then she won’t be alone with him, and will technically be fulfilling what I asked of her. I can’t tell her I’m going with her because that violates everything I’m trying to do, and Keira would kill me.

A questioning frown mars her brow, like she’s waiting for me to say something. “Where are you guys going?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

The corners of her lips lift marginally. She opens her mouth to speak, but Dean interrupts. “Hipster bars. Or…I’m guessing we are, knowing my sister.”

I don’t look his way. “So, Test Pilot?” I ask Lani.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just wondering if we’ll run into each other. Armaan and I are going out too.”

Her eyes narrow. “Armaan said he has a midterm in the morning. Brenna wanted him to come with us, and he said he wouldn’t.”

Shit. With effort, I keep my face blank as I shrug. “We’re not staying out long.”

She nods slowly, clearly not believing me, but I don’t care. I have just as much of a right to go out tonight as she has. “Well, I’m heading out. Maybe I’ll see you later.” I make pointed eye contact with Dean just before turning around and walking to the front door.

As soon as I get into my car, I pull out my phone and call Armaan. “Change of plans. We’re going out tonight.”

“Oh my god! I have a fucking midterm tomorrow and I just got off of academic probation.” He sighs heavily. “What did she do to you?”

“I just can’t stand by and let her go out with Dean. I’ll be thinking about it all night. You know she’s going to get super drunk and take Ativan and get all sloppy…” My knuckles go white as I clench the steering wheel. “He’ll probably use it as an excuse to help her undress at the end of the night.”

“Oh my god, Logan,” Armaan groans. “Dean’s not a rapist. You need to find your chill.”

“You would be the same way if it were Brenna.”

“No,” he says immediately. “I wouldn’t.”

“I can’t let her go out with Dean.”

“Ugh,” he groans again. “Fine.”

CHAPTER 16

Past—The Spiral

Leilani

At two o’clock today I have my first graduate school interview at USC.

I didn’t sleep last night. Not for a single moment. For the entire six hours I spent in my bed, thoughts raced in a buzzing hum while my heart pounded in my ears, and any moment my exhausted mind drifted off, my body jolted as violently as if I’d been hit in the face.

I’d spent all of winter break obsessively prepping for this interview. I’d even bailed on going to visit my parents for Christmas so that I could have some rare alone time at home.

Everything was riding on my grad school interviews, on my ability to pretend to be normal. It wasn’t just my future on the line, but Logan’s future too. Our future.

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