Page 18 of The New Girl

Imogene looked at me full in the face making it a challenge to lie. I wished I had never brought it up.

“He claims the Chancellor has been spreading the story of them being lovers ever since Belinda’s suicide. He said Westfield is trying to deflect guilt away from him and onto Lysander.

“I don’t get it. How is Westfield responsible?”

If I was going to understand what happened, I had to have the complete picture.I was beginning to worry that I was wrongabout Lysander. That I had been in a hurry to judge him because I wanted to sleep with his stepfather.

It was messed up.Iwas messed up. I knew it was a creepy fantasy, but I didn’t care. I wanted to keep the meeting with Westfield. I wanted to experience Lysander’s stepfather fucking me for hours. I wanted my sex adventure and I wasn’t going to apologize for it.

But I had to know the truth. I needed to be sure of my ground before taking that final, irrevocable step and destroying any chance I had with Lysander. If what he told me was true, he’d never forgive me for sleeping with the man he wanted to kill.

“There’s a perverse twist to the story,” I began.

Imogene nodded encouragingly and Alexis grimaced with disgust.

“Lysander told me that Westfield had been sexually abusing his daughter for years. Belinda confided in him. He tried to help her, but when it became too much, she jumped from the bell tower. Westfield told me his daughter had emotional problems and that it was Lysander manipulated her into a sexual affair.”

Alexis made a face of disgust. “You are so gullible, Aire. He told you this? Lysander told you to your face that his stepfather was fucking his daughter?”

I shifted slightly, thinking back over the conversation. “He made a reference toPericles, Shakespeare’s play about a prince who uncovers incest in a rival kingdom and is threatened with death.”

“So he didn’t actually accuse Westfield of incest. He used a metaphor and you ran with it.”

“No, he told me Westfield—”

“Yes?”

He didn’t tell me.

Not in so many words. He accused Westfield of trying to hide the truth. He told me the girl who died had been driven to it by her father and that one day, he would get revenge. Lysander told me the story, but in such a way that he could claim I misunderstood if Westfield turned up dead.

“I don’t know now,” I said weakly. “I’m confused. He hates him for driving her to suicide and then he quotedPericles. What else could it be?”

“Other than incest?” Alexis rolled her eyes. “A lot of things. Lysander could hate Westfield for trying to control him. He’s the prince but step daddy is still the king around here.”

“When was Belinda supposed to have told him this, Jane?”

I couldn’t answer Imogene without breaking my oath to the Club. Belinda confessed to the incestuous relationship with her father after she was paired with Lysander at a Club meeting.

“Oh my god! That’s how the rumor started that they were lovers!” I caught myself before I said anymore. “Sorry, I can’t be more specific without jeopardizing my entire future.”

Alexis smirked. “You joined that freaky club, didn’t you? She can’t talk about their activities or their members. They will eviscerate her for life. I told you to stay away. You really have trouble with simple instruction, don’t you? I guess you think you know better than us who grew up in this environment.”

“I joined by mistake. I can get out any time I want, but I have to keep my promise to them to protect their privacy.”

“Keep your promise, but I think the only way you’re going to get to the bottom of this is to return to the scene of the crime.” Imogene stretched out on my bed with another yawn. “Lure Lysander to the bell tower under some pretense and get him to confess. That’s what I would do if I had a fish like Sander on the line. If the only thing wrong between the two of you is a misunderstanding, I would get that cleared up ASAP.”

“She won’t take your advice, Imogene. Her class never does. It’s as if they’re wired to ignore their betters.”

Alexis, the bitch, was not wrong. I should have listened to them and kept my head down. Now I had fucked up my chance with Lysander.

An apology would only get me so far. If I wanted a shot at being with him again—and I did—I had to prove that I believed him.

Imogene’s idea was inspired. Diabolical but effective.

I took my phone to the bathroom down the hall and made two phone calls.

The plan was good, it was the right thing to do, but as I got ready for my meeting with Westfield, I found myself hoping for a different outcome.

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