Page 83 of Filthy Elites

I force a smile and kiss her cheek. “I reminded her that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at someone else’s glass roof.”

“Did she say anything about knowing you know what?”

“Don’t worry about it. She won’t tell a soul.”

“How do you know?”

“She has more to lose than to gain by revealing who you are.”

The deep V between Isabelle’s brows tells me she’s not convinced, so I continue. “Sloane has a dirty secret, one she didn’t know I was aware of.”

“It seems everyone in this town has secrets.”

I rub her cheek with my thumb. “True, but yours is safe.”

ChapterThirty-Four

Nicola/Isabelle– Two Weeks Later

Sloane not only keeps hermouth shut, but she also gives Jason and me a wide berth. There aren’t any snide remarks or scathing glances anymore. I decided I didn’t want to know what secret Jason was holding against her. I had plenty of my own.

Jason and I have been inseparable. There are a lot of practices, and when we don’t have school, we spend our time together. I’ve never felt happier in my life, and sometimes I wonder if this isn’t all just a dream.

Jason doesn’t talk much about his mother. All I know is that she went back to LA. Good riddance. One less viper to worry about. I’m proud of him for standing up to her. He hasn’t talked much about his childhood, but I hope in time, he’ll feel comfortable sharing his horrors with me.

I fool myself into believing that I’m not worried about the recital and the consequences of playing in such a public forum. I know videos of the performance will be posted online, and despite my new nose, darker hair, and lenses, anyone who’s heard me play the violin before could recognize me, just like the guy from the music store did.

An hour before the recital, Jason finds me pacing in the empty music room. “What’s the matter?”

I give him a tight smile. “Nothing. Just regular jitters. It’s been a while.”

By the way that he’s looking at me, I know he can see through my bullshit.

“Babe, we don’t need to go through with it. Say the word and we’ll tell Mrs. Simpson we can’t perform.”

We. Notyou. This is how far we’ve come in our relationship.

I shake my head. “I’m fine, Jason. For real.”

I look at my reflection in the mirror and smooth the lines of my dress. It’s a simple black gown, nothing as fancy as the red dress I wore to his party.

He stops behind me and rests his chin on my shoulder. “You look gorgeous by the way.”

I lean into him, and he wraps his arms around my waist. Our gazes lock, and I know this is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

“I love you,” I say.

His eyes widen just a fraction and then he smiles lazily. “I know, babe. I know.”

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Mrs. Simpson says from the door. “Are you ready? We’re about to start.”

“Yes, we’re ready,” I reply.

We follow Mrs. Simpson to the auditorium. There’s a separate entrance for us, but I spot Sage near the main one, so I tell Jason I’ll follow him in a second. I haven’t hung out with her in a while, and our texts have been sparse.

“Hey, I’m glad you came,” I tell her.

She smiles at me, but she looks sad. “Of course. I’m really excited to see you play. I hear you’re wonderful.”

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