Page 110 of Bright Like Midnight (Savage U)

Chapter Twenty-eight

Zadie

Aweekpassed.Ithad been empty and full all at once. I ached for Amir, for what we could have had and what wedidhave. But I was also angry at him for choosing to stay in that life. I would never understand his choice, and I didn’t want to.

I was never alone. Not when I cried, studied, or stared out the window on a cloudy day I hoped might turn into rain. It didn’t. Elena, Helen, Theo, and even stoic Lock were always around. I was always being hugged and touched and reassured.

I hadn’t told them about the break-in, just that Amir and I split because of our differences. I guessed I was protective of him, even though it was over.

I’d made it through a weekend of no Amir, no Julien, no Marco. Because I missed them too, but I couldn’t have them either. I saw Julien once on campus. He gave me a sad wave, then he turned the other way. It wasn’t a surprise, but it stung like a thousand hornets.

Not hearing a single word from Amir stung even worse. It was more like shrapnel lodged under my skin, though. He’d let me go so easily, with barely a fight. It was what I needed, but it still made me feel disposable.

Monday was a trudge through my classes. By the time I got back to my dorm, all I wanted was to crash on my bed and turn off my brain for a while. I opened the door, finding Elena on the love seat and an all too familiar blonde taking up the one opposite.

“Hey.” I started by them, keeping my head down so I didn’t get caught up in a conversation I really didn’t want to participate in.

“Hey, Z. We’ll be out of here soon.” Elena knew how I felt about Kayleigh, one of my roommates from freshman year who’d been absolutely horrendous to me.

“Oh my goodness, Zadie, is that you?” Kayleigh jumped up and surrounded me in her cloud of sugar-lemon perfume. “I totally forgot you’re El’s roomie. So fun. It’s good seeing you.” She air-kissed my cheek and gave me a tight smile.

“You too. Have a good visit.” Well, that wasn’t so bad. Maybe she’d grown up some since I’d lived with her. Or maybe she was just on her best behavior in front of Elena.

I retreated to my room, closing the door quietly, and collapsed on my bed. But I was either a glutton for punishment or too curious for my own good, because I got right back up a moment later, cracked my door, and peeked out.

“—going to die when I tell you this. Remember the party the Pi Sig boys were planning?”

Elena made some kind of disgruntled sound. “Cretins, all of them.”

Kayleigh giggled. “I don’t know, I think some of them are really cute. But that’s not really the point. See, their Dogfight party is this weekend, and almost all of them have secured their dog dates except Deacon. His buddies sent him after this girl, but Deacon ended up liking her and said she was too pretty for him to win the ugliest date contest.”

My arms prickled with goose bumps at hearing Deacon’s name.

Elena patted her mouth like she was yawning. “Wow, I’m bored. Misogyny makes me sleepy.”

Kayleigh giggled again, but it was less sure this time. “Oh, I know you think the party is lame, and I guess it is. I wouldn’t have brought it up, except you’ll never believe who the girl is.” She leaned forward like she was telling a secret but didn’t lower her voice at all. “It’s Zadie! Deacon is totally a chubby chaser. His boys aredying.”

“What?” Elena went as rigid as I felt.

“Isn’t that crazy? I mean, she is cute, so Deacon’s right, she wouldn’t win him the grand prize, but can you even believe it? He’s so into her, he writes her the corniest poetry, and it’s just the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Elena rose to her feet. “Get the fuck out of my suite.”

I couldn’t see Kayleigh’s face from my angle, but I imagined her looking really stupid. And scared. If Elena Sanderson was pissed at me, I sure would be.

Kayleigh unfolded from her seat, hands on her hips. “Are you kidding me? Are you actually mad at me because I—”

A loud crack stopped Kayleigh from spitting out whatever horror she’d had on the tip of her tongue. Elena blew on her red palm like a smoking gun and feinted a lunge in Kayleigh’s direction, sending her stumbling back a step.

Elena casually checked her fingernails for chips all while eviscerating Kayleigh. “One day, Prada willing, you will have an original thought in your vapid head, and I hope it’s the realization that you will never be as good as Zadie. You’ll never be as pretty or hot, but above that, you will never be liked for simply existing. I know you’ve been around her and spent a year living with unbearable jealousy because you sensed—though you couldn’t possibly understand, because again, vapid—Zadie is special and you never will be. You’re ordinary and boring and frankly, a piece of shit. So, please, Kayleigh, take your rotten snatch, busted extensions, and wretched veneers, and see yourself out of my suite.”

“I can’t believe you s-s-slapped me,” Kayleigh cried as she moved to the door.

“Oh, believe it. I’ve done much, much worse, and I’m always game to top myself.” Elena slammed the door shut on Kayleigh’s back and dusted her hands off. “Au revoir, salope.”

Elena sauntered into the kitchen, filled a glass with water, and took a long drink. I pushed out of my room, red faced. She opened her arms, and I rushed into them, both of us squeezing tight. I got the sense Elena wasn’t much of a hugger, because she did it a little too hard, but I liked it anyway.

“Everything I said was true,” she murmured.

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