Page 6 of Shattered Sinner
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the deal you made with Easton.”
That was when it clicked for him. “The only way you would know about that is if Easton told you. Since when did the two of you become best friends?”
His question unleashed the fury within me, and there was no stopping what came out of my mouth next. “When he started fucking me.”
Nash’s silence was deafening. The only thing I could hear was the sound of his breathing picking up. and I could tell he was getting angrier by the second.
Part of me wished I could take it back, but also, keeping this to myself had been an unexpected burden. This needed to get out there.
“Does Dad know about this, especially with your impending engagement?”
I wasn’t surprised that Nash had been told about Dad’s ultimatum. I was irritated that he was bringing it up in this manner, and I knew it was the result of him trying to get back at me for admitting that Easton and I had sex with each other.
“No, he doesn’t, and to be honest, I don’t care if he knows or not.”
“Of course, you don’t. If you did, none of this would have happened.”
“Bullshit. You set your deal in motion before Easton and I slept together, so don’t think you can remove the blame from yourself.”
“I was just trying to protect you from him.”
Nothing that was being said lessened my anger. In fact, him trying to justify it was doing nothing but upsetting me more.
“From what? You barely knew him at the time you put the deal into motion.”
There was a pause from Nash before he spoke again. “There are some things you don’t know about him that I do, Bianca.”
“So going behind my back was the answer? No, fuck you and fuck him too!” I shouted just before I ended the call. I slammed my phone on the counter and stared at it. My heart felt as if it was slamming around my body, and my chest heaved to compensate for it. I blinked back the sting of tears that had more to do with anger and hurt than sadness.
Nash and I had been through so much together, and for us to have this colossal fight was heartbreaking. My best friend was missing, and my brother and I were fighting. Any hope I’d had of this being a good day was now tossed into the garbage.
I normally craved being alone, but this was the most alone I’d felt in my entire life. My parents were assholes who only cared about my father’s political career, my brother had the nerve to try to dictate my dating life, and my best friend was missing.
Maybe things were better this way. Outside of my desire to find Iris, I wanted nothing more than to escape from the gilded cage I was trapped in. Maybe freedom was the answer.
I tried to hide my tears behind the fake smile on my face but failed. I tabled those thoughts as I couldn’t fight against my tears now. They flowed from my face like a waterfall, with no end in sight. As my gaze wandered around the spacious apartment, it landed on one spot in particular.
I hated that my gaze drifted toward where I stored my alcohol. The desire to drown my sorrows in a drink of some kind was strong. I debated getting a drink, but I knew it was pointless because it wouldn’t take this pain away.
Instead, I walked away, determined to come up with a plan that would get me out of this sham of an engagement and bring my best friend back home.
4
EASTON
Iwalked out of my philosophy class as the world’s weight bore down on my shoulders. My thoughts about one person in particular consumed me, and before I could think twice about it, I found myself pulling out my phone and found the number I wanted. I couldn’t deny that I was hoping to hear her voice and ease the tension that had been building up inside me. It didn’t matter that she was pissed at me, as long as I got to hear her voice.
But she didn't answer.
My frustration grew with each ring, but at least she hadn’t sent me to her voicemail.
"Damn it, Bianca," I muttered under my breath.
It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to try to call Nash’s sister right outside of the class that he and I shared together, but Nash had skipped class today. It was odd that he hadn’t told me he wasn’t coming today, and I wondered if it was because he knew about Bianca and me. But, if he did know, why wouldn’t he have come to pay me a visit?
I didn’t want to have to fight him, but, if it came down to it, I would. Neither our families nor our coach and team would be pleased, but if that’s the way he wanted to handle it, then so be it.
