The Boy and His Ribbon (The Ribbon Duet, #1)(120)

Aren’t we?

Della let Tom go but not without a heated, warning look. “So you admit it? You and Tina have been spreading lies about me?”

Tom gritted his teeth as if he wanted to argue but nodded stiffly. “Yes.”

“And you have no evidence to back up this lie? No photo or video revealing the vile things you said?” Della’s eyes glittered a ruthless blue. Her blue hair matched, contrasting with the auburn and browns of her school uniform.

“None.” He blew out, his tall frame sinking. “I made it all up.”

Della crossed her arms, nodding once at Ms. Sapture. “You see? Stupid student gossip. I don’t know why it started, but it’s over now. Not a word of it was true and I’m sorry to waste your time.”

Ms. Sapture looked put out, struggling to get control of the situation that Della had so successfully commandeered. Finally, she waved at the door with bored impatience. “I’ll accept your explanation for now, Ms. Wild. However, I wasn’t born yesterday, and I’ve been around enough students to understand rumours usually start from some kernel of truth.” Her gaze found mine as she leaned forward almost in a threat. “One more sniff of such a thing and I’m calling CPS, regardless of your dramatics.”

I glowered back, refusing to let her intimidate me.

Della brushed past me, opening the door and letting Tom step out before her.

“Oh, and one more thing, Ms. Wild,” Ms Sapture clipped. “I want that colour gone by tomorrow, do you hear me?”

Della didn’t answer, and with a flick of blue motioned for me to follow her.





CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE





DELLA



Present Day




I KNOW, I know.

I was stupid. Incredibly stupid. So stupid it almost meant we were separated again, but if it hadn’t have been for detention with my blue hair, I would never have heard the rumour until it was too late.

I’d been under the illusion that Tom was trustworthy, and my minor slip after our kiss didn’t bother him too much—not enough to tell people about. Yes, were dating, but he was wanted by a lot of girls, and I was nothing special.

Saying the wrong name after kissing him had been my error, but I’d apologised and believed him when he said it didn’t matter. I stupidly accepted his assurances and didn’t think anything more on it.

Turns out, he started making out with Tina, my so-called best friend, and she decided to rat on me. We’d gotten close over the few years, Tina and I, close enough for me to slip occasionally and reveal things I shouldn’t about me and Ren.

I never came out and said I wanted him or that I was in love with him, but I supposed she read between the lines.

And yes, I know you’re calling me names, and I totally accept them because it was idiotic to confide in someone, but…I had no one to talk to. No one to help settle my nerves every time the overwhelming desire to kiss Ren pounced on me. No one to be a shoulder to cry on when the wanting became too painful. And no one to offer advice on how to move past such a horrible situation and just accept that things would never change between us.

All I told Tina was there was a boy I liked.

A boy who liked me but not in the same way.

When she asked if it was one of Ren’s friends, I hesitated. Tying Ren’s name into any of this was dangerous but making it be an older guy who was no longer at school and who couldn’t be researched made sense.

So I gave in.

I found myself spinning a tale of unrequited love with one of Ren’s friends—not that he had any—and how I’d kissed him once but that was it.

Tina was sympathetic and sweet and acted as if I had a terminal case of the flu and needed constant mothering. At first, I loved it. I loved having someone nurse my achy breaky heart and be there whenever I needed to vent. But then, her questions became more prying, her eyes more suspicious, and I stopped telling her things.

I stopped muttering secrets like: when he’s near me, it’s all I can do not to reach out and grab him. When he’s cooking beside me, my mouth waters and not for the food. When he’s asleep, I wage a battle to stay in my bed and not go to his and repeat the mistake I made last time.

By the time I met Tom, Tina was sick of my wishing over a boy I could never have and encouraged my crush on Tom. He could be talked about freely, and I shared intimate details with Tina because she shared them with me. I knew she wasn’t a virgin anymore and I knew she’d bled when a guy called Scooter took her to the movies and ended up banging her in the back seat of his car.

She was worldly to me, and she gave good advice on how to seduce Tom and what to expect when I first jumped into bed with him.

Unfortunately, armed with her prior knowledge of me pining for a boy who I wouldn’t name, when she found out Tom had broken up with me after kissing at the Halloween party, she couldn’t understand why.

She’d badgered and badgered for answers, until finally, in a moment of utter moronic weakness, I told her that I’d said the wrong name afterward kissing him. I’d said the name of the boy I was in love with. Ren’s friend.

I thought I’d covered my tracks pretty good.

I patted myself on the back for keeping her away from the truth.

Funny, how it was the exact opposite.

Tina messaged Tom, telling him off for breaking up with me. They’d had some hate-lust-text-war for a few weeks before hooking up behind my back. Then, of course, it was just a matter of time before Tina mentioned my sad, hopeless situation of being in love with someone who wouldn’t even notice me, and Tom told her the name I’d breathed after our kiss.