Diamonds (All that Glitters #1)(39)

“I didn’t kiss anyone. If you had let me explain instead of avoiding me, you would have known the truth.”

“I saw what happened, Bri. I was standing right there.”

“If you had been there the whole time, then you would have seen me slap him across the face and storm off. Because that’s what I did!” she said, her voice rising.

“Really?” he asked. He sounded like he didn’t believe her, but he wanted to. At least he was intrigued and listening to her side. She had wanted to say this for almost two weeks. Now the floodgates opened.

“Yes! I went with him as a friend, and then he got swept up in the moment at midnight. I chewed him out for trying anything because I’m dating you. I only want you.” She felt her anger dwindling. It was replaced with sadness at the fact that any of this had to be said at all.

“Who was he?”

“Does it matter?” she asked. “Either you believe me when I say he is just a friend and I never intended for that to happen, or you don’t.”

The line was silent for a minute.

“I believe you. I simply wonder if you would have ever told me that he kissed you if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”

Would I have? Probably not. It hadn’t meant anything to her, and he wouldn’t have needed to know. She knew he would have been pissed. If she had been in his shoes and he had been with someone else on New Year’s, she would have been pissed, too.

“I didn’t think so,” he said.

“What do you want me to say, Jude? I never would have hidden that I was with my friend on New Year’s if we were able to be honest with each other. You could have told me that you were going to be at Chateau Marmont for work, and then we could have met up and had a proper New Year’s kiss. Instead, we’re stuck behind this veil of mystery. You won’t trust me with your secrets, so how can I trust you with mine?” she asked hopelessly.

“You’re right,” he said softly. “I think it’s time I tell you everything and let you decide what this is once you have all the facts.”

“I’d like that.”

In truth, it terrified her a bit. What is he hiding that could make me change my mind about him? Will he change his mind about me? Guess I’ll find out.

“I can get away tonight,” she told him.

He groaned. “Unfortunately, I’m not free until next weekend. This time, I actually am out of town. I’m in Chicago.”

“Oh.” Great. Just what she wanted to do, wait another week before they could get all of this out in the open. Not to mention—she missed him and wanted to be with him every second. His job was so inconvenient. Though it did have its advantages.

“How about next weekend?” he suggested.

She swallowed. “Sounds good.”

It could all be over by next weekend.

A WEEK LATER, Bryna walked into her last class. Her spot was open between Avery and Tara, but she hadn’t been sitting in it since she had kicked them off the committee. She had replaced them with two other cheerleaders who had been ecstatic to see their stars rising.

She sat down in her new seat near the front of the room as her phone started buzzing noisily in her purse.

Fuck! Who the hell is calling me while I’m in school?

She checked the screen and smiled brightly.

“Miss Turner, please put your phone away,” the teacher instructed. She looked annoyed that Bryna would even have it out, as if all the students didn’t text through her class.

“It’s my father calling from New Zealand. I have to take this,” she said. She confidently strode from the room. “Dad!”

“Hey, sweetie!”

“I’m in the middle of school. Time difference is kind of killer.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll send an apology over to Harmony, but I had to speak with you. Did you talk with anyone from LV State?” he asked, his tone turning serious.

“No. Pace said someone called, but they didn’t call back.”

“That’s funny because they called me, worried that my daughter wasn’t interested in doing a campus visit. What is this I hear? You don’t want to go to LV State? It’s my alma mater, Bryna. Your mother’s alma mater. It’s where you belong,” he insisted.

“I still want to go there. I didn’t speak to anyone. It must have been Pace. He’s been playing this silly game, but it’s getting out of hand. He’s trying to sabotage my college prospects,” she said, playing on the sweet and innocent vibe.

“I’ll deal with your stepbrother, Bryna. But you have to go to that college visit that they set up. They wanted me to be there this weekend, but just because I’m not in town doesn’t mean you’re exempt,” he told her.

“This weekend?” she groaned. “I have plans this weekend.”

“Break them. Your future is more important.”

Fuck! She was supposed to have her big talk with Jude this weekend, and now, she had to call the whole thing off. And she couldn’t even tell him where she was going to be, not without giving everything up before they met in person. The whole thing was frustrating.

As soon as she left school, she called Jude to break the news to him. They would have to plan another day to talk about their problems. Hopefully they would be able to chat on Monday as long as he didn’t leave again right away. He had a tendency to do that.