Chapter 2

Avery hung up and returned to the apartment she shared with Julian, feeling like an empty shell. She started packing without feeling a thing. She tossed every gift Julian had given her over the past year into the trash—necklaces, bracelets, stuffed animals, and lipstick. Everything that once felt like proof of love now seemed like a cruel joke. She was dropping the last necklace into the bin when the lock clicked. Julian... No, Jace walked in. He mimicked Julian's cool tone but softened it with a practiced warmth. "Ave, what are you throwing away?" Avery looked up with red and swollen eyes, glancing at the face which was so much like Julian's, only younger and more arrogant. It felt like her chest had been ripped open from the inside. She was in so much pain that she could hardly breathe. "You don't recognize any of it?" she asked, her voice ragged and icy. Jace's smile faltered for a beat, then he pivoted, sounding smooth as ever. "Your eyes are swollen. Is it because of the photos on the forum? Don't be upset. I've handled it. The posts are gone, and no one's going to talk. "So what if the direct admission's off the table? You're only a junior. You can try again next year, or just skip grad school. Come work at my company. I'll take care of you." The words cut straight through her. She dug her fingers into her palms. Jace and Julian could win an acting award for their show. Avery opened her mouth, but Jace was already folding her into his arms. He tucked his chin against her hair. "Hey, don't cry. It kills me when you do, okay?" The scent she knew so well closed in around her. His lips brushed her neck while his hands wandered over her body. On any other night, she might've blushed and let herself be steered. But tonight, cold rolled through her, and her stomach turned. She shoved him hard. He was caught off guard. Surprise flashed in his eyes before he smoothed it away. "What's wrong? Not in the mood?" "I don't feel well," she said, turning her face aside. He studied her for a few seconds, then gave a short laugh. "Alright. I'll take a cold shower." He didn't force her. He turned and walked into the bathroom. Avery kept packing and erased every trace of them she could find. When she was finished, she lay down on the bed and turned her back to the bathroom door. A few minutes later, Jace came out damp and slid in beside her. He held still for a while, then he couldn't help himself. He curled in behind her and kissed the soft spot below her ear and the line of her shoulder. She stiffened and endured it, drifting on the edge of sleep, until she heard him murmur in a low, muffled voice as he moved against her. "Tessa..." The single name hit like an ice pick. Avery snapped awake, a cold ache spreading through her chest. So, it wasn't only Julian who loved Tessa. Jace had thought of Tessa every time he touched Avery. She shoved him off again. Her teeth clicked together before the words came out. "I told you. I don't feel well." Her fierce reaction actually shook him. He sensed something was wrong with her and finally let out a long sigh. "Okay, okay. I won't force you. I'll just hold you, alright?" He kept his word and only wrapped an arm around her from behind. Avery lay stiff in the circle of his arm and cried into the pillow without a sound. Pain and disgust burned through her in waves until, sometime near dawn, sleep finally dragged her under. When she woke, the other side of the bed was empty. She used to wonder why Julian never walked to campus with her. Now, she had the answer. He wasn't the one in her bed at night. He had never wanted to be close to her. Avery got up numbly, washed up, and prepared to go to the university to complete her withdrawal. She had barely crossed the quad when a student sprinted up and blocked her path. "Avery! Thank god! Dr. Hale wants you in his office right now! He says it's urgent!" A sinking feeling settled in her chest. Something bad was coming. Avery reached the office door and knocked. "Come in," Martin Hale said. Avery stepped inside and saw Tessa already seated. Tessa's eyes flickered with smug malice before she shifted her expression to appear fragile and wounded. Martin's face was clouded over with anger. He slammed two printed theses onto his desk. "Avery! Tessa! Explain this! Your papers are almost identical, right down to the typos! Academic misconduct is no small matter! Integrity comes first! If one of you copied, speak up now! The university will be more lenient if you're honest!" Tessa cut in before Avery could speak, "Dr. Hale, I wrote my paper myself! I don't know why it looks like Avery's, but I didn't plagiarize!" Avery looked down at the pages and felt her heart sink, but she kept her voice steady. "Dr. Hale, I wrote mine on my own. I didn't copy anyone." Martin pressed a hand to his temple. "You both insist you didn't copy. So, where's the evidence?" "I have a witness," Tessa said quickly. Just then, the door opened again, and Julian walked in.