Page 26 of Sweet Ruin

“True,” I agreed.

We stood in silence as I finished making Veronica’s drink. When I handed it to her, she gave me a suspicious look.

“You haven’t poisoned this, have you?”

“What? I would nev—"

“I’m joking.” She smiled and took the mug. “Thank you.”

It was the most genuine expression I’d ever seen on Veronica’s face, and I smiled back. “You’re welcome.”

I picked up the other two mugs of tea, and we made our way out of the pantry. Just as we were about to leave the kitchen, Veronica paused. “Thanks again for the tea. And for listening to me rant.”

“No problem,” I replied. “I hope everything works out for you.”

“It will.” She flicked her hand as she spoke. “I was just being silly. This cold is messing with my head.”

I nodded, but Veronica stayed where she was, blocking the way out of the kitchen. She was looking down at her mug and biting her bottom lip again as though she wasn’t quite finished.

“I don’t hate you, you know,” she said. “I know I made fun of you for being a charity case, but I’ve got nothing against the scholarship students at Weybridge.”

"Really?" The way she’d treated me and picked on Lily so far this year suggested otherwise. “Then why—

“Because I have to maintain certain appearances,” she said. “More than ever right now.”

“What do you mean? Why now?”

“Look, I’m just saying that I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you, but like I said, things aren’t always what they seem.”

She turned and walked away before I could respond, and I stood there frowning after her. I was completely baffled by our conversation. Veronica had opened up to me and accepted my help, and now she had actually apologized to me. Maybe that cold really was messing with her head. After all that though, one thing she had said was stuck at the front of my mind. Had she been talking about Noah with her mom? Did she really suggest he wasn’t the person she wanted to be with? And if he wasn’t, could it be because there was someone else?

CHAPTEREIGHT

By the following week, things were starting to get back to normal. The school corridors were crowded once more, and it seemed like the bug that had taken everyone down had mostly run its course. I still counted myself as one of the lucky few who avoided it completely.

I hadn’t seen Veronica since our encounter on Saturday, but I was intrigued to see if anything had changed between her and Noah. When I’d overheard her phone conversation in the kitchen, it really had seemed like she wasn’t all that into their relationship. But when Monday morning came, she was still sitting at his side during breakfast.

Nothing was different, and I had to wonder if she’d only said those things to her mom and to me because she’d been in some kind of sickness-induced delirium. Still, I found myself keeping a closer eye on her. I wasn’t sure why she’d opened up to me, but I was beginning to realize there was more to Veronica Cordeaux than I first thought.

It was probably silly, but I started noticing her more in class. I began to analyze her interactions with other students. I found myself wondering what she was thinking. It felt like so many questions had been raised on the weekend, and I couldn’t let it go until I got some answers. Veronica was like a little puzzle box I needed to solve.

She wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary though, and I wondered if perhaps I’d lost my mind and had imagined our entire conversation. I was questioning her every move—I really needed to get a better hobby.

But, even on Tuesday, when she was slow to pack her books up at the end of math class, I was asking myself why. She seemed to be waiting for something and kept giving surreptitious looks around the room as she watched everyone leave. Was there a reason she wanted to be the last person out the door? What was she waiting for? Or was I just searching for answers in places there weren’t any?

Once Veronica had finally left the room, I gathered my stuff. But as I went to leave my desk, I tripped over the leg of my chair, and my books went sprawling across the ground.

I swore under my breath and knelt to pick them up. Maybe this was my karma for turning into a stalker.

“Hey, Isobel, do you need a hand?” I glanced up as a guy bent down to help me. He hadn’t been in math with me, so he must have just entered the room for the next class.

“Thanks, uh…”

“Eric.” He introduced himself with a grin. We’d never spoken before, but when I looked at him properly, I realized I recognized him from my economics class. He was quiet and studious, and he always seemed to have the answers when called upon.

“Sorry, I probably should have known that. I’m still learning everyone’s names,” I said as he helped me pick up my books.

He gave me a wonky smile that pulled a dimple from his cheek. He was cute when he smiled, and he had kind eyes. “That’s okay,” he said as he ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair. “You’ll get to know everyone eventually. I guess I’m one less person now.”

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