Page 135 of Stroke of Fate

I turn my attention back to Kristen. “What?Why?”

After everything, she just up and left? That doesn’t exactly seem like her style. There’s no way she’d pass up the opportunity to rub what she did in my face.

“Because I threatened to expose what she did at the party,” Kristen explains. “My part in this wasn’t by choice, but that doesn’t mean I think she should keep getting away with horrible things.”

I’m relieved she left. Good riddance. But knowing what’s at stake for Kristin makes this whole thing more complicated.

“What about your tuition?” I ask.

“I worked hard to get my grades up and applied for a scholarship through the school. It got approved on Monday.” She sounds resigned, and I can only imagine how much that must have weighed on her, knowing the freedom it could bring. “That’s also when I told Sadie to either fix what she did or I’d tell the school and her parents everything.”

So, if what she’s saying is true, Sadie took the coward's way out and left instead of taking responsibility for the emotional damage she caused—typical.

An alarm echoes through the empty room, and Kristin pulls out her phone to silence the noise.

“I need to go, or I’ll miss my next class,” she explains, pocketing her phone.

“Of course, thank you for being honest with us,” Levi says, stepping aside so he’s not blocking her way out.

“I’m sorry it went this far,” she says softly.

With those parting words, she hurries out of the room. But I’m not far behind.

Telling Levi I’ll be right back, I quickly catch up to her just as she disappears around a corner.

“Kristin, wait up.” I grab hold of her arm. The moment she turns, I let go and take a step back. “Sorry. I have one more question.”

It’s the only one I wasn’t comfortable asking with Levi present. I don’t want to ask. But I have to—for his sake and mine.

“What?” She glances around nervously, but everyone is too engrossed in their conversations to pay us attention.

“Did it go any further?” I ask, swallowing thickly. “The video, I mean. Is there more to it?”

My heart pounds wildly as I wait for her answer.

When recognition dawns on her face, she looks as sick as I feel at the implication of my question.

“No, I promise. What you saw is all that happened. Sadie airdropped the entire thing to my phone, and there wasn’t more to it.”

I nod, my body sagging in relief. Saying nothing more, I turn and head back the way I came.

Levi is still waiting in the room, and I rush to close the space between us. My lungs expand, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I can finally breathe again.

“How are you so calm about everything?” I mumble against his chest.

I thought he’d have a much stronger reaction after hearing the truth, but he seemed more in control than I was during our conversation with Kristen.

“Because her plan failed,” he replies without missing a beat. “She lost Bear. I still have you, and that’s all that matters to me.”

I blink up at him, tears clouding my vision.

“But it nearly didn’t. I nearly—”

“Don’t do that.” His voice is firm, but those amber eyes boring into mine are soft and light. “I can handle the truth of what Kristin said, but I can’t handle you blaming yourself when none of this was your fault. There’s no outcome where Sadie gets to win.”

“You’re right.” I muster up a watery smile. “But that goes for you as well. You can’t blame yourself. I want to move forward—with you by my side.”

His features soften further. “I think after all of this, we deserve our forever after.”

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