Broken Beauty by Ketley Allison

Author:Ketley Allison [Allison, Ketley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mitchell Tobias Publishing LLC
Published: 2023-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Clover

I rush through my classes, sprinting between buildings and throwing an arm across my eyes to prevent most winter flurries from numbing my vision into blindness.

I come to a fast halt at the entrance to Camden House.

A small moving truck blocks the staircase into the building with two uniformed men carrying boxes down the steps and into the back of the truck.

Not every student can handle the high expectations and course load of TFU, even if rich parents bought their spot.

I resume walking, shocked no one’s dropped out sooner.

My steps slow when I notice Kirsty dawdling by the entrance gnawing on her thumbnail as she watches the men work. Both hands are wrapped in white bandages spotted with red.

After what she did to me, I couldn’t give a flying fuck why she’s there, but her injury gives me pause. A mover accidentally steps on the toe of her shoe, and he barrels forward with a stack of boxes.

She recoils and screams as if he tried to shoot her, Kirsty’s mouth gaping open and her tongue so far back in her throat as she screams, I swear she swallowed it.

“Oh my god,” I whisper in horror, frozen mid-stride.

The man drops the boxes and shouts, arms out to appease her as Kirsty screams and screams and screams.

Lauren bolts out of the dorm, running to her friend and throwing her into a bear hug, saying calming things into her ear.

Kirsty closes her mouth, her red-rimmed eyes skating everywhere until they land on me.

“You!” She breaks out of Lauren’s hold. “You did this to us!”

I fall back with wide eyes. “Did what?”

Lauren grabs Kirsty’s arm and yanks her back. “You can’t. Don’t even look at her.”

“Minnie’s mutilated because of you!” Kirsty screeches, then lifts both her hands. “What the fuck did you do to my hands? Why? Whhhhhyyyyy?”

Her wail is so wrenching that black-feathered birds escape from the trees above us and caw into the sky.

I gaze at the moving truck, dumbfounded. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You dumb cunt,” Kirsty snarls through fresh tear tracks. “That was so fucked up, what you did.”

“Kirsty.” Lauren jerks her friend toward her until Kirsty’s looking at her. “Stop. Talking. To her.”

I dodge out of the way of the movers still working, my stomach doing loops in sickening swirls. “What happened to Minnie?”

Lauren twists to me before Kirsty can open her mouth. “Minnie’s not coming back to campus. Kirsty’s leaving too. We have nothing more to say to you. In fact, you don’t exist to us anymore. Stay the fuck away from us.”

Lauren’s words are harsh, but her lips tremble with fear.

I wrench my brows together. “Lauren, what—?”

“Leave!”

I jump back, blinking rapidly. I manage to collect myself and stride into Camden House, but my legs shake, and I have trouble walking up the steps.

The fabric of my coat is too cold as I come to my door.

A flash of gold draws my attention, dangling prettily from the knob.

Lifting it, a heart-shaped diamond glitters from the overhead hallway lights.

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