She wanted him to say something. But he just stood there.
‘I’m sorry I shouted at you earlier,’ she said. Because someone had to say something. ‘That wasn’t on.’
‘This isn’t about that,’ he said.
He was avoiding her gaze.
‘Oh.’ Her stomach flip-flopped. ‘What is this about?’
His eyes met hers for just a second then skittered away. ‘Don’t you know?’
‘No,’ she said, but it came out as an unconvincing whisper.
His expression told her she wasn’t fooling anyone.
‘Something happened while I was gone. I can tell. I know there’s a lot going on but… Everything’s different now. With us.’
Panic left a fine sheen of perspiration on Allie’s skin. Her heart beat out an erratic rhythm.
He knows, she thought with wild certainty. How does he know? And then: Katie.
The redhead had betrayed her after all. She should have guessed that would happen. Bloody Katie. Always looking for an angle. Always trying to get ahead.
Well, it was too late to fix it now. She had to think. Fast.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she lied.
He smiled at her sadly. ‘Yes, you do.’
At that moment, Allie hated Katie with a white hot rage. She hated her more than Nathaniel.
She couldn’t pretend any longer.
‘What did Katie tell you?’ she asked heatedly. ‘You shouldn’t believe anything she says.’
‘Katie?’ Sylvain’s brow creased. ‘I haven’t spoken to her today.’ He stared at her then, a sudden realisation in his eyes. ‘What should she have told me?’
Allie froze. Now she really had blown it.
She couldn’t think of any more lies to tell.
When she didn’t reply, he waved his hand. ‘Never mind. I can guess. So I was right. About everything.’
This was so awful. So spectacularly amazingly awful.
She’d caused all this with her indecision. And then, at the end, made it even worse by making up her mind.
She took a step towards him but didn’t dare go any further. He seemed suddenly so out of reach.
‘Sylvain, please,’ she said.
He nodded as if she’d just confirmed all his suspicions.
‘I knew before I left things weren’t right between us. I guess I was hoping that – after everything…’ His voice trailed off. His hands clenched and released. ‘But I was wrong.’ He lifted his piercing blue eyes to meet hers. ‘Wasn’t I? You want to break up with me. Don’t you?’
How do you even answer that?
It’s a trick question. The answer is already inside it.
Allie felt as if the floor was shifting beneath her feet.
This couldn’t be happening now. She’d planned to deal with it all later. After everything was resolved. When Carter was back and…
When she was ready.
But when was that going to be? She’d never be ready to break Sylvain’s heart.
The school had gone horribly quiet. Nothing stirred. It felt as if the whole building was watching them fall apart.
His question still hung in the air. Unanswered.
Don’t you?
‘Yes,’ she whispered.
He let out a quick breath, as if she’d punched him.
‘At last,’ he said. ‘The truth.’ He held her gaze. His eyes were unnervingly steady. ‘Is it Carter? Did something happen with you two?’
‘Yes,’ she repeated, sorrow in her voice.
He flinched then, although he tried to hide it.
‘I always knew,’ he said. ‘But it still…’
He never finished the sentence. He didn’t have to. She knew what he was going to say.
It still hurts.
Tears burned the backs of her eyes.
‘You know,’ she said, ‘you told me a long time ago that I had to figure out who I was and then I’d know what I wanted. Well, I figured it out. The thing is, I wanted to be in love with you.’ Her voice grew unsteady. ‘But I wasn’t. I just… wasn’t.’
He kept his eyes on his hands, letting her talk. When he finally looked up, the pain on his face cut her heart like broken glass.
‘You’re in love with Carter.’ He said it flatly.
Allie couldn’t bear this. She couldn’t hurt him anymore.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.
‘Don’t.’ He held up his hand as if to physically stop her words. ‘I don’t want…’
A tear slipped down his cheek. He swiped it away with a look of utter disbelief.
Without another word, he turned and walked away – his steps fast but even – across the landing and into the shadows beyond.
Away from her.
Allie almost made it to her room.
She was on the stairs to the dormitory wing, tears streaming down her face, when she heard angry voices from downstairs. She turned back, hurrying down to the landing.
She leaned over the banister, trying to make out words.
Suddenly Zoe shot out of Isabelle’s office and hurtled up towards her, her ponytail bouncing with each rapid step. She spotted Allie when she was halfway up.
‘Isabelle says for you to come quick.’ She squinted at her. ‘What’s wrong with your face?’