Platinum (All That Glitters #3) (12 page)

Teena Hart had appreciated her designs. She’d liked them enough to feature Trihn in the fashion show that was typically reserved for senior students.

A smile broke onto her face, and she did a twirl.

This was exactly what she needed. She would have a million things to do to get ready, but she could do it. She would have to get all the requirements from her design teacher tomorrow, so she could get started.

She carefully folded her work away and darted out of the studio. She sent off texts to Bryna, Stacia, and Maya, letting them know she had good news and that they needed to go to Posse tonight to celebrate. She wished that the new dress was ready, but she couldn’t risk wearing it now that it was going to be in the fashion show.

Trihn returned home to an empty house and started digging around in her sketchbook box for the book that she would need for her next project. She knew it was around here somewhere. If she was going to do this fashion show, she would need something with a bang, and she had the perfect idea, a design she’d done a few weeks before Christmas. She distinctly remembered drawing the dress.

Her heart sank.

“Fuck,” she whispered.

She remembered the last time she’d had it. She had been drawing in it at Neal’s house and didn’t remember ever bringing it home.

Trihn had been adamant about leaving everything at Neal’s place for him to toss out or whatever he wanted to do with her things. But not that sketchbook. She needed that one.

Taking a deep breath, she fished out her phone. She had responses from her friends, saying that they were going to meet her at the house to go out and were happy to hear that she was happy. But that enthusiasm was falling away as she sent a message to Neal that she’d never wanted to send.

Hey. I think I left something at your place. Can I come over and get it?

Is this some pathetic attempt to get back together with me?

I just need my sketchbook.

Come on over. I’m sure you’ve missed me.

Trihn cursed under her breath and then quickly changed. She would just meet the girls at Posse after she went to get her notebook from Neal. She didn’t want an audience for this. She doubted it was going to be pretty.

FIVE HUNDRED CARS LITTERED THE STREET
in front of Neal’s place.

“What the actual fuck?” Trihn’s eyes scanned the row of cars. She had never seen this many people parked outside of his place.

She had to drive practically a mile away from the house to find a parking spot. She trudged the distance back to his place and cursed herself for the sexy Louboutins that graced her feet. She could dance in them for hours, but one normal walk pissed her off to no end.

Or maybe it was just the anticipation of seeing Neal.

She hadn’t heard one peep from him since he’d slammed that door in her face. Now, her stomach was in knots as she was about to come face-to-face with him all over again.

Trihn took a deep breath and walked up the driveway. He was the one who had dumped her. She didn’t have anything else to say to him. She just needed her sketchbook, and then she would get out of there. She had done enough dwelling in the past lately.

She could hear music through the door and was surprised there hadn’t already been a noise complaint. She tentatively knocked, unsure of what she would find inside.

Neal had always hated the fact that she loved to party. He had his tight-knit group of friends that he liked to go out with, but he’d claimed it was nothing like her hanging out with Bryna and Stacia. She had believed him until the moment a chick opened the door in a skimpy skirt and bralette top. She had electric-blue hair shaved on one side and thick dark eyeliner.

The girl gave Trihn a once-over and then laughed. “Wrong house,” she said before starting to slam the door in Trihn’s face.

Trihn’s hand shot out. “I’m here to see Neal.”

“Really?” she asked. She seemed a little drunk or high or something. Her eyes were glazed, and she looked out of it.

“Yeah. So, if you’ll just excuse me.” Trihn walked past the girl without another word.

The house was a wreck. Everywhere, people were holding red Solo cups brimming with beer, and the smell of pot clogged her lungs the instant she stepped inside. She coughed twice and pressed through the throng of people.

“How do you know Neal? You’re a little out of place,” the girl said, still behind Trihn.

“It really doesn’t matter. I just need to see Neal, and then I have somewhere else to be.”

“He’s probably in the kitchen with the keg.”

Trihn startled. “Keg?”

Maybe she was at the wrong house. Neal had never been to a kegger in his life that she hadn’t forced him to attend. There was no way that he had a keg in his house.

Trihn pushed her way into the kitchen, and there he was, exactly as she remembered him…except not.

There was definitely a keg in his kitchen. He had a red Solo cup in his hand, and beer pong was set up on a table. She blinked to try to clear the image, but it didn’t go away.

Neal finally noticed her standing there, and a slow smile spread on his face. He held his arms wide and laughed. “Well, look who we have here.”

“I just came for my sketchbook. Didn’t realize this would be a bad time,” she said softly. She was having a hard time mixing the Neal she had known with this reality before her.

“It’s not a bad time. This is a perfect time. Come have a drink, Trihn. This is right up your alley,” Neal teased, gesturing to the keg.

“
You’re
Trihn?” the girl with blue hair asked from behind her.

Oh, great. My reputation preceded me.
“Neal, the sketchbook?”

“Too good for our party?” Neal asked.

He strolled over to her, and she knew that walk. He was wasted. And when Neal got drunk, he either got arrogant or mean. It was worse when he was both. Tonight was not her lucky night.

“You broke up with me. I just want to get my stuff and get out of your life. So, can we hurry this up?” she asked.

She tried to keep her voice even and level, but by the way he was looking at her, she knew that she had failed.

“Is that what you really want?”

Neal ran his knuckles down her cheek, and she flinched away from him.

“Stop. Why are you doing this?” she whispered.

He had ended things. He had stomped on her heart. He was the one who was supposed to be cold and distant. She didn’t want him to touch her…yet her heart betrayed her. His touch was comforting and easy. She had stayed with him all that time because everything about him was familiar. But she couldn’t do this tug-of-war.

“What do you think? That I want you back?” he asked, taking a hit to his ego with her rejection.

She knew it tipped him over the edge from arrogant into mean.

“Kicking you to the curb was the best day of my life.”

“Fine,” she said. She would not cry. Her heart was pitter-pattering around in her chest, and she had to breathe in and out through her mouth to control it. But she would not leak one tear. “Can I have my fucking sketchbook now?”

“Yeah, let’s get it.”

The girl grabbed his arm as he passed and said something into his ear.

“Just stay here, Blu,” Neal said, brushing her off.

Blu’s eyes found Trihn, and she knew somehow that they were together. It pinched her insides that he had moved on this quickly. And it piqued the deep, dark curiosity within her that wanted to know if Blu had been at his house the day of their breakup, if she was the reason this had all come crashing down.

Trihn passed Blu and couldn’t help looking her over, wondering what Blu had that she didn’t. When their eyes locked, it was like looking into a mirror, and Trihn realized that this girl was probably wondering the same thing. It made Trihn even sadder about the situation.

She hurried back through the house and to Neal’s bedroom. He opened the door, and a couple was making out on his bed.

“Get the fuck out,” he said.

The two looked at them in a haze of lust before realizing who it was, and then they disappeared. Neal let her enter first. He closed the door behind her, drowning out some of the music. Trihn tried not to look around. There were too many memories here, and she didn’t want to spiral out of control.

Neal entered his closet and came back out a second later with the sketchbook in his hand. He extended it to her, but when she reached for it, he yanked it back really quick.

“Real funny,” she said, holding her hand out.

“What are you going to give me for it?”

“What do you mean?” she asked warily. “It’s my notebook. I just want it back.”

“Come on, Trihn. You and I both know that you’re just using this as an excuse to get back with me.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Um…no. It’s really not. As far as I’m concerned, you cheated on me and then kicked me to the curb. I thought you made your point pretty clear.” When he didn’t deny it, she rolled her eyes and felt her heart harden. “So, that’s how it was then? Blu, I’m assuming?”

Neal shrugged, nonchalant, and changed the subject. “What do you need another sketchbook for? You have a million at your house. You only need this to try to get with me. Well, I’m here. Have your way with me,” he said.

He laughed and cocked his head to the side, as if in invitation. But she saw through his bravado. He was drunk and rambling. Some thought you could hear the truth when people were intoxicated, but she sure hoped this wasn’t the truth out of his mouth.

“I need that notebook because it has a dress in it I’m designing for school. That’s it. No ulterior motive.”

“I know you must miss me.”

Trihn breathed out heavily. “You know, I really don’t.”

Neal’s nostrils flared at her dismissal. “You’re probably dying for sex.”

“Yeah, I am,” she admitted.

He smirked and leaned toward her.

She grabbed the notebook from him. “But just not from you.”

Trihn yanked open the door to his room and dashed down the hall. She didn’t care that Neal was drunk and high. The way he’d acted was completely uncalled for.
Had he always been like this, and I’d just ignored it?

She pushed her way through the crowd in the living room and out the door. Once she was back out in the clean air, she took shuddering deep breaths.

Neal might have broken up with her, but he had just given her the keys to move on. She had thought that seeing him would cause all the old emotions to flood back in her. She’d worried that she really would miss him since he had been out of her life.

But she didn’t.

It had just reinforced the fact that she was better off without him. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

And she knew exactly what she needed to do.

“Hello?” Damon said uneasily into the phone.

“Hey. This is Trihn.”

“Yeah, I know. What’s up? Everything okay?”

“Are you working tonight?” she asked.

“Nah. Tonight is my day off. Why?”

“Can we meet up somewhere?” She took a deep breath and waited for his response. She knew that he had said he would change her mind, but she hoped she hadn’t ruined it by ignoring him the past couple of weeks.

“Uh, yeah.” She could hear him shuffling around in the background. “Did you want to meet at Posse?”

“Not really. Just somewhere we can talk.”

“The radio station on campus?” he suggested. “I still have a key, and no one should be there right now.”

She was glad he hadn’t suggested his place. She didn’t trust herself not to jump him if a bed were nearby, and she wanted to get everything out in the open before going down that route again. She owed him that much.

“Sure. Sounds good. Meet you there in twenty. Is that good with you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that works.”

“Cool.”

“And, Trihn?” he said before she could say anything else. “It’s really great to hear from you—unexpected but still really good.”

She smiled bright and nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “I’m glad. See you in a few.”

Trihn hung up and started her drive back toward campus. Her sketchbook was sitting pretty in the passenger seat, reminding her that she was making the right decision. Her heart was torn—not on Damon. She liked Damon even though she had been ignoring that. It was just torn over whether getting into a relationship would be a good idea. Anything that had the potential to trample her heart made her wary.