“Shut up. You know that’s bullshit. You saved me from having to get a serial-killing random stranger for a flatmate. I’ve been considering it with Sophie being gone all the time. Maybe she should move in permanently with her boyfriend.”

Sophie was the third member of our triumvirate. We’d all shared a dorm room at NYU.

“Let’s not suggest that until I’ve been here for a while, okay? I’ve been looking forward to the three of us getting some girl time.” I wrinkled my nose as it finally occurred to me that it was Monday. “Shit, Faith, am I keeping you from work?”

Faith worked as an assistant coordinator for a PR firm. “No, I’m working from home today. I’ve got a pile of calendar stuff I need to pitch, and I’ll never get anything done with the other girls in and out of my office.”

I took another sip of my tea. “So, this is real. I’m really doing this?”

“Looks that way, doesn’t it? What’s your first move?”

I exhaled. “Step one is get a job. I have some money saved, but I’ll be needing equipment and stuff. It’ll be easier if I don’t have to deal with the parentals to get it. After that, I need to head to campus and do some administrative stuff. I was lucky they still let me into the course since I was so late accepting.” What I didn’t let on with Faith was how dire my money situation really was. I had just enough to make it through the semester, but that meant no extras.

Faith nodded. “I still can’t believe what Easton did. Sophie called it though. She’s always hated him.” I suppressed a shudder. If only Faith knew what else he’d done to me over the years.

“I wish I’d seen this coming. Maybe I wouldn’t have wasted my college years with an asshole.” I squared my shoulders. The sooner I got on with my life, the sooner I’d forget what I’d left behind. It was time to take back some of the control Easton had stolen from me. “But I’m here now, and I’m about to start living. Which means I better get ready for class.”

Abbie…

An hour and a half later, I sat in the back of the small auditorium watching as everyone took their seats one by one.

A collective hush fell over the room the moment Xander Chase walked in. I had seen photos, but they were nothing compared to seeing him in the flesh. I’d known he was young, but honestly, he could have been one of the students. And smoking hot didn’t even begin to cover the description.

“You can call me Xander. Mr. Chase is my father.”