To make matters worse, six months ago, my mom got remarried, to Evan’s dad, so now one of Sebastian’s best friends is my stepbrother. Harry, Evan’s dad flew him, Mom and Evan out here for a visit so they could let me know about the engagement and I managed to be cordial to all of them, but the ghost of Sebastian has tainted any kind of relationship I could have with my new stepfather and stepbrother. I went to the wedding, so did Sebastian, he brought Courtney as his date. I managed to avoid speaking to both of them, by only flying in an hour before the ceremony and leaving right after the meal.

When it came time for me to apply to colleges, I planned to stay near home in Maine, but Mom begged me to apply to a couple of schools in Florida and because I’m a sucker, and because I genuinely hate the fact that I only speak to her on my birthday and Christmas, I did.

What I wasn’t expecting was to be rejected by every school I applied to, even my safety schools. The only school that did accept me was Kingsacre college, a private school about an hour from Green Acres, and the one Evan has been attending for the last two years. Not only did they offer me a place at the school, but they also offered me a full scholarship.

I’m pretty sure me sort of being a Morris—even if it’s only by marriage—is the reason I got in, and the scholarship is probably being entirely funded by Harry, considering there was nothing spectacular about the solid B grades across the board on my high school transcripts. But when my only choice is Kingsacre or community college, Kingsacre won out.

“There’s nothing wrong with community college, you could stay home for the next year, go to school here, take some classes and then transfer to a four-year school next year,” Dad says, desperately.

“I’m not a sixteen-year-old girl anymore, Dad. I’m going to be nineteen soon, and I’m not going to be forced into close proximity or have to have anything to do with Sebastian. He was in a unique position of power at GAA so I had no way of sidestepping him and honestly, maybe it wasn’t as bad as I remember. Sure he was controlling, but he never hurt me or pressured me into doing anything I wasn’t comfortable with.” Except that one time where we bartered over him seeing me naked, I think, but don’t say aloud. Dad and I are insanely close now, but there was no way I was going to tell him about Sebastian giving me orgasms. In the most uncomfortable conversation in the world he asked me if Sebastian had raped me and I told him nothing like that had happened, that was the one and only time we discussed it.

“What school did your mother say Sebastian was at?”

“Harvard, I think,” I tell him, then clear my throat. My mom is still firmly team Sebastian, and on the rare occasion I speak to her, she makes sure to always talk about him. I usually wind the conversation up at that point, but she takes pleasure in telling me all about how well he’s doing and reminding me that I missed my chance with him. He really did take her from me, just like he said he would.