We’d finally had a moment to ourselves without Ray linking their arms together or hooping her arms in a noose around Brooke’s neck or spidering her fingers up Brooke’s back, and then Brooke had excused herself to the bathroom. She’d said she’d be right back, so I’d stayed in my spot by Alexei’s living room window, half-blended into the curtains. Then I’d watched Brooke return from the bathroom, sway her hips to the blaring pop music as she walked through the dimly lit room, find Ray where she was talking to Jaz and an unfamiliar girl, and slide on into their conversation.

I’d expected it, but it still felt like a slap.

I scanned the room for someone to talk to. I’d already worked the room about a billion times tonight, and I was getting sick of injecting myself into conversations. My first urge was to find Finn, but he’d disappeared with a short redhead about twenty minutes earlier.

Ray laughed at something Brooke said. Her face was alight and soft. She looked innocent, there in the half-shadows. Like someone who hadn’t rigged an election she was going to lose, and then hidden it from her girlfriend, even when they started dating.

Too bad that, as of a few days ago, I knew better. Too bad for Ray. Too bad for Brooke. Too bad for me. Because now I knew Ray was wrong for Brooke, knew it with a fierce certainty. She’d hurt her, stolen something from her, and she hadn’t done a thing to fix it.

Even in the letter, she wasn’t certain. The only reason she even wanted to confess was to save face, just in case the secret came out through someone else. She didn’t want to confess for Brooke. If she loved Brooke, it shouldn’t be a question.

But what could I do with information I shouldn’t have?

I tore my eyes away from Brooke and spun my empty cup between my fingers, then wandered over to the occupied couch and slumped down in a free spot. I aimed it wrong and my hip bumped against Hunter, Brougham and Finn’s friend. Finn had brought along both Hunter and Luke. He said it was because they were allies, but I suspected it was more to do with how those two preferred to party. “Oh, sorry,” I said.

“It’s cool,” Hunter said, distracted, as he shifted over to make room for me. He was leaning forward, holding his phone between his knees as he composed a text. I glanced down at his screen, tipsy enough that I’d read his message before I realized how rude I was being.

just at the party with luke and finn, i’ll message you when I get home. cant wait to see you tomorrow. thinking about you