“Very slick,” she says. “And very interesting. But don’t worry, I have backups of the photos. Peyton’s not getting out of this.”
I hold my head high, still in bitch mode. “Yeah, she is. Because it just so happens, I have a few photos of my own.”
I reach down, take my phone out of my clutch, click a few buttons, and send her the photo where she’s lying across Coach Steele’s desk.
When the picture pops up, the smug look slides off her face.
I wrench my arm away from her.
“If you ever try to hurt Peyton or any one of my friends again. If any of those photos ever show up anywhere, I will show these photos to the whole school. I’ll tell them how you couldn’t get Camden by sleeping with him, so you settled for his brother. I’ll tell them that your relationship was a sham.”
“What do I care? I’m going to college.”
I give her a smug, bitchy smile. “Because I’ll also send them to every Ivy League school you applied to. Camden kept everything. And there are hundreds of pictures and screenshots for me to choose from. I could release one a week for the rest of your life. If you wait until we’re older, then I’ll send them to your boss. Your parents. Your friends. Your husband. Because you can bet on this. If those photos ever see the light of day, I will destroy you.”
For the first time since I’ve known her, Whitney looks scared.
She nods at me in understanding, puts her head down, and slinks off the stage.
Still shielding my face, I head off the stage toward Cooper.
I can tell he’s pissed.
“What the fuck was that? What the hell were you thinking? There are reporters here. We’ve got to get you out of here now.”
“No.”
“What?”
“I said no, Cooper. I’m not going anywhere. Help me out by rounding up those reporters. I need to talk to them.”
As he goes off to speak to the reporters, Annie walks up to me and says, “I thought you were different. You made me believe that nice girls could be popular. I’ve mentioned your resemblance to Abby Johnston quite a few times. We saw her in New York! It would’ve been so easy for you to tell me the truth. Which means it was all just a mean game to you.” She grabs Katie and pulls her into the conversation. “Katie and I are in agreement on this. We’re not friends anymore. Although I doubt we ever were.”
Her and Katie march away as I recoil slightly.
I wasn’t expecting that from them.
I want to go after them and say I’m sorry.
But I can’t.
I turn around and stare at the door Aiden just walked out of.
I want to chase him.
Beg him for forgiveness.
Tell him the rest of the truth.
But as I see Cooper and the dean herding the reporters into a room, I know that I can’t do that either.
I remember Grandpa once telling me, Sometimes you can’t find yourself until you’re lost.
I thought it was just another silly Southern saying.
But I get it now.
I was lost.
And, somehow, throughout this whole ordeal, I found myself.
I know exactly who I am.
And if Aiden is the boy of my dreams . . .
If he really is my moon boy . . .
My fate.
Then he’ll understand.
Someday.
The End
BOOK 6: GET ME
The final book in The Keatyn Chronicles Series.
Release date: August 30, 2014