October Academy

Chapter 67

Nick hangs up, and I quickly put my phone away.

He spots me a few meters away, starring at him through bushes. "Oh, Jade, dear, what are you doing outside?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just leaving," I say, trying to keep my voice still.

This man had his own wife murdered. It's as clear as the expression of guilt on his face. Nick walks a few steps closer to me and says, "leaving so soon?"

"Unfortunately, I'm feeling unwell," I say and hope that whatever Alyssa tells Isha lines up. "In case you hadn't heard, we were all in a terrorist attack just last week. Some of us haven't settled as well."

Nick seems taken aback, but then regains composure. "Yes, I did hear," he says, but there's no emotion behind it. "Well, I do hope you enjoyed dinner. Darcy has some flaws, but he's a good kid."

"He is..." everything to me, yet I'm not enough for him. "He's a good kid."

"I'm glad at the end of the day, even after everything we've been through as a family, he still comes to me about everything. My opinion is very important to him," Nick says and I can detect the threat under his words. "I think you'll fit nicely into our family, don't you?"

I smile.

"I would hate for Darcy to hear any of what I just said."

"I didn't hear anything," I lie.

"Good," he says, lips twitching into a smirk.

"I really should get going, thank you so much for having me."

"Thank you for coming."

.

.

.

I wake up on graduation day with a letter pushed under my door. I hesitate before picking it up. I don't need another confusing letter about Tim, or my family, or the creepy wing at school.

But I'm curious. I pick up the letter. The writing is typed, it's not the usual scribble.

Dear Jade,

I'm sorry about how we left things off.

I've decided that our relationship cannot continue. I shouldn't have led you on for so long. At the end of the day, we're from two different worlds. I'm always going to question whether you're good enough for me, and you're always going to feel like you don't belong.

I think this is for the best-

I stop reading. I scrunch the letter and throw it at the wall. Is he fucking serious? He's fucking abandoning me after everything we've gone through together? I don't understand.

He really is choosing his sugar mummy over me? I thought he said he didn't do that anymore. I thought that maybe I was making him realise... I thought he...

I was naïve to ever think some like Darcy Kane could ever fucking love me.

Not to mention his father is responsible for his mothers 'suicide'. I mean... how am I supposed to even mentally process that? And Darcy doesn't even know. Whatever, he's not my problem anymore. I should be happy I've dodged a bullet.

But instead, I feel like a bullet has been wedged right in my heart.

I think I'm going to faint.

Perry opens my door, dressed in her graduation gown. "Jade, you were meant to be ready ten minutes ago."

I break down in tears in front of her.

She runs forward, kneeling on the floor with me. "What happened? Jade?"