Just Between Us

Chapter 46

Stefani's POV

"You literally just dragged the woman, Stef- on speaker," Rachel was having a one on one with me and I was flipping through pages of a business calculus book.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed as I continued to mind my business.

She should try it sometime.

"Stef, do you even have the slightest clue on how much you hurt her?" Rachel pissed me off and I slammed the book shut.

"What about vice versa? I flew over 2,000 miles away from Lillian because the second- a slim mere second of my life where I let my walls down and I felt comfortable with her, she wakes up the next day and asks for space. Rachel, Do you honestly think, she's the only person that's hurting?" I took a moment to try and explain myself to Rachel but she still couldn't comprehend.

"Okay but like- she didn't make you feel like shit... nevermind, we're over here in Massachusetts because of her," Rachel starts to catch on.

"Precisely... I don't even know why the hell im studying and I know all there is about business, accounting, business law, business calculus, investing, finance, marketing- even the roles as a marketing manager- what the hell was the point in me renting all of these books with knowledge I've already gained from real life experiences?" I groaned and pushed the books aside.

I've never been so pissed in my life- why?

Just why?

"How are things on your end?" I changed the subject and decided to take an interest with Rachel's studying.

"So far, I've gone through all the AP textbooks on speech, English, MLA writing stratagies, APA strategies, citations, bibliographies, ideal research topics- just in case, and unmmmm-

Rachel closes a text book and takes a brief moment to look at me and we both knew what we were thinking.

"We spent hours at the library gathering resources and study materials for no reason. We're rich kids that had access to the most advanced education while growing up, this isn't benefiting us," Rachel spoke my mind.

"Absolutely, one hundred percent on board with you," I gave a thumbs up.

"Could you be on board with a one hundred percent apology for the things you said to Lillian?" She went back to the subject that was giving me migraines.

"Why?" I retorted.

"Because that's not how you feel about her," Rachel was bold for saying what she said.

"What makes you so sure? I was just about to plunge my fist into her engagement with my dad just hours ago over the phone and told her about the affair," I looked at my nails carelessly.

"Yeah because your dad triggered you by going all authority and high and mighty and shit on you- you're a little toxic about the way you react to certain things Stef but you know you didn't mean any of the things you said earlier," Rachel reasoned.

"Oh- I did, I meant every word," i loathed in my memories of my dad yelling at me.

Idiot, I scoffed.

"You only said it like you mean it because you're still hurt about Lillian wanting space," Rachel continued to get warmer on the truth.

"How many times am I going to repeat myself with you Rachel, I said I don't want shit with her!" I roared and knocking interrupted our one on one.

"What?!" I yelled again and Rachel just rolled her eyes as I'm still in the heat of the moment.

"Uh- it's Veronica?" Her muffled voice projected through the door.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered and followed behind Rachel.

"Should I come back at a- Oh! Hai," she smiled brightly...

"UGH!" I rolled my eyes and stormed off in disgust leaving her and Rachel alone.

I went to my bedroom and flopped in the bed trying to get a grip of myself, and I've literally reached the peak of my patience.

Why am I in the wrong?

"You told your step mom she can shrivel up and die?" Veronica just pleasantly made herself comfortable in me and Rachel's dorm. She might as well just move in at this rate.

Spare me.

"For the last time, she's not my step mom," I groaned.

"Not to add onto the bad news or anything but Stefani, we've been pointlessly studying for hours and we have to be bright and early to take these exams," Rachel butted in.

"It's four in the afternoon," i grumbled.

"Yeah and we've been up late last night, early this morning. I don't want to deal with cranky and heart broke Stef tomorrow," she sassed.

Please.

"Heart broke?" Veronica was still here...

Why is she here.

"Oh uhhhhhh..." Rachel miserably fumbled.

"I have a soft spot for my step mom and she's the main reason why I flew out of New York and ended up here," I explained.

Veronica's eyes lifted upward as her mouth nearly dropped.

"I mean- stepmoms can be hot, but damn.. did she not like the kiss or what?" Veronica set her belongings down and sat on my nightstand.

"Please, all I did was take her out to dinner because my dad is a shit man of a fiancé and was caught fucking his assistant by yours truly," I scoffed.

"So she sent you across the country as the solution?" Veronica tried to follow up with the little details I provided.

"Hell if I know how the woman thinks. But me being in Massachusetts was my call. A pleasant one at that- why are you here?" I changed the subject and Veronica flinched at a loss of words.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to slip in a small weight lifting session to relieve the stress of exams but obviously that's not the case," she smiled sheepishly.

"No shit sherlock," I sighed.

"I still think you should go apologize," Veronica giggled.

"How about I apologize in December. Start the New Year off with a clean slate," I scoffed and Rachel shook her head in her hands hopelessly.

"When we pass the exams. We're flying out to go apologize," Rachel tried to reason and my face never scrunched up so quickly.

"You make me want to fail intentionally," I retorted and Veronica gripped both my shoulders.

"You have an opportunity to make up with someone that obviously cares about you. Go fucking apologize!" She shook me up and down and I shoved her off of me.

"You're just as persistently annoying as Rachel," i hissed but no matter what.. Veronica still wanted to do what was ideally good for me.

"And you're just as persistently stubborn as you are trying to workout in the gym. I'll let you skip out on exercise for two weeks if you go apologize," she folded her arms.

"This is a scam; if I pass my entry exams, I have to fly out and apologize. And if I apologize, I can skip out on exercise. Scam," I stared into the shit ceiling fan.

"A really beneficial one, now get some rest," Rachel ended the afternoon on a subtle note and walked Veronica out.

"Goodnight," Veronica teased and I groaned.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm trying to update accordingly but im coming across all of these potential plot twists while doing so and I end up having to stop writing and then write a scene I may or may not even use.

Principal's Office plot diagrams all over again, but no one dies here- I made that promise. And Lillian and Stefani are end game in its own twisted way.