Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

1.16 | New Girl + In Public

Edited on April 27th, 2018.

Dedicated to nainapandey. Thanks sweetie for all your love and support since the beginning <3

| . . . C H A P T E R . . .  1 6 . 1 : N E W - G I R L . . . |

I returned to the apartment in the evening after having spent a couple of hours in the library to study but only ending up wasting that time by going through Buzzfeed and watching random YouTubers videos.

I didn't fail to notice that I kept getting certain looks from the female population and in my wake, I'd hear the hushed whispers.

Riddhima called out, "Hey, I invited Amanda for dinner, hope you don't mind. She's been wanting to try Indian food for some time now."

I barely smiled, "Sure, it's fine."

"Everything okay?" She questioned my mood at once when she saw my face.

"Yeah, I just need to be alone right now." I answered and she nodded, letting me retire to my room.

I recalled another encounter I had barely ten minutes ago when I was walked back from campus towards housing apartment.

Amanda was walking from the opposing direction and I smiled at her and greeted, "Hey Amanda!"

She scoffed rolling her eyes, "Really?"

"What?" I questioned in confusion. "Did I do something?"

Just over the weekend, everything was good, wasn't it?

She crossed her arms over her chest in accusation, "Oh, don't pretend. You knew I liked him. If you liked him too, all you had to do was say it. You didn't have to steal him behind my back."

She's talking about Arnav. The rumors must have caught up to her. "Amanda, no, listen. You're getting it all wrong."

She shook her head refusing to believe me, "No, Khushi. I think I finally get it. This has been going on for months behind all our backs, hasn't it? The way he'll always be looking for you. I used to think I was just imagining it because the two of you never talk when it's all of us. But I see it now. Tell me, did it happen when you both were together in jail, huh? Rain and all... it must have been perfect and romantic, huh?"

I swallowed the hurt from hearing her words. I fought with Arnav for her, telling him over and over again to stay away from her because I didn't want her to be hurt - even during the initial months when Amanda and I weren't even that good of friends. But she heard some rumors and believed it because it was convenient?

When I remained silent, she scoffed again. "What? Don't look at me like that. You're the sneaky bitch here stealing her friend's guy, not me."

"Everything okay over here?" A guy interrupted and I looked at him to instantly recognize him. Even though it had been dark when we'd met, I remembered his voice. Aaron and his dog, Buttercup.

Amanda rolled her eyes, muttered "Whatever" and left.

I closed my eyes and exhaled. Why was today happening? Did I not have enough of my own that I have to deal with Arnav's mess? I reopened them and smiled at him, "Thanks for that."

He smiled back, "No problem, saving damsels in distress is my forte. She looked like she was going to chew you alive. Friendship gone bad?"

My shoulders sagged in exhaustion, "Today seems to be the day for it."