Page 118 of Wicked Lord

“I have been at the house. I’ve just been a little preoccupied in my bedroom. With Axel.” I shot her a shit-eating grin.

Axel had told me that Jacob, the second-string quarterback she’d been dating fucked a freshman in the bathroom of the Copper Cove gala a few days ago. Tate had caught them in the act and gone completely feral on the girl. If I really wanted to go toe-to-toe with her, I’d bring it up, but I liked to think that was something the old Lorelei would do.

I’d come a long way since then.

“Nice.” The fakest giggle I’d ever heard pealed out. “Have you heard I’m seeing someone new? Vaughn Radcliffe actually… You know him, don’t you?”

A chill skittered up my spine at the name. That creep from Axel’s frat was a total asshole. They were the perfect match actually.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of him.”

“I had no idea he was so close with Brock Haversham.” She inched closer, her smile growing more brazen. “You know, Vaughn told me that according to Brock you’re still engaged.”

I huffed out a breath, leaning casually against the club, even though my insides were in a tangle at the mere mention of his name. “Well, what can I say? Brock couldn’t take no for an answer. I guess I’m just that desirable.”

Tate snorted on a laugh. “I don’t see a new ring on your finger… in fact, I never saw one at all, even when you claimed to be with Haversham.”

“We were pre-engaged,” I muttered through clenched teeth.

“And what about you and Axel? Is he going to put a ring on it soon?”

Judging by the fact that I hadn’t heard from him all day, he was likely balls deep inside Cordelia which meant we were closer to a break up than an engagement.

My chest deflated at the horribly colorful picture I’d drawn in my mind. If Axel picked Cordi, I’d be devastated. The terrible truth sucked all the air from my lungs, and heat pricked at the corners of my eyes.

“I don’t know,” I finally barked before spinning away so the little bitch couldn’t run back to Vaughn telling him she’d seen me cry.

The last thing I needed was it getting back to Brock. If he discovered this thing between Axel and me was nothing more than a desperate arrangement, he’d be knocking down Daddy’s door threatening to claim what he believed was his.

“Where are you running off to, Lore?” Tate called out from behind me, an irritating twang to her tone, but I refused to turn around.

No way I’d let her see the ugly tears running down my face.

I stared at the text message I’d been waiting for all day, my heart a war drum beating at my ribs. With one hand clutching my bedsheets, I read over the words for the fifth time.

Axel: Practice is running late, blondie. Meet me at the field after, around 8?

He was breaking up with me, there was no other explanation. Why else would he want to meet me at the stadium, a public place filled with all his football friends? So that I wouldn’t make a scene… or no, maybe he wanted one. We were supposed to have a public break up according to my stupid rules.

Axel: Okay?

I stared at the screen, hot tears threatening to spill over once again. Get a grip, Lorelei, you knew it wouldn’t last. Axel Vanderhart was too damned good for you. Gulping in a deep breath, I forced my fingers to type out a message.

Me: Okay.

Tossing my phone across the bed, I flopped down on the mattress and buried my head in the pillow. Love sucked. If this was what I’d been missing out on all these years, I wasn’t sure I wanted it anymore.

No daughter of mine is that weak. Get up, Lorelei and take care of business.My father’s words echoed across my skull in a maddening tempo. Which was laughable since it was his fault I was in this mess in the first place. But he wasn’t wrong…

Pushing myself out of bed, I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. I had an hour before I had to meet Axel, and I would use that time to my advantage. If he was going to break up with me, I would make it pure torture. Then when I was in private, I could come home and crumble, drown in a pool of tears and a shattered heart.

An hour later, I strutted out of the Zeta house with my hair in perfect waves cascading down my bare shoulders, wearing the most scandalous dress I owned. It was a bright pink, curve-hugging Herve Leger with cutouts on both sides, dipping just below my breasts and showing off my hip bones. The only thing missing were stilettos, but since I was meeting Axel at the stadium, I couldn’t exactly traipse across the field in those. So instead, I’d settled on cute pink and white Adidas.

Every member of ATO stared, whistled, and catcalled as I marched past the fraternity house toward the stadium. Luckily, it was a short walk to the campus bus and then a quick ride to the training field. The old Lorelei would’ve never been caught dead on the bus, but since my car had been repossessed, I’d discovered the magic of public transportation. I used the five-minute ride to compose myself and center my thoughts.

Was I truly in love with Axel?

Yes.