Cruel Love

by Kate Brian

  And by esteemed you mean filthy rich, Ariana thought.

  “No, I’d rather not,” Ariana said, knowing that the fewer people who remembered her here after today, the better off she’d be. “I’m not really up to it … right now …” She forced herself to dissolve into tears and covered her whole face with the tissue.

  “No, no. Of course not. That’s quite all right,” Mr. Lawrence said, reaching over to pat her arm. “Please don’t cry. You can meet her the next time you come in. Would that be preferable?”

  Ariana sniffled hugely. “Next time. Perfect.”

  Of course, there wouldn’t be a next time. If she did have to leave the country, she’d never set foot in this branch again. And if she didn’t have to leave, she intended to keep this account open and full as an emergency fund for as long as she felt she needed it.

  “Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Lawrence,” Ariana said as she signed the deposit slips with a flourish.

  “Of course, my dear. Of course.” He slid the check and the deposit slips into his hand and arose from his chair. “I just need to take these over to a teller to make the deposits. I’ll be right back.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Mr. Lawrence scurried off, headed for the long cashiers’ desk at the back of the bank, Ariana took a deep breath and looked around. The bank’s motto was emblazoned across practically everything in sight, from the desk blotter to the letterhead to the front window.

  International Trust. For your peace of mind.

  Ariana smiled. For her peace of mind indeed.

  THERAPIST PAST

  Ariana walked to dinner that night between Tahira and Maria, her face hidden under huge Donna Karan sunglasses, a wool hat pulled low over her ears, the collar of her black coat turned up over her cheeks. All she could think about was getting into the dining hall and off the open quad. Dr. Meloni had never once eaten the cafeteria food at the Brenda T., preferring to order in his meals from overly expensive gourmet restaurants and eat them in the privacy of his office. She could only hope his snobbish culinary tendencies would continue during his tenure at Atherton-Pryce.

  “Okay, what’s up with the sunglasses at night?” Tahira asked Ariana, her brow creased with what could only be serious fashion concern.

  Luckily, Ariana had long since prepared for the question. “I’ve had a splitting headache all day. I can hardly even look at a light,” she explained. “These seem to help.”

  “Well, just don’t let it become a thing,” Tahira said, holding the collar of her fur jacket closed over her throat.

  “She’s right,” Maria chimed in. “People will start to think your success has turned you eccentric, and eccentricity is frowned upon around here.”

  “Point taken,” Ariana replied.

  She looked up at the dining hall door, wishing she could just make a run for it. But, she supposed, that would also be rather eccentric behavior. She had to try to keep that kind of thing to a minimum, especially now that Palmer was apparently bent on making her out to be a loon to all their friends. For a moment, she considered asking Maria and Tahira if he’d said anything to them today, or if they’d heard anything via the APH gossip mill, but she decided against it. Asking about a rumor only gave it credence.

  “So have either of you guys heard from Soomie?” Tahira asked, her breath making steam clouds in the cold air.

  Ariana shook her head. “Not a word.”

  “Let’s all call her right now,” Maria suggested, pausing to take her phone out of her bag.

  Ariana stopped two steps ahead. “I’ve already called her twice today. Can’t we just get inside?”

  “If it goes to voice mail like it always does, it’ll only take two seconds,” Maria told her, hitting a speed-dial button and lifting the phone to her ear. “I just don’t want her thinking anyone’s forgotten about her.”

  Ariana clucked her tongue impatiently, which her friends didn’t seem to notice, and hugged her own arms as she waited.

  “Voice mail,” Maria said, rolling her eyes. “Hey, Soomie. It’s Maria,” she said into the phone. “I’m here with Ana and Tahira and we’re just … we just want to talk to you. We want to know you’re okay. And we also wanted to tell you … hang in there. It’s going to get better. I promise. If there’s anything we can do, please, just … call us back.”

  She ended the call and shoved the phone away.

  “God. Where could she possibly be?” Tahira mused, pushing her hands into her pockets.

  “I just don’t get it,” Maria said, tilting her head back and blowing a cloud of steam toward the sky.

  “I know,” Ariana chimed in, glancing over her shoulder at the dining hall. “You’d think her parents would at least call us and let us know where she is. Don’t they realize there are people here who care about their—”

  The words died on her tongue as a dog’s bark, loud and persistent, filled the air. Suddenly the entire world constricted to a tiny, solid, pinprick. Walking past them, not three yards away, were Dr. Meloni and his trusty dog, Rambo. The dog strained on his leash, lurching in her direction, as if he recognized her scent. Ariana turned away from the dog, but she could hear Dr. Meloni coaxing the Doberman under his breath, cooing to him to behave.

  “Come on, Rambo. Come on, boy. You know better than that.”

  As he passed, he shot a glance at Ariana and her friends. Ariana’s knees went weak. She sidestepped slightly, angling so that her face wouldn’t be visible past Maria’s shoulder.

  “Ana? Are you okay?” Maria asked, reaching for her. “You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

  “Are you having another … episode?” Tahira asked under her breath.

  Ariana shook her head, but couldn’t formulate an answer. Episode? Her friends thought she was having episodes? This was so not good. And if Palmer had said anything … well, then that was even worse. Dr. Meloni and Rambo kept moving away, headed slowly toward the Administration Building, but even with the distance between them, Ariana couldn’t seem to make herself breathe.

  “Ana?” Maria said.

  Tahira gripped her arm. “Ana? You’re turning purple.”

  Come on, Ariana. Just breathe! But he’s here. He’s right there. He’s going to destroy me.

  Ariana doubled over, bracing her hands above her knees.

  “Omigod! She’s not breathing,” Maria said. “We have to get a doctor.”

  I have to run. I have to get the hell out of here. I have to … to … to run!

  Her mind started to fog over. Her brain floated in space. She was going to faint. If she didn’t get some oxygen soon, she was done for.

  Breathe, Ariana. Just breathe.

  “I’m going inside,” Tahira said. “I’ll grab the nurse! Or that new shrink. Shrinks know CPR, right?”

  “No!” the word growled out of Ariana’s throat. Tahira froze.

  Breathe, Ariana. Just breathe.

  Ariana closed her eyes, concentrated as hard as she could, and sucked in a breath.

  In, one … two … three …

  Out, one … two … three …

  In, one … two … three …

  Out, one … two … three …

  Tahira placed her hand on Ariana’s back in a comforting way, holding it there until she was finally able to stand up straight again. Until she was finally able to see clearly.

  “God, Ana. Are you all right?” Maria asked, looking terrified.

  “Everything all right over there, ladies?” Meloni called out.

  “Tell him I’m fine,” Ariana said through clenched teeth.

  “But you’re—”

  “Tell him!” she hissed.

  “We’re fine!” Tahira shouted shrilly.

  “All right then. Better get inside. It’s going to be below zero tonight,” he replied.

  “We will. Thank you,” Maria called out. She put her arm around Ariana’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Ariana said. “I don’t … I don’t kn
ow what happened.”

  “Looked like a panic attack to me,” Tahira said. “My brother used to have them … pretty much any time my father was in the room.”

  Maria managed to laugh. “You should have let us call him over,” she said, glancing at Meloni’s retreating back. “He could’ve helped.”

  “Like I said, I’m fine,” Ariana said, staring past her friend at her worst enemy.

  He’s here. He’s here on campus. He’s found me. The one person who could send me right back to the Brenda T. He’s here. He’s here. He’s here.

  “You know what? I think I’m going to skip dinner,” she said.

  “Are you sure?” Maria asked.

  “Yeah. I kind of just want to go for a walk,” Ariana said. She backed up the pathway toward Privilege House. All she could think about was getting away. “Maybe bring me something back at the dorm when you’re done?”

  “Sure,” Tahira said. “We’ll try to eat fast.”

  “Thanks, guys,” Ariana said, attempting to smile, to put them at ease. Then she turned on her heel and speed-walked off, headed for the safety of her private room. But even as her pulse began to normalize, she realized she wouldn’t be able to hide forever. And she couldn’t keep having panic attacks in front of her friends, especially not with Palmer out to ruin her. Sooner or later she was going to have to figure out a way to deal with this. Sooner or later either she or Meloni was going to have to go.

  PSYCHIC

  Why did he have to show up now? That was what was so unfair about this whole Meloni situation. Just when Ariana had gotten together her plan for Reed Brennan, just when she was on the verge of executing the bitch that had ruined her life, Victor Meloni had to waltz in and distract her. Why couldn’t he have just come next week when Reed would already be dead and buried? When she’d have all kinds of time to work the problem? Why couldn’t she just for once catch a break?

  Ariana got up from her desk chair and began to pace.

  Victor Meloni had to die. That was the only solution. Even if he was fired, even if he left campus, Ariana would always be looking over her shoulder, always be wondering when and where he was going to pop up next. She simply could not have an enemy like him out there walking the streets, moving in her circles. He had to go. He just had to go.

  But how?

  Ariana’s stomach grumbled with hunger, her face felt tight and dry from exhaustion and the cold, and her head pounded with pain after her panic attack, but she ignored it all. She needed to figure out the best way to deal with Meloni, and she needed to do it fast.

  The idea of a gun was very satisfying. Everyone else had died so cleanly. Knocked over the head or drowned in a lake or lying in a hospital bed. But Meloni … Meloni was special. He was truly evil. He deserved a seriously messy death. Ariana paused in the center of her room, her heart skipping an excited beat. A gun, yes. But how was she to get one? And if she did get one, wouldn’t they be able to trace it back to her?

  She gnawed on the side of her thumb, narrowing her eyes as she executed a slow twirl on her throw rug. Maybe … maybe she didn’t need one. Dr. Meloni had to have a gun of his own. He was just that type of guy. He had worked for years inside a facility for the criminally insane. Of course he’d bought a gun to protect himself lest any of his former patients or their family members ever come calling. He was just that narcissistic. Just that self-important. To think that someone would one day seek him out for revenge.

  Ariana pressed her hands together. She had to get inside Meloni’s house and do some recon. And she had to do it soon. Before she bumped into him one day on campus, or worse—before her mandatory meeting was scheduled.

  A sudden rap on the door stopped her heart. Ariana’s blood ran cold. What if Tahira or Maria had ignored her request and told Dr. Meloni that their friend was sick? What if he’d come up here to make sure she was all right? Could she hide in the closet? Pretend not to be here?

  “I know you’re in there!” Jasper’s voice teased through the door.

  Everything inside of Ariana relaxed. She lunged for the door and pulled him inside, closing it firmly behind him.

  “Hey,” he said with a smile. He kissed her quickly, his lips freezing cold and dry. “You must be psychic.”

  “What? Why?” Ariana asked.

  “I got us dinner,” he said, dropping a takeout bag on her desk. He shook his jacket off his shoulders and tossed it on Kaitlynn’s bare bed. “When I went to the dining hall to get you and saw that you weren’t there, I figured you had some kind of premonition that you shouldn’t fill up on greasy roast beef when I was going to show up bearing gourmet Chinese.”

  Ariana inhaled the sweet and spicy scents wafting her way from the open bag. Never could she have imagined that she would feel so grateful to someone for bringing her spring rolls and rice. Clearly, he was the one who was psychic. He seemed to always know exactly what she needed.

  “You might be the greatest boyfriend of all time,” she said.

  Jasper slipped his arm around her waist and smiled. “I aim to please.”

  Then he kissed her, and for the first time all day, Ariana forgot all about Victor Meloni. She forgot all about Reed and Palmer and what tomorrow might bring. All that mattered was where she was right at that very moment.

  With Jasper.

  FORMER LIFE

  The sun was just starting to brighten the gray morning sky when Ariana slipped into the Georgetown biology building’s admittedly dungeonlike basement through a service entrance in the back. The hallway smelled of formaldehyde and rotting garbage, and she covered her nose with her cashmere scarf to keep from choking. Taking a deep breath through her mouth, she stood for a moment and listened. All was silent and dim. The only real light in the underground hallway emanated from the glowing, red exit sign behind her head.

  Somewhere in this basement was Reed Brennan, and wherever she was, she was all alone. Adrenaline coursed through Ariana’s veins, and her fingers curled into claws. She couldn’t wait to sink her fingernails into the bitch’s skin.

  Walking on her tiptoes, Ariana crept to the first door and peeked through the long, skinny window. The room was dark. She checked the lab across the hall. One light shone at the professor’s desk, but it appeared to have been left on overnight. There was no sign of life. Outside the third door, Ariana hit pay dirt. There was a clipboard tacked to the wall, displaying a lab schedule. Under SIX O’CLOCK, FRIDAY MORNING, Reed Brennan—and only Reed Brennan—had signed her name.

  Suddenly, there was a loud click—the sound of a bolt lock opening—and Ariana heard the upstairs door creak. It had to be Reed. She was five minutes late, but she was here. Heart in her throat, Ariana flung herself inside the lab and pressed back against the cinder-block wall. The only windows in the long, dank room, were set high in the opposite wall, and all were closed against the cold.

  All the better to keep anyone from hearing you scream, Ariana thought, smiling in anticipation.

  All the overhead lights were off, making it nearly pitch dark.

  All the better to surprise you, Ariana added.

  She heard shuffling on the stairs and bit down hard on her lip to keep from laughing with sheer glee. But then, she heard a voice. And it wasn’t Reed’s.

  “Can’t believe you made me get up at the ass crack of dawn. Have I ever been a morning person?”

  The triumphant excitement emanating from Ariana’s heart froze in midair and shattered. It was Noelle Lange.

  “I can’t believe you actually came,” Reed replied.

  “Wait. I had a choice?” Noelle said.

  Ariana’s heart was in turmoil. She hadn’t laid eyes on Noelle Lange since her sham of a funeral last summer. What was she doing here? Did she go to Georgetown too? But no. This was not possible. If Noelle were a student here Ariana undoubtedly would have seen her by now. And Noelle had always dreamed of going to Yale. There was no doubt in Ariana’s mind that she had found a way to get there. This made no sense. No sense at al
l.

  “I already e-mailed the professor to tell him I wouldn’t be in class because of the memorial service,” Reed said. “I just have to print out the lab I finished last night and then we can get out of here.”

  “Fine. And then you are buying me one huge cup of coffee,” Noelle chided.

  They were right outside the door. Ariana looked around in desperation. She dropped down behind the first storage table and yanked on the cabinet door, but it was full of beakers and Bunsen burners. The doorknob began to turn. Ariana whirled around and spotted a four-doored closet. Praying it wasn’t locked, she pulled on the handle. It swung open, dumping several lab coats onto the floor and all over her feet. Ariana scooped them up in her arms, jumped inside, and swung the door closed behind her, jamming her fingers in the process. The pain exploded so suddenly she saw stars.

  “Damn it,” she hissed under her breath.

  She brought her fingers to her mouth and sucked on them, half to dull the pain and half to keep herself quiet. The lights in the lab flickered to life and Ariana could just see a sliver of the room as Noelle and Reed entered. She caught a glimpse of Noelle’s long, dark hair as she passed the closet and paused. Her black coat. Her diamond earrings. Her heart felt as if it was going to burst with longing.

  Noelle. Noelle was right there. If Ariana reached out she could have grabbed her sleeve.

  Suddenly, her vision started to prickle over. She leaned back against the hooks full of lab coats behind her, closed her eyes and breathed.

  In, one … two … three …

  Out, one … two … three …

  “I can’t believe we have to fly to Texas for this,” Noelle lamented, dropping onto a tall lab stool. “Doesn’t Kiran’s mom know that she lived for New York? If she’s going to be memorialized, it should be there.”

  “She wants to do it at home, where Kiran grew up. I get that,” Reed said.

  Ariana heard a printer whir to life.

  “Just so you know, my mom’s going to be there, and I’m sure she’s going to badger you about coming to St. Barth’s this year.”