You Threw Away a Diamond Chapter 01

You Threw Away a Diamond Chapter 01

My boyfriend, Julian, lost a game of Truth or Dare at his fraternity party.

The dare was to kiss the person in the room he found most attractive.

My lips curled into a playful smirk as I watched him, but I never expected him to walk right past me.

He leaned down and pressed his mouth to the new cheerleader Cassidy’s in a searing kiss.

Our friends shot awkward glances my way, while Cassidy wore the smug smirk of a victor.

I just scoffed, then poured the entire glass of ice-cold beer straight down the front of Julian’s designer shirt.

I declared, my voice dripping with ice, “She’s all yours. You two are a match made in hell. Try not to choke on each other.”

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1

Julian and I were high school sweethearts.

We’d been inseparable, from our small hometown all the way to this cutthroat Ivy League campus.

He used to be utterly devoted to me.

But ever since the transfer student, Cassidy, showed up, everything had changed.

I’d catch his gaze drifting toward Cassidy when he thought I wasn’t looking.

That’s when I learned they had known each other back in high school.

I watched them with a cold smile, then slammed my empty glass on the bar, the sharp crack silencing the music around us.

“Are you crazy!” Julian growled, his voice thick with anger, his jaw clenching as the beer soaked into his chest.

“It was a fucking game, Scarlett! Do you have to take it so seriously?”

“If you’d lost and had to kiss some other guy, I wouldn’t have gotten pissed,” he added, his tone laced with that manipulative edge I was suddenly so sick of.

Julian wiped the beer from his face, then grabbed a napkin to gently dab at the droplets that had splashed onto Cassidy’s cleavage.

My expression went rigid. Hearing his last sentence, a bitter laugh almost escaped my lips.

“Don’t worry. I’d never stoop that low.”

“We’re done, Julian. Delete my number.”

I snatched my bag from the chair, slung it over my shoulder, and turned to leave.

“Is it really that serious?”

“I’m warning you, Scarlett. You walk out that door, and we are done for good! You’re going to regret this!” Julian yelled after me, his ego bruising in real-time.

Without a backward glance, I stormed out of the frat house, flipping him off over my shoulder.

“Regret” isn’t in my vocabulary.

But as the cold raindrops hit my skin, a sudden, violent shiver wracked my frame, and unbidden tears streamed down my face.

All these years together, gone just like that. Who would even believe it?

I might act tough, but that doesn’t mean I’m made of stone. My stomach churned with the sickening realization of betrayal.

The low, guttural roar of an engine cut through the rain.

A sleek, vintage Aston Martin glided to a silent stop beside me.

I turned my head instinctively. The tinted window rolled down, revealing a striking, familiar face.

“Scarlett.”

Caleb called my name softly. I whipped my head away, hastily wiping at my tears, praying the darkness hid my flushed cheeks.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted out. The last thing I wanted was for him to see me in this pathetic state.

He paused for a moment, a faint, almost predatory smile touching his lips.

“Just passing by.”

“Heading back to the dorm? Me too. It’s impossible to get an Uber in this weather. Get in. Let me give you a ride.”

I gave a small nod and slid into his car.

I’d known Caleb since high school; he was a year below me. I never expected to run into him again here at Kingsbridge University.

He was always polite whenever he saw me, but kept a subtle distance. Now, though, the confined space of the car felt thick with an unspoken, simmering tension.

A soft cashmere blanket was draped over the plush leather seat. As I sank into it, the scent of cedar, bergamot, and pure, raw masculinity enveloped me, and the frantic knot in my chest began to loosen.

“Scarlett, have you been drinking? Are you upset?” he asked, his eyes focused on the road, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

I glanced at him, noticing his dark brows were furrowed with intense concern.

I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes.

“A little.”

“You look more than a little unhappy.”

“Is it because of… your boyfriend?” he asked, his voice cautious but laced with an edge of something dark, his long, thick eyelashes casting shadows on his razor-sharp cheekbones.

“You can talk to me about it. Sometimes it helps to let it out.”

I managed a weak smile, touched by his earnestness.

“It’s complicated. You’re still young, you wouldn’t get it.”

Spotting my dorm, I managed a small smile and asked him to pull over. “We’re here. See you around.”

I hadn’t realized the rain had gotten heavier. Shielding my head with my bag, I prepared to make a run for it.

But then, I heard steady, purposeful footsteps approaching from behind.

“Scarlett!”

He caught up to me, a huge black umbrella blooming open above my head. His chest brushed against my shoulder, radiating a heat that made my breath hitch.

“Take this. It’s still a bit of a walk to the entrance.”

I took it gratefully, my fingers briefly grazing his warm skin. A jolt of electricity shot up my arm. “Thank you.” He just smiled, gave a small wave, and jogged back to his car.

After walking a few steps, I glanced back. The car was still parked in the same spot, its headlights cutting a bright, clear path for me through the rain, watching over me until I was safely inside.