He Took Her to Europe With My Money Chapter 11

He Took Her to Europe With My Money Chapter 11

A week later, Leona called me.

“Darien has made sure no company in the industry will hire me.”

“Everyone in the class group calls me a homewrecker.”

“I lost my job, and now I can’t even cover next month’s rent.”

“Camille, please talk to him for me. I have nowhere else to turn.”

I watched the reagent in my petri dish slowly change color.

I said nothing.

Her voice rose, growing more desperate as she reached for old favors.

“Camille, remember freshman year when you had a fever?”

“I stayed in the dorm and looked after you all night.”

“Remember when your manager withheld part of your paycheck?”

“I confronted him for you.”

“I was always good to you.”

“You can’t abandon me now.”

“Leona.”

I cut her off.

“Freshman year, you pretended to be sick because you wanted to skip an early class.”

—

“You stayed in bed scrolling through your phone all night. You didn’t even bring me a glass of water.”

“And when you confronted my manager, you only went because you wanted the limited-edition bag from that store.”

“You used the wages you recovered for me to buy it for yourself.”

“You never paid me back.”

Her breath caught.

She had not expected me to remember every detail.

Her voice trembled.

“I’m sorry, Camille.”

“Can you forgive me one more time?”

“I won’t help you.”

“And I won’t forgive you.”

“Don’t call this number again.”

Darien had followed me around campus like a ghost for the entire week.

Then, one afternoon, it began to rain.

He started removing his jacket, intending to place it over my shoulders.

Evan stepped in first and held a clear umbrella above my head.

—

“The forecast said it would rain, so I brought an extra umbrella for you,” he said.

Darien froze.

“Who the hell are you?”

Evan tilted his head.

“I’m Camille’s lab partner.”

“And her friend.”

His voice remained calm.

“You’ve been seriously disrupting her life.”

“If you continue harassing her, I will involve campus security and the police.”

Darien laughed coldly.

“Her friend?”

“Who do you think you are, interfering in my business?”

He lunged toward Evan and reached for his collar.

“Darien.”

My voice stopped him.

“If you touch him on Linden property, I’m calling the police right now.”

Darien turned to me, disbelief written across his face.

“You’re protecting him?”

—

“You’ve known this guy for less than two months, and you’d call the police on me for him?”

The rain fell harder.

“Yes.”

“Because he respects me.”

“And all you have ever done is tear me down.”

Darien staggered as though I had struck him.

“Let’s go, Evan.”

I turned and walked beside Evan beneath the clear umbrella.

He angled most of it toward me, leaving one of his shoulders exposed to the rain.

I could feel Darien staring at my back.

But I did not look at him.

In this new world, one that had nothing to do with him, I had already found my footing.

I no longer needed to follow behind him.

I no longer needed his so-called protection.

Behind me, through the curtain of rain, Darien slowly crouched down.

He buried his face in his hands.

Rainwater and tears ran between his fingers.

“Camille…”