“Hello?”

“D? Why are you whispering?”

“Because it’s late, Caleb, and everyone is asleep. Do you need something?”

“I’m sending you a text and I need you not to freak out, okay?”

I pull the phone back and check the time. “Really, Caleb? It’s almost midnight and you’re trying to text me?”

“Zoe’s been trying to reach you since yesterday. Have you spoken with her yet?”

Shit. I never did call her back. We spent the rest of Friday watching movies until we participated in the traditional Friday game night, and today Zach walked me around downtown and let me fawn all over the cute shops the town has. Add that to the less than stellar phone signal I have here, and I haven’t even thought about calling Zoe back.

“No, I’ve been busy. I’m with…” I pause, wanting to phrase it the right way.

“You’re with him, right? I told you, it’s cool.”

“Yeah, I’m with him.”

“Well she couldn’t reach you, so she enlisted my help. This is the first I’ve had signal.”

“Fine. Whatever. Send the text.”

“You have to promise first.”

I’m beginning to become agitated, and it’s evident in my noisy sigh. “I promise.”

“Okay, check your phone.”

Pulling my phone from my ear, I see I have one new message from him. I tap it open.

I wish I hadn’t.

I can’t breathe. My lungs have stopped working as I stare down at the picture—my picture.

It’s me.

Naked.

It’s the exact same photo I sent to Zach Thanksgiving morning.

An array of emotions flutter through me—rage, hurt, confusion.

How could this happen? Why would Zach betray me like this? How did Caleb get ahold of the photo?

“How did you get that picture?”

“It’s spreading like wildfire. Everyone from school is talking about it, but no one knows it’s you, D. I only recognized you because, well, I’ve seen it all before, and because of your tattoo.”

“Nobody else knows it’s me?”

“Not as far as I know,” Caleb says. He sighs. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know who sent it, and I don’t know how it’s spread so fast, but everyone is talking about it.”

“I…I really don’t have words right now.”

“Do you know who you sent the photo to?”

I study Zach’s sleeping form and the tears begin. “He’s sleeping right next to me.”

“Maybe it was an accident?”

“He promised me he’d delete it.”

“I’m so sorry, D. What do you want me to do about it?”

“Anything to keep it from spreading further. Please. I’ll be home in the morning.”

“I promise I’ll do everything I can.”

“Thank you, Caleb. That means a lot.”

“It’s not a problem. Do you…do you need rescuing right now? I’ll drive there in a heartbeat.”

I shake my head, even though he can’t see me. “No, but tell Zoe I’ll be home tomorrow, okay?”

“I will. Try to sleep, D.”

“Night, Caleb.”

We hang up and I sit there, shocked. I can’t begin to explain how I’m feeling in this moment. It’s like I’m Earth and a tornado, a hurricane, and an earthquake have struck me all at once; I can’t take the beating.

I creep from the bed, careful not to wake Zach or Marshmallow. I tiptoe from the room and down the hallway to the bathroom.

The moment I flip the lock on the door, the tears come streaming down my face. I pull up the photo again and examine the screenshot Caleb sent me.

There’s the proof, right there.

My heart crumbles.

At the top of the photo it has “Z” as the sender and the text attached reads, You gotta see this. Whoever he sent it to must have screenshotted it and forwarded it on.

I cannot wrap my head around this. I thought for certain Zach was it for me. Forget the sparks; the fireworks were there, and they’ve done nothing but build until this moment.

I lean my back against the door and slide to the floor, needing to sit. I’m having a tough time breathing, and it’s the hardest I’ve ever had to work for every inhale and exhale. I feel crushed.

I don’t know how long I sit there, and I’m surprised by the soft knock at the door.

“Delia? You in there?”

I quickly wipe away the tears rolling down my face and do my best to calm down so my voice doesn’t come out sounding shaky.

“Yeah.”

“Everything okay?” Zach asks.

“Trying to pee.”

“Oh…okay. The sheets were cold on your side so I knew you must have been gone a minute. Just checking in.”

“I’m fine. I’ll be out in just a second.”

I hear him walk away, and for a moment I feel guilty for lying to him.

Then the guilt is quickly gone—he’s the betrayer, and I’m the betrayed.

I lift myself off the floor and peer into the mirror. I can’t walk back to that bedroom looking like I do. He’ll know I’m upset, and I don’t want to get into this in the middle of the night. In the morning, I’ll tell him I’m having cramps and want to leave. I’m certain he’ll buy it.

I run cold water and rub it over my face, clearing away the tear streaks and hoping to help with the puffiness I see everywhere.

Taking a deep breath and talking myself out of running from this house right this moment, I twist the knob and sneak back down the hallway.

Once I enter the room, I realize I’m faced with another problem: I have to spend the night lying next to him.

Which is going to crush me even more.

Sliding under the covers, I make sure to lie at the edge of the bed so I don’t have to touch him.

Out of nowhere, his hand lands on my shoulder and snakes up, brushing away the hair from my neck. His lips collide with my neck and my body betrays me, sparking to life from the kiss.

“Delia?” he whispers against my skin.

My name sounds like love and duplicity all in one.

“Yeah?”

“You sure you’re okay?”

“My period is here and I’m having horrible cramps.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

I hate that he’s being so sweet right now. It’s almost enough to break me.

Deciding now is the time to ask, I roll over and paste a sweet smile on my face.

“Actually…do you mind if we go home in the morning? I didn’t pack any period essentials and my flow is heavy.”

I have to give him kudos—he doesn’t flinch or bat an eye at my talking freely about menstruation.

Instead he gives me a soft smile. “Whatever you need, we’ll do it.”

He places a kiss to my forehead and I have to squeeze my eyes shut before tears begin to flow again.

“Good night, Delia.”

“Good night, Zach.”

Goodbye, Zach.

“Thank you so much for everything, Jack. It was wonderful to meet you.”

“Don’t be a stranger, dear. I’m sure we’ll see you for Christmas.” He winks at me, and I want to cry again.

I’ve been a hot mess all morning, alternating between pure anger and wanting to sob, but I’ve managed to hold it together.

Rose leans in for a hug and I return the gesture.

“Come back whenever you’d like, Delia, and bring that Marshmallow with you too.”

I give her a smile. “I will, Rose.”

We give another round of hugs and then finally make it out the door, piling our bags and Marshmallow back in the car.

“Do you want to grab a shake before we leave?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Zach’s brows shoot up. “Wow. You denying those heavenly shakes—you must really not be feeling good at all.”

I shake my head and he pulls out of the driveway.

I flip the radio on, lasting only a few minutes before I have to rest my head against the window and pretend to sleep for the rest of the ride. I can’t bear the thought of him trying to talk to me right now.

It doesn’t feel like we’re in a car. It’s like we’re packed inside one of those giant walk-in coolers and someone’s twisted the lock so we can’t get out.

“Delia? We’re about ten minutes from your apartment.”

I pretend to rouse myself awake, but I don’t say anything to him.

He pulls into the lot and parks the car. Neither of us moves.

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s not just your period bothering you. Did I do something wrong?”

It begins as a cough, but then it turns into a full-on belly laugh.

And finally, I’m sobbing.

“Delia? What’s wrong?” He reaches out for me and I dodge his touch as my sobs turn to laughter again.

I know I sound like a maniac right now, but I don’t care. The anger that’s been simmering beneath the surface is threatening to bubble over, and I’m about to lose my shit.

I feel like Little Red Riding Hood staring down the wolf, only I’m fighting back.

“What’s wrong? Are you really asking me that right now?”

His brows scrunch together. “Yes.”

Oh Zach, what a great actor you are.

“I’m worried about you over here. You’re starting to scare me. What happened? Please, tell me if I did something wrong.”

Oh Zach, what an asshole you are.

“You’re either an excellent actor or you’re getting some sick enjoyment out of this.”

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Seriously, Zach?”

He throws his hands up in frustration. “Yes, dammit!”

Slamming the door open, I fly out of the car, the anger really setting in now.

“Delia! Don’t walk away! Talk to me!”

I pluck my phone out of my purse and pull up the text, stalking toward him and shoving it in his face.

“This, Zach! This is why I am pissed. You took my private photo and sent it to your fucking friends. Remember when Zoe was calling me like crazy and I kept ignoring it? Well guess what’s all over campus.” I shake the phone. “This! I received a call last night from Caleb—my ex-boyfriend—warning me about the picture.”

I turn the phone my way, staring at the image that broke my heart in two.

“You were supposed to be the one person I could trust. You were supposed to keep me safe. You promised you’d never do anything to hurt me.” I sniffle and wipe away a tear. “I put all my faith in you and you threw it back in my face. That’s what hurts the most—not that the photo is out there and half the campus has seen me naked. It’s that you let me down in the biggest way possible.”

We’re locked in another silent war, tiptoeing around the battlefield.

When I finally gather the courage to meet his eyes, I’m baffled at what I see.

Anger.

“You don’t know me at all.”

Then he’s gone, and I’m left standing there with more questions than I had before.