Chapter 3
When I arrived at the party, I noticed Jason and Sophie were there as well.
When the birthday girl, Diana, saw me, he gave an awkward smile. "Amanda, come on in and grab a seat. Thanks for making time for my birthday. I know you're super busy recently."
I smiled politely and gave her the gift.
"Happy birthday, Diana," I said.
Someone muttered, puzzled, "What's she so busy with? Is she still hung up on Jason or something?"
Bella fired back, annoyed, "Amanda's about to go abroad. Why would she waste her time chasing anyone?"
Jason slammed his glass down on the table, his face darkening.
He looked at me. "You're going abroad? Since when?"
I ignored him and sat down next to Bella.
Diana sensed the tension in the room and quickly jumped in. "She's been preparing for about two weeks now. Amanda's got top grades, so studying abroad is a great move for her."
Sophie noticed Jason's eyes on me and shot me a fierce glare.
"No wonder Amanda hasn't been hanging around Jason lately. Turns out she's busy getting ready to go abroad, huh?
"Let me guess, she's been reading too many romance novels and thinks if she leaves quietly, Jason will regret it?"
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.
I met her challenging stare with a calm expression. "I guess I forgot to mention. I'm going abroad with my boyfriend.
"Careful what you say, or my boyfriend might overhear."
Jason's eyes locked onto me, his gaze intense.
"Boyfriend?" he asked.
Sophie paused, then snorted sarcastically. "Boyfriend? Seriously, Amanda? Are you making up some guy to get Jason to notice you?"
I smirked, "I only chased him for a few days. He barely even counts as an ex. Honestly, you remember it way better than I do."
Sophie stopped in her tracks, flustered and pissed off.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she shot back.
"Alright, that's enough," Jason cut in.
He glanced at me. "You say you've got a boyfriend, so where is he?"
"He'll be here soon to pick me up," I replied coolly.
I grabbed my phone and shot Alex a text.
[Hey, Alex, can you come pick me up later? And could you pretend to be my boyfriend?]
Alex replied right away: [?]
"Who are you texting?" Jason suddenly asked.
I held up my phone for Jason to see. "My boyfriend? You wanna check it?"
"Really?" Jason said, his tone skeptical.
As the awkward silence settled over the room, Diana quickly stepped in. "Uh, guys, isn't this supposed to be my birthday? What are you all even talking about?"
Sophie glanced at me, a sly, calculating look flickering in her eyes.
"Since we've got some time before the food comes, why don't we play Truth or Dare?" she suggested.
The tension had finally settled, and no one was eager to start another round of drama.
Sophie grabbed the bottle. "I'll spin it. Whoever it lands on has to answer a truth."
The bottle spun around and finally pointed at me.
"Let me do the honors," Sophie said, wearing a sly smirk. "Amanda, are you saying you have a boyfriend to make Jason angry?"
Everyone's attention zeroed in on me.
My head was starting to ache upon hearing that question.
"No," I answered.
"Then who's your boyfriend?" Sophie asked.
"That's for the next round," I replied.
Sophie pursed her lips, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes.
She spun the bottle again.
The bottle must be rigged, because it landed on me again.
Sophie immediately spoke up, "Who's your boyfriend?"
"He studied abroad. You don't know him," I said, keeping my tone flat.
Sophie wasn't letting it go. "I asked who your boyfriend is, not whether we know him!"
My head was pounding. If I stayed here any longer, I was seriously going to lose my mind.
I got up and turned to Diana.
"Sorry, I'm not feeling great, so I'm gonna head out. Enjoy the party, guys," I said.
Sophie stubbornly blocked my way, refusing to let me leave so easily.
She said, "Amanda, you can't ditch us after only two rounds. How about one last round?"
My phone lit up. Alex had texted, saying he was almost here.
Not wanting Sophie to keep bugging me, I sat back down.
"Alright, but make it quick. I'm in a hurry," I said.
Sophie spun the bottle again, and once more, it landed on me.
Sophie's eyes turned cold as she whipped out her phone.
"Amanda, I've always wondered, did those thugs really succeed that night?" she asked.
When I saw the photo on her phone, my face went ghostly pale.
It happened right at the start of freshman year. Some thugs pulled me into a dark corner.
They tried to force themselves on me.
I fought back as hard as I could, but it only made them more hyped up, yelling even crazier stuff.
The ringleader even whipped out a camera, like he was about to take photos.
Jason was the one who saved me, and he got them all locked up.
Jason reassured me, saying the photos had all been destroyed, and I had nothing to be afraid of.
It took me a long time to finally crawl out of that nightmare.
But now, she was tearing open my scars all over again.
I swung my hand and slapped Sophie right across the face.
"I don't know where you got those pictures, but spreading rumors like this? That's enough for a sentence," I said, my voice icy.
Sophie burst into tears, clutching her face.
Jason walked over, his voice calm. "She was joking. No need to get so upset."
"Joking?" I retorted.
It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, making it hard to breathe.
"Where did she get those photos? Aren't you gonna explain yourself?" I demanded.
Jason wouldn't meet my eyes, and suddenly, everything made sense. The truth hit me like a punch.
"Jason, you seriously disgust me," I snapped.
I walked out of the room, but Jason rushed after me.
He grabbed my wrist, sounding almost desperate. "Sophie was out of line, but you slapped her. You're even now. Just let it go.
"Amanda, I'm saying yes to you. If Sophie makes you uncomfortable, I'll make sure to keep my distance from her."
I yanked my hand away from him. "Stay away from me!"
The next moment, I stumbled right into a warm embrace.
"Sorry about that. My girlfriend was playing around with you. Don't take it seriously," Alex said.