Forbidden Lessons On Ice

Chapter 9

The funny thing about this call was that it wasn’t even the first time Britney had done something like this.

She always acted strange whenever it came to Sienna. One minute she was standing beside her, laughing at her jokes and acting like her biggest supporter, and the next she was secretly reaching out to me.

It honestly made me raise a brow every time. But it wasn’t my business. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

“You know I know your voice, right?” I said after she insisted she wasn’t Britney. There was no way I was falling for that.

“I told you, I’m not Britney. Now listen to me. Meet me in the back in twenty minutes. Usual spot.”

I literally rolled my eyes. She had just proven it herself.

Nobody else would ask me to meet them in the back. That was always where Britney wanted to talk whenever she was pretending to be someone else.

Usually, I never went. Why would I? Britney hated me. She was one of Sienna’s people. There was no reason for me to believe she suddenly wanted to help me.

For all I knew, this could be another trick. Maybe Sienna wanted to embarrass me again. Maybe they were planning something worse.

But today was different. Today, I was curious. I needed to know what was happening. “Fine.”

“Okay, don’t be sass with me. I’m helping you here, okay?” she said, sounding annoyed.

I didn’t reply. I simply rolled my eyes and pulled the phone away from my ear as she hung up.

Another notification appeared on my phone. This time it was Freya. She was asking if I had food in my fridge.

A small part of me smiled because that was such a Freya thing to ask.

Sure this wasn’t going to be the first time she saw me after Sienna’s minions had hurt me. Every time it happened, Freya panicked.

She would ask questions, try to help, and look at me like she wished she could take the pain away.

That was why I lied. I told her I had no food, hoping she wouldn’t come over.

Even if she did, I made sure to leave my key in the door so it would be harder for her to let herself in.

I knew it was a terrible thing to do to my best friend, but right now I just couldn’t deal with anyone worrying about me.

I was exhausted. Not just physically. Emotionally.

My brain felt like it had been running for days without stopping. Studying was impossible. So instead, I changed into normal clothes and left to meet the girl who claimed she wasn’t Britney.

When I reached the back of the college, the place where all the shady conversations and secret deals happened, I immediately saw her.

Britney.

She was standing there with a scarf covering part of her face, clearly trying not to be recognized. But honestly? If her walk didn’t give her away, then her long pink stilettos definitely did.

Nobody else would wear shoes like that at this hour.

“Britney, so it has been you?” I asked. I was confused, but at the same time, I looked around carefully. I needed to make sure this wasn’t some kind of setup. Although, honestly, that was almost funny. Sienna didn’t need to create some complicated plan to hurt me. She had never needed an excuse before.

“I’m not Britney. I’m Ruby,” she said, trying to change her voice.

That only made me more convinced. Because now she sounded even more like Britney.

I rolled my eyes but accepted the envelope she was holding out.

“What’s this?”

“Sienna is not a natural blonde,” she said.

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I know she’s been telling everyone that she is.”

Okay. Everyone knew Sienna cared about appearances, but how exactly was I supposed to use the fact that her hair wasn’t naturally blonde against her?

“Listen,” Britney continued. “Inside there is the address of the salon where she gets her hair dyed. She’s a fake blonde.”

I stared at her. “Let me guess. There’s also another address for her surgeon?”

“Yes. How did you know?” she asked. Her voice was completely normal now. Honestly, I thought she was supposed to be the smarter one. “And down there is her contract for her latest nose job,” she continued. “She said she grew up, that’s why her nose suddenly became pointy.” I nodded, pretending like I was impressed. “Well, she lied. Imagine if the whole school found out about this.”

I looked at her. “Isn’t she your friend?”

“I told you, I’m not Britney.”

“Oh yes, Ruby. You said you’re Ruby.”

“Yes, I’m Ruby, and I’m not loyal to Sienna anymore. I’m betraying her now. Bye, I have to leave.”

Before I could say anything else, she turned around and walked away. Just like that. I looked down at the envelope in my hand and sighed.

I didn’t even know why I was keeping it. I didn’t want to become like Sienna. I didn’t want to destroy someone’s life.

But at the same time… This was Sienna. The same person who had humiliated me for years. The same person who had made me feel small every chance she got.

I shook my head and took the envelope with me… if this was actually important, I could have done it. But everyone knows Sienna does get work done and dyes her hair, no big deal.

Back in my dorm, I threw it away and collapsed onto my bed. I didn’t even remember falling asleep.

One moment I was lying there thinking about everything that had happened, and the next thing I knew, sunlight was already coming through my window. I forced myself to get up.

First, I redid my homework and made sure everything was finished properly before taking a shower and getting ready.

It was strange how I hadn’t called Ryan again last night. Normally, I would have. Normally, I would have spent the entire night staring at my phone, waiting for him to respond.

Maybe everything that happened distracted me. Or maybe deep down, I already knew. Ryan had probably blocked me. Still, I had Axel’s lessons now. Soon, Ryan was going to realize what he lost.

He was going to come back. And when he did, I was going to make him work for it. At least for a little while. He hurt me. The least he could do was understand what it felt like. But wait, who was I kidding? The second Ryan apologized, I would probably forgive him.

I would probably run straight back into his arms without thinking twice. That was the worst part. I hated how much power he still had over me. It was just unfair.

Ryan broke up with me right after I lost my mother. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, my father decided to remarry. Not just anyone. A woman who was once my mother’s friend.

And somehow, the person who hated me the most became my stepbrother. My life had turned into something I never could have imagined.

I was still drying my hair when my phone suddenly rang. At first, I thought I was imagining it. Then I looked at the screen.

Ryan.

My heart stopped. Ryan. My ex-boyfriend. Well… To me, we weren’t really broken up. So my BOYFRIEND had just called.

I felt like I suddenly forgot how to breathe as I stumbled toward my bed and sat down.

My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it. Ryan was calling me.

He was actually calling me!