I blink. “When? Tonight?”

“Monday. After I left your place.” The words are dragged from him.

Hurt lances straight through my heart. I sensed the breakup was coming, but to be with her on my birthday.

It slices deep.

“Kissing is cheating!” I exclaim. “You did tell her I didn’t get into Harvard. Screw your—what, parting gift? Please. I don’t want a thing from you—”

“What the hell?” River whisper-yells as he appears backstage like a storm and rushes to Donovan. “Your mic is on.” He reaches for the wireless box, fiddles with the buttons, removes it, then plucks the mic off his toga.

Benji shoves inside the space and gives me a long look. “Ana? You okay?”

I stare at him blankly, then it dawns on me…the eerie silence out in the basement. My head shakes, realization hitting me. “Wait, wait—did people hear us?”

Benji grimaces. “It was blasted over the speakers in the kitchen, mostly his voice. I could barely hear you. Pool area, too, I’d guess. I ran all the way down here.”

My eyes close.

All these people.

Students I have classes with.

The fraternity brothers.

Humiliation rises as the blood leaves my face. Stomach jumping, I slide the curtain aside the tiniest bit. Harper and her sorority sisters are gathered a few feet away. Mellany has her phone out as she takes pictures or records. Harper smiles like it’s the best day of her life, her face animated as she murmurs to Audrey.

Donovan rubs his forehead. “What’s going on? Was…was my mic on?”

“Yeah, catch up. All the party rooms have speakers,” Benji’s mutters.

River grunts his agreement as he puts the mic on Benji then presses a piece of paper into his hands and slaps him on the back. “Here’s the list. Read the winners, be cool, and act like nothing happened.”

“Wait a minute! I was going to do that,” Donovan mutters, jostling around to stand in front of Benji.

River pulls him away from the stage entrance. “No. You walk out of here and clear your head. Maybe stick to your room until this blows over.”

Donovan frowns. “Come on. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll make a joke—”

“You’re not taking the stage,” River says firmly through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, then why don’t you do it, President! Oh, wait. You never want to read—”

“Shut up, Donovan,” Benji mutters, scowling. “You’ve already dug a hole.”

“Go on out there,” River tells Benji, ignoring Donovan’s protests.

Benji leaves, the spotlight hitting him as he spreads his hands and grins broadly at the crowd. The lizard is still on his shoulder. “PARTY PEOPLE! Who’s ready to hear who won the toga contest? We’ve got one boy and one girl to crown King and Queen of the Greeks!” A spattering of applause and hoots come from the partiers.

“What happened back there?” a male voice from the audience yells out. “Y’all filming Days of Our Lives at the Kappa House?”

Benji laughs. “Hey, every day is a party with the Kappas. And the winners are…” He rattles off the names then—

“Who stole a car?” a voice cries out.

“Who had an affair with a married man?” another person asks. “Was it Ana?”

“Did Donovan break up with Ana?” comes from a girl near the front of the stage. “Tell us what happened, Benji!”

This is what happens when you date a guy from the most popular frat on campus. Everyone knows your business; they’re always watching.

They heard Donovan.

It sinks in, hard and sure, and Benji’s reply is lost as a roaring noise fills up the space in my ears. I press back against the wall. My stomach pitches, the dinner I had earlier rumbling.

Donovan scowls at River. “You had no right to send him out there! This is my house, my party, my last year here—”

River grabs his arm and gives him a shake. “You publicly broke up with a little sister. You ripped her apart in front of everyone. Have some fucking respect.”

“I didn’t mean to do it like that.” Tense moments pass as Donovan’s face compresses. He sends me a desperate look. “Ana, look, I’m sorry—”

“No,” I say tightly. Hasn’t he said everything already?

He looks uncertain and takes a step toward me but stops just as Crew and Hollis appear at the door. He blinks at them.

Great. The whole frat is coming back here to see what’s going on. They all know!

Donovan scoops up the jewelry box then tucks it under his arm. “I’m taking this, then. Just thought since I bought it months ago, I might as well give it to you…” He sways on his feet.

Crew and Hollis get on either side of Donovan.

“Hey, buddy, let’s get you off the stage,” Crew says, his tone even and calm.

Hollis nods. “Yeah, bro, let’s sober you up.”

He walks out with them and disappears.

Benji has a couple on stage and is putting laurel wreaths on their heads, but most everyone is watching the stage door. As soon as Donovan walks out, he shakes off Crew and Hollis and shoulders his way to the Deltas—to Harper. Unable to look away from the small break in the curtains, I watch as she grabs his hand and leads him through the throng of people.

Every eye is on them.

Heads turn as they whisper.

My chest pings as a riot of emotions spiral through my head. Hurt and frustration are first. As Donovan and Harper disappear from my view, heading up the stairs to the main floor, white-hot anger shoves down the hurt. My scalp prickles with rage and I want to scream. Okay, I knew we were teetering on the edge, but…

He judged me with a list of crimes—then announced them for everyone to hear?

My fists clench as the incredulity rises, the ramifications settling in. They think I’m an awful person—and he dumped me because of it!

“How could he say those things to me?” I say mostly to myself, my voice low. “I knew we were different, but we were always friends first. Deep down, though, he doesn’t get me, does he? He needs black cocktail dresses and a perfect pedigree and hair that isn’t lavender, because that would be a travesty!” I stop, my voice cracking. I’m not making sense, but I can’t…

“Let it out,” River says.

“He—he used my past against me! Who I am, where I came from! He should have ended it after they put their stamp of disapproval on me this past summer, the sonofabitch!” I picture the baseball bat from the apartment in my hands, going at his Tesla. “Sneaking around and kissing her? That’s cheating, it is, it is, and he told her about Harvard, and God, what else has he told her…” My voice trails off as I squeeze my hands even tighter.

He touches my arm, and I start. He’s ripped a piece of his toga off and hands it to me. “You’re crying.”

I take it from him and press it to my eyes, seeing mascara on the fabric. My chest hitches.

“He’s drunk.”

“People say what they really think when they’re trashed, and you know it. I can’t change who I am or who my parents are for him. I don’t want to. I like who I am. I’m me, just me.” I hit my chest.