He Erased My Dream School For Her, I Alraedy Had A Better One Chapter 02
When I came to again, a nurse was saying, “You passed out
from a severe allergic reaction not long after the ambulance
picked you up. I called your emergency contact. He should be
here any minute.”
The door to my ER room opened the next second.
Grant hurried in, his face with worry.
“Clementine, are you okay? I didn’t realize your allergy was
this serious. I thought…”
He reached out to smooth my hair, but I leaned away.
His hand hovered in midair for a moment before he finally
spoke. “Can you stop being mad? You know Nora’s family
doesn’t have much. You can’t seriously expect her to spend a
fortune and lose an entire year just to reapply.”
“You’re different. You have your parents backing you, and you
have me to help you.”
It was absurd.
I looked up at him, my voice rising before I could stop it. “Did
I make her family poor?”
What gives you the right to use my future as her safety net?“)
Grant opened his mouth to argue, but a nurse came in to give
me an injection.
He instinctively stepped closer and covered my eyes with his hand.
I shoved his hand away, rejecting the cheap show of concern.
The moment his hand moved away, a crystal pendant carved
in the shape of a clementine came into view.
Happy birthday.”
Grant glanced at his watch. “One minute until midnight.
Perfect timing. Let me put it on you.”
Nora walked in just then.
The moment she saw Grant fastening the necklace around
my neck, a flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes. It vanished
almost instantly beneath a smile.
Happy birthday, Clementine. When Grant drove me back to
Cedar Hollow over winter break last year, we went up to a
mountain mine and dug out that piece of white quartz
ourselves just for you. It really suits you.”
She deliberately leaned closer to admire it.
But I could see perfectly well what was hanging at her
collarbone beneath the neckline of her shirt.
It was a heart–shaped pink crystal pendant engraved with G&N.
1 yanked off my necklace and held it out to Grant.
Nora suddenly knocked her elbow against my hand.
The crystal slipped from my fingers, hit the floor, and broke cleanly in two.
Nora gasped in dismay. “Clementine, we picked out that
crystal ourselves, and Grant hand–carved it into a birthday present just for you!”
How could you treat it like it means nothing?”
She reached down to pick up the broken pieces.
A jagged edge sliced her fingertip, and blood welled up
immediately.
Grant’s expression darkened.
*Clementine! You’re heartless.”
You have no respect for anyone else’s feelings.”
He shoved past me, helped Nora up, and walked out with her.
A humorless laugh escaped me as I opened Instagram.
Nora had posted ten minutes earlier.
[Got the genius’s lucky charm right here. Summit Tech, here I come.]
In the photo, a small guardian–angel charm rested in her palm.
I recognized it instantly.
Last summer, while Grant was preparing his special merit
application, he had run himself ragged. He barely slept,
hardly ate, and ended up in the hospital more than once.
I had hiked alone to a mountain chapel to have a
guardian–angel charm blessed for Grant.
And now it was sitting in someone else’s hand.
Slowly, I lifted my right wrist and stared at the identical
charm I was wearing.
I ripped it off and flung it away.
When I got home, I booked a flight to London for two days later.