Chapter 2

The smile on Claudia's face froze.

Just then, Mike jumped in front of her. He looked at me and put on a show of earnest concern.

"Tim, stop being so stubborn. All through high school, Claudia's grades were always better than yours. And as soon as the scores came out, the Kingsbridge admissions office accepted her right away.

"Why would you curse her and say she won't get into Kingsbridge? All she wants is for you to wait a year. With her notes, you might even do better next year."

With that, he leaned in close and lowered his voice. "Tim, Claudia has been mine since way back. While you were out there studying, she and I were in here 'studying' too. For the rest of your life, you'll only ever get my leftovers!"

I couldn't take it anymore and slammed my fist into his face.

Mike went down like this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

Frowning, my eyes blazing, I grabbed him by the collar, ready to demand answers.

Instead, Claudia slapped me hard across the face. "Tim! You're going too far! I told you to apologize to Mike, and you punched him? You've lost your mind!

"And you're cursing me, saying I won't get into Kingsbridge? The only one who won't get into Kingsbridge is you! After all, your dad is a convict!"

I froze where I stood.

Three years ago, my father, Charles Greenwood, had saved Claudia from a gang of thugs who'd cornered her in an alley. He accidentally went too far defending her, and to this day, he still hadn't been released from prison.

Claudia's parents, Russell and Judy McCarthy, had felt terribly guilty toward me, so they'd arranged an engagement between Claudia and me.

Back then, Claudia came to my house all the time to apologize and comfort me. That was exactly why I'd believed we were on the same page.

Yet now, she was using my father to attack me.

I glared at her, my eyes so red they looked ready to bleed.

But Claudia wasn't the least bit afraid. She lifted her chin high. "If your dad hadn't saved me back then, I never would've gotten together with you.

"Now that I see what a vicious person you are, I wish your dad had never saved me at all!"

Seething, I shoved them both out the front door and roared, "Get out! Get out of my house!"

Claudia stumbled a couple of steps. Once she'd steadied herself, she checked on Mike first. Only then did she turn to me and make her threat.

"Tim! Unless you get down on your knees and apologize to Mike, I'll never forgive you!

"Without my tutoring, you won't even get into a decent university. I'll be waiting for you to come crawling back and beg me!"

Without sparing them a glance, I slammed the door shut.

That night, I gathered up everything that had anything to do with Claudia and threw it all in the trash.

My mother, Wendy Greenwood, was confused. "Tim, don't you like Claudia? You always treated these things like treasures. Why are you suddenly..."

I paused.

Before the application deadline, I never could have imagined things between Claudia and me ending up like this.

In just one day, I'd learned the whole truth and cut her out of my heart for good.

I shook my head and said bluntly, "It's over between her and me."