Chapter 1

The snow falls heavily outside my window. It seems peaceful outside. Today is the last day of classes before the winter break. My campus will be empty by tomorrow morning. Except for me. I don't plan on going home. I'm so pissed at my parents right now. A few weeks ago, I broke up with my scummy ex-boyfriend, Dane. I don't know how it happened, but he sent me a video of him having sex with a girl from our hometown. I assume he had meant to send it to her but sent it to me instead. He didn't even notice what he did until I called him and told him we were done and hung up. He tried calling me multiple times, but I blocked him. So this asshole decides to go to my parents' house and tell them I'm ignoring him for petty reasons and he needs them to talk to me. When they called, I told them what had actually happened and they told me I was being selfish.

"His family is rich, Riley. They've taken us on many trips since you two have been together and give us expensive gifts. Are you really going to mess that up over a bit of infidelity?" my mom had said to me. I couldn't believe her.

I was never with Dane for his money. I never expected him to shower me with nice things. We were together for 4 years and never once did I ask him to buy me nice things. He only did it for birthdays and Christmas. His parents were generous enough to bring my parents and I along on trips and such, but that never mattered. I loved Dane. We have been having problems since I started college. I moved away from my home town. He used to visit me a lot on weekends during my first year and I always came home during my breaks. But we struggled with long distance. Then, after Dane took over as manager at his father's business, he hasn't been able to visit. I guess that is probably when he started cheating. I recognize the girl in the video as one of the employees at his father's business.

It's been 3 weeks since that and I haven't talked to my parents. How can they expect me to stay with someone who doesn't respect our relationship? I'm over it. He hurt me. They hurt me. I'm not going home.

"Riley, are you coming?" Lily says to me. Lily is my best friend. We met in first grade. She's basically the sister I never had. We applied to all the same colleges so we could stay together. Then, of course, Lily requested that we share a dorm.

"Yes, I'm coming," I reply. We have one class left today before we are finished.

I put on my winter coat and boots and we head out.

We are walking across the campus towards the school. The snow is still coming down heavily.

"You know you don't have to stay here alone for 2 weeks. You can come with me and my parents to the cabin. They don't mind," Lily looks to me, "You'd even have your own room since Kaleb won't be there."

"Ew, and sleep in your brother's gross ass bed? No thanks." I laugh.

"Oh, you'd love it." Lily teases.

"I haven't liked your brother since we were 13. When he tripped me in your front yard and I got soaked by the giant puddle. Then he pretended to help me up and dropped me back on my ass just to get a laugh out of his stupid friends. Remember that?" I ask as if she could forget.

"Yeah, yeah. But you still get a hard-on whenever he's around." Lily chuckles.

"Nah, that's just me showing my dominance and superiority. He couldn't measure up." I say.

Lily breaks out laughing.

"Don't tell him that. He acts like he's hung like a horse. He has a new flavor every week." Lily says, shaking her head. Yup, that sounds like Kaleb.

To be honest, I don't like Kaleb like I used to. But I can't lie, he is so fine. Hotter than the sun itself. I could get off just looking at him. But he insists on annoying me every time he opens his mouth and I'm pulled back down to planet Earth.

"But seriously, come spend Christmas with us. Don't stay here alone." Lily asks again.

"I'll think about it. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'm driving right to the cabin." Lily tells me.

"I'll let you know tonight. We have to get to class now."

Lily nods her head and we go inside the school building.

-----------------------------------

Lily and I don't have the same classes so I'm sitting by myself in this lecture hall, not even listening to the professor. He talks so slowly and makes this class agonizely boring. I zone out and don't pay attention to the rest of the class. I'm basically asleep by the time the class ends. I'm officially on break. I text Lily that I'd be going back to the dorm, since she still has one more class to go to.

I make the walk back to the dorm. The snow has stopped coming down and the sun has appeared. I make it back to the dorm in under 10 minutes. I start to empty my backpack when my phone lights up. I look to the screen to see a text from Lily.

'Have you seen this?' her text read. Not even a second later, a photo pops up in our chat, a screenshot of someone's I*******m post. I recognize him as one of Dane's friends from back home. He posted a new group photo. Dane is in the photo with the girl he cheated on me with. He has his arm around her, kissing her temple, how he used to kiss me. The photo is captioned 'Double Date Night'.

I look up from my phone and fight back the tears. He's already taking her on double dates. This wasn't a one time thing he slipped up on. He had an actual relationship with this girl. He has feelings for her. And that just makes it hurt that much more. Was I not enough for him? I gave him everything I had for 4 years. I had so many firsts with him. He was there when I got my license. When I broke my leg jumping from a cliff into a lake. He was my first love, the one who took my virginity.

I wipe away the tears and put my phone down. I have a sudden dark feeling in my chest. I'm not sad anymore. I'm pissed. That bastard had the audacity to spend 4 years making me love him just to hurt me like this. I refuse to shed anymore tears for him. He's not worth it. I look around my room. I can't stay here for 2 weeks alone. I'll go crazy. I need to be somewhere else. But I am definitely not going home.

I open up my closet and pull out my suitcase. I start shoving warm clothes and socks into the case. Enough for 2 weeks. I zip it up and put it by my bedroom door, then take out my phone to text Lily.

'Changed my mind,' I type, 'I'm coming with you tomorrow.'