“OK! Well, you’ll never guess who I got a call from this morning.”
I cocked my head at her, my patience wearing thin.
“Out of the blue, the head of my college, Principal Evans, rang me and, can you believe it, he apologised… to me!” She shook free of my hold on her, and her closed hands went to either side of her temples then exploded outward, splaying her fingers wide. “Boom!” she cried, her mind blown.
“The moment I heard him introduce himself I thought it was all over; I thought I was going to have plead my case all over again and beg him to not kick me out, that I’d do everything I could to improve my grades, but I didn’t have to. It was like I was bloody dreaming.”
“Wait, so they’re going to give you another chance?”
“Not only that, he said that if I was struggling with the workload due to the pregnancy, or if I was getting stressed, to contact him directly, or the Vice–Chancellor, and they’d make sure I was looked after.”
“Woah, that’s crazy,” I said, stunned, but I narrowed my eyes. “I’m so happy for you, but what changed their minds? Is there a catch?”
We drifted over to the couch and sat.
“There’s no catch. But I’m not finished yet.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“No, it’s a good thing, I think.”
“What is it?”
Phoebe breathed in. “My scholarship has been scrapped; my tuition has all been paid for, every last penny of it. Principal Evans also implied that a sizeable donation had been made at the same time. And I can only think of one person that has that type of power… or influence for that matter, not to mention the money to pull it off.”
The realisation slapped me square upon my waking face.
“You think Lex did this?”
“Bingo!”
My mind whirled, trying to figure out if it was Lex, and I determined that was the only reasonable explanation. But what were his reasons for doing something this honourable? Was he just being a nice guy for Phoebe’s sake, or did he have a hidden agenda, like when he’d blackmailed Loretta?
Did he do this purely out of the kindness of his own heart because Phoebe was my best friend… or did he see her as a threat? Was he jealous of her?
Don’t be so fucking silly.
“Woah,” I said again, letting it all sink in.
This was a good thing. No, it was absolutely fantastic. Phoebe would be able to take all the time she needed to decide her fate and not have to worry about losing her place in a highly sought after University. And if she did decide to go ahead, they’d support her all the way. Of course, it might take her a bit longer to finish her degree, but at least she wouldn’t have to start all over from scratch at another school.
“Tell me about it. I feel like I’ve just won the lotto. Actually, I might grab a ticket from the corner shop later on.”
A light bulb suddenly went off in my head.
“Did the Principal say when your tuition was cleared?”
“Yes, this morning. He said he was given a cheque and called me straight after with the good news. Why?”
My heart soared. “If it was Lex, that means he’s in the country… in Oxford!”
But then why hadn’t he come to see me? At the thought, my shoulders sagged.
“Stop it,” Phoebe warned.
I looked at her with puzzlement.
“Stop thinking the worst – you do it every time.”
“But he hasn’t answered my calls, hasn’t called me back. I haven’t bloody heard from him in days! Something’s wrong, I know. I have this gut–wrenching feeling deep inside telling me that it’s all over. Goddamit, I want to trust him, I really do, but when he gives me the silent treatment, my resolve just crumbles,” I whined.
“Look,” she said and glared at me, “you know I haven’t been his biggest fan, but what can I say? He’s grown on me. Once you scrape away the harsh exterior, you get to see a glimmer of his generosity shining through. And for what it’s worth, I see the way he looks at you when you’re not paying attention, and you don’t have a thing to be worried about. He adores you. There’s no way he’s going to leave you. That man would give you the moon if he could and the stars alongside it.”
Her words struck a thickening cord within my throat, and a cascade of fresh tears dripped down my face.
“Give him the benefit of the doubt, please, for me?” she asked, pulling me into a tight hug.
“When did you become so wise?” I said, skipping over her question.
“Bugger’d if I know… maybe it’s the little bean inside me being a good influence?” She chuckled.