sterlingpryce:Â
âGood, good.â And then an ugly pause.
âThis whole book of secrets thing is pretty crazy huh?â Usually Sterling was much better than this at making small talk. In fact he was great at it. The problem in this case is that whenever he looks at Diana all he can see is the day they broke whatever it was they had over and over again. He mostly pretended to either not understand or not mind the insults people threw at him at the school. And it worked so surprisingly well that eventually people just forgot to insult him, because it wasnât worth their time. But of all the things said to him, being called âtoo perfectâ as an euphemism for straight up boring? That actually embittered him a little.
Of course he never told his mother about this, to spare her hopes and his own pride, but seeing as this was clearly an attempt of hers in trying to force them to be together in the same room, maybe he shouldâve come clean to her. âHow are you holding up?â Sterling knew he was barely a speck of dust in her dating life, specially compared with Dante himself. Dante, however, was dead, and apparently kept track of everybodyâs secrets like a complete psychopath. Well, Diana doesnât need to hear a smug âI told you soâ from Sterling, and smug it would be, because tell her he most certainly did.
What, heâs not gonna ask how Iâm doing? Diana thought, a little bitterly. Not so perfect after all, apparently. âYeah,â Diana said, looking pointedly at her fingernails (wow, her cuticles were a mess), âItâs certainly crazy. Even I didnât think Dante would keep everyoneâs secrets in a stupid little notebook.â And sheâd thought she knew him so well, but Diana was starting to wonder if anyone really knew Dante Alvares.Â
Her gaze snapped to her exâs face as soon as she asked him that. Dianaâs initial thought was that he didnât have the right to ask, how dare he pretend to care about how she was âholding upâ. She swallowed around her rising rage, and said, cruel and facetious, âOh, Iâm doing just great. Terrific, in fact. Funny how you didnât think to ask two months ago. How are you, though? How are you, Sterling?â By the end of her rant, Dianaâs voice was decidedly raised.Â














