“Aren’t you going to NYU to pursue yours?” Ian asked. “Fashion design?”

“Yeah. I want to design fashion, but I also don’t want to give up everything else in my life to do it. It’s not wrong to want to pursue all your dreams, is it?” Trihn asked.

She didn’t want to stop dancing, and maybe one day, she would even want to model again. She felt so limited, quitting everything else to pursue just one thing. That wasn’t what college was supposed to be about. It was supposed to broaden her horizons, not limit them.

“It sounds crazy,” Ian said.

Renée shrugged. “A little crazy, but if you think it’s right, then do it.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what feels right,” Trihn told them.

“Take this time while you’re here, without your family telling you what to do, and you’ll figure it out.” Renée covered Trihn’s hand with her own. “Do what’s best for you. If that means staying in New York and going to NYU but getting a dorm with a stranger and not living with Lydia, then do that. If it means making amends with Lydia and starting fresh, that’s fine, too. If it means taking this opportunity to go to Las Vegas…well, that’s up to you, too. You have to think about you. It’s the only way you’ll be happy.”

Trihn took the next two days to think over Cassidy’s offer. She didn’t want to just jump into something crazy, but she did want to actually consider it.

On the day that her family was supposed to come back to the city, she had made up her mind. She dialed Cassidy’s number and waited.

“Hello?” Cassidy answered.

“Cassidy?” Trihn said.

“Hey, Trihn! You caught me at a good time. I was just packing a bunch of stuff for Las Vegas and sending it with the movers.”

“That’s really awesome.”

“Why does it sound like this is the last time I’m going to hear from you?” Cassidy asked.

Trihn took a deep breath. “I’ve made up my mind about your offer, and I just wanted to call and talk to you about it.”

“Well, will you at least promise to come visit?” Cassidy asked. “It’s supposed to be so much fun there.”

Trihn’s stomach flipped as she broke the news to her friend, “I’m in.”

EXPLAINING TO HER FATHER over the phone that she’d be moving to Las Vegas the day they came back from vacation was easier than she’d thought it would be.

“I understand,” he said into the phone. “I thought the distance would make you decide that you wanted to make up with your sister, but it seems that’s not the case.”

“No. I think I’m ready for something new, somewhere else. I want to be my own person.”

“And not follow behind Lydia?” he asked.

“Exactly. And this isn’t all about Lydia either. I was offered something amazing. I’m only young once, and I want to embrace it.”

“I always knew my wild child was still in there,” he said with a laugh.

She ended the call with tears in her eyes as she packed a suitcase. She was supposed to meet Cassidy at the airport in a couple of hours. She was only bringing enough stuff to get her through the first week or two before classes started. Her dad had agreed to send the rest to her once they had things sorted out with the university, and she had her own place.

She still couldn’t believe that she was going to move across the country, but at the same time, she was so excited.

Trihn called for a cab to take her to LaGuardia Airport. With her luggage, a cab would be way easier than dealing with the subway.

Nearly an hour later, the cab driver was unloading her bags in front of the terminal. She paid him and watched him drive away.

This was real. It was really happening.

She wheeled her luggage inside and printed off her boarding pass. Her phone chimed.

Already through security! Easy, peasy.

Trihn laughed at the message from Cassidy.

A knot formed in her throat, and she tried to hold back the tears. No matter how right the decision felt, she was still leaving her home behind and without even a proper good-bye.

As she walked toward security, she said her own farewell to her family. She knew they would visit, and she would be back for the holidays, but it wouldn’t be the same.

“Trihn!”

Trihn whipped around in confusion as her name was yelled from across the terminal. What the hell?

And there was Lydia, dashing across the room like a madwoman. She stopped in front of Trihn and rested her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

“What are you doing here, Lydia?” Trihn asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Dad…told us…in the car,” Lydia said.

“And what? You made him drive you here, hoping to catch me?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. What are you doing here?”

“You can’t leave! Las Vegas, Trihn? What the hell is that?” Lydia asked, catching her breath.

“I can leave. In fact, I already have my ticket and my bags packed, and I’m leaving now.”

“You can’t do this because of me,” Lydia said.

“Why is everything always about you, Lydia? I’m doing this for me. I’m doing this because I was given a great opportunity, and I can study fashion anywhere. I don’t need to be here in the city.”

“But we were supposed to live together.”

“You made your choice about that,” Trihn said. “I’m making my choice. This is my choice.”

“You’re overreacting about this whole thing, and you’re going to regret it.”

“No,” Trihn said, “you will.”

“He didn’t even love you,” Lydia said harshly.

Trihn cringed. No, she knew that. He hadn’t loved her. That was fine. She could move on…eventually. “Well, he doesn’t love you either.”

“Yes, he does,” Lydia said. Her voice was indignant.

“Did he tell you that we slept together?” Trihn finally admitted.

She hated bringing it up, but Lydia had to know. She had to know everything even if it was utterly humiliating to Trihn.

“Well, I figured as much.”

“At the beach house,” Trihn clarified.

“What?” Lydia asked in surprise.

“Yep. Your precious boyfriend, the one who claims to love you, slept with me when he knew that we were related and after he knew you two were ‘serious,’” Trihn said, putting air quotes around the last word. “He doesn’t love you. He’s just using you like he uses everyone else.”

“You slept with him in the Hamptons?”

Trihn paled and nodded. To her greatest regret and shame, she’d done it..

“So…it wasn’t just him. My own sister was in on it.” Lydia’s hands shook. “When?”

“Lydia—”

“When?” she demanded.

“The night of the Petersons’ party.”

Lydia covered her mouth. “We had sex the next morning.”

“I know.” She swallowed hard. “I heard it.”

“Where?”

“Why are we doing this?” Trihn asked. “You don’t need all the details. It happened. It was a mistake. I’m sorry that we did it, but you have to know now that Preston is a dirty scumbag. He’s not right for you. He’s not right for anyone!”

“Where?” Lydia repeated crossly.

Trihn sighed and huffed, “On the pool deck.”

“How could you do this to me?” Lydia asked. Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked like someone had kicked her puppy.

“I didn’t mean to do anything to you, Lydia. It’s Preston. He’s the manipulator. Can’t you see that?” Trihn reached for Lydia’s hands and held them tight together.

Lydia wrenched out of her grasp. “I see all right. I see fine now. You want him for yourself. That’s what this whole thing is about.”

“What?” Trihn asked, dumbfounded. “I do not want to be with Preston.”