I appreciate his honesty. Honesty is rare, especially in the people I'm used to being around. The rich kids from my high school did everything possible to hide whatever might make them look bad. They always pretended their lives were perfect. I had no idea what really went on in my friends' lives.
"Let's just forget the party," I say. "We'll go to a movie."
"We're going to the party. You really wanted to go and you're already dressed for it."
"Are you sure?"
He gives me a kiss. "Grab your keys."
We get to the party at eight. People are already swarming the beach. They must've got here early to swim or surf or tan because there are beach towels and surfboards and wet swimsuits lying around. There's a bonfire and some girls are standing around it talking, their eyes following the guys that walk by. They do the same thing when they see Reed, eyeing him up and down, even though he's holding my hand.
"Hi, Reed." It's Erika. She snuck up behind him and now she's standing too close, her hand on his arm. "I was just thinking about you. We should grab dinner some night."
"Sorry, but I don't think my girlfriend would approve." He smiles at me and gives my hand a squeeze.
Erika looks at me. "I thought you were dating that other guy."
"What other guy?"
"That guy on the golf team. Blond hair. Preppy clothes. I don't remember his name."
"Preston?"
She shrugs. "That sounds right." She smiles at Reed. "Give me a call sometime. If you can't do dinner, we'll go for coffee."
She walks off.
"Sorry about that," Reed says. "She doesn't give up. She'll make a great publicist."
My mind is still on Preston. "Why does Erika think I'm dating Preston? Is he telling people that?" I see Preston off in the distance. He's drinking with a group of guys. "I have to go talk to him." I start to leave, but Reed holds onto me.
"Lilly, just forget it. Erika saw you and Preston together at that party and just assumed you were still with him."
"That party was weeks ago. I need to make sure he's not spreading rumors about me. Wait here. I'll be right back." I take off, walking quickly, sand kicking up on my legs.
"Lilly," Reed calls out but I keep walking.
As I approach the group of guys, I hear Preston talking. He's really drunk, slurring his words and spilling his drink as he talks with his hands.
"She wouldn't even let me touch her," I hear Preston say. "A body like that and I can't even touch it? Fuck, that's just mean. She needs to grow up. You should see her room. There's pink shit everywhere, like a kid's room."
Oh my God, he's talking about me! I'm right behind him, but it's dark out so his friends don't notice me.
"Maybe you didn't try hard enough," some guy says. "You need to turn on the Preston charm. That'll get you in her pants."
"I tried. Shit, I bought her flowers and some ugly ass bracelet she wanted. I watched those stupid design shows with her. Fuck, I even went to this shitty diner and ate pancakes with her. I hate pancakes. I had to choke them down. And after all that, I still got nothing. I know she's a virgin, but shit, this is college. It's time to give it up already."
My stomach clenches, my eyes filling with tears. Preston lied to me. It was all just an act. He pretended to like the things I like just to get me to sleep with him. But why is he saying these things? Why is he telling his friends this?
I go around Preston and stand in front of him. I should just walk away, but I can't do it. I can't let him talk about me that way and not confront him.
"Why are you doing this?" I glare at him, my hands fisted by my sides.
"Lilly." He smirks. "I was just talking about you."
"Yeah, I heard. And you better never talk about me again!"
"You look fucking hot." He looks me up and down, his eyes stopping on my breasts. "Let's go somewhere where we can be alone."
I shove him back. "How could you do that to me? How could you lie to me like that?" I feel the wetness on my cheeks and wipe it away.
"Baby, that's what guys do," he says condescendingly. "We have needs. We do what we have to do to get those needs met."
The guys around him laugh.
"You're disgusting!" I yell at him, then look at his friends. "All of you are."
"Come on, baby." Preston drops his red plastic cup and reaches for me. "Let me show you—"
A fist flies past me and hits Preston's face. He falls to the ground, blood trickling down his nose.
"What the fuck?" Preston yells.
I turn and see Reed there. "Don't even think about touching her. You lay a hand on her and you'll get more than a punch in the face."
"You asshole!" Preston quickly rises back up and makes a fist, aiming it at Reed, but he stumbles forward and hits me instead, his fist clipping my jaw. It throbs with pain as I fall to the ground. When I look up, I see Reed punching Preston repeatedly until Preston's friends pull Reed off of him.
Preston and Reed are both breathing hard and Preston's face is covered in blood.
"Hope you like prison, asshole!" Preston yells. "Because you're gonna be locked up for a long fucking time."
I see Vince standing there holding his phone up. He recorded the whole thing, or at least the part where Reed was beating up Preston.
Damn. This is bad.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Let go of me!" Reed tries to break free from the guys holding him back but he can't. "Lilly, are you okay?"
"Yes." I stand up and talk to Preston's friends. "Let him go."
"He's going to prison," Preston says from behind me. "Look what he did to me."
I turn and see his bloody face. "He only did it because you hit me."
"Vince, call the cops," Preston says.
"You sure you want to do that?" Reed asks.
"Fuck yeah. I'm charging you with assault. Your ass is headed to jail."
"And you'll be locked up with me. Along with your friends. Underage drinking? Possession of alcohol by a minor? Public intox? And I'm guessing you've done some drugs tonight." He keeps his eyes on Preston. "Lilly, go ahead. Call the cops."
"No!" Preston reaches for me but I back away. "Don't call them." He nods at his friends. "Let him go."
They release Reed's arms and he straightens up. "Thought you were pressing charges."
Preston glances to the side. "Forget it. It's not worth my time. Besides, you'll end up in jail anyway."
Reed tenses up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He laughs a little. "Nothing. Vince, let's go."
Preston, Vince, and the other guys walk back toward the bonfire.
Reed puts his hands on my shoulders and leans down to look at me. "Are you okay?"
I nod. "Yeah. He just clipped my jaw."
He gently lifts my chin up. "I can't see anything. It's too dark. Let's go back to campus and get some ice on it." He pulls me into his chest and hugs me. "I'm sorry, Lilly."
"You don't have to be sorry. You didn't do this. Preston did."
"I shouldn't have let you come over here alone. I don't trust that guy or any of his friends."
"Let's just go."
He keeps his arm around me as we walk to the parking lot, then helps me into the Jeep.
I smile as he buckles me in the seat. "You don't have to be so careful with me."
"Yeah I do." He brushes my hair aside and gives me a soft, sweet kiss. "I can't stand seeing you hurt."
He's more worried about me than himself, even though I know Preston hit him really hard in the ribcage and at least once in the face.
As we're driving away, he checks the clock on the dash. "The dining halls are closed and I don't have any ice in my room. We'll have to stop and get some."
"Reed, it's okay. I don't need any."
"Don't argue with me," he says sternly, but he's smiling. "I take care of my girl."
My girl. I like that I'm his girl.
He stops at the convenience store near campus, the one we went to the ni
ght of the party a few weeks ago.
"Wait here. I'll be quick." He leaves the Jeep running and goes into the store. He comes back with a bag of ice and a plastic sack.
"Reed, that's way too much ice," I say as he sets the eight-pound bag on the floor behind my seat.
"It's all they had." He puts his seatbelt on.
"What else did you get?" I pick up the sack. "Can I look?"
"Go ahead." He pulls out of the parking spot and heads to campus.
Inside the sack are some bottles of fruit punch, a pint of ice cream, a small package of chocolate chip cookies, and a candy bracelet.
I smile. "What is all this?"
He smiles back. "Lilly supplies. I told you I'd take care of you."
"With food?"
"You have to eat well when you're recovering from an injury."
"This is all junk food."
"But it'll make you feel better, right?"
"Yeah. I love cookies and ice cream."
"I remember you telling me how you and your mom always make a sundae with crushed up cookies. Well, not your mom, but Rachel."
"I'm surprised you remembered that." I told him that when we first met. That was weeks ago and I haven't mentioned it since. "Why'd you get me this?" I hold up the pink candy bracelet.
"Because you like bracelets, especially ones with beads, and those are candy beads so it's even better. They had all different colors, but I got you pink because you like pink."
I look down, feeling embarrassed as I remember Preston's comment.
"What's wrong?" He's parked now and turns the Jeep off.
"Pink. My whole room is pink. I need to change it. It's too childish."
"It's not childish."
"Yes it is." I undo my seatbelt. "It's for little girls."
"According to who?"
"My mom. Preston."
"There's nothing wrong with pink. It's a color, like any other color. There's no age limit on colors."
I turn to him and smile. "That's what I say too."
"Colors express how we feel or how we want to feel. How does pink make you feel?"
"Happy. Excited. Girly."
"All good things. So stop feeling bad about it. I like the pink in your room. It fits you. Your room wouldn't look right if it were some other color. My room is blue because I find it calming. It makes me feel like I'm surrounded by the ocean, and the ocean soothes me. The sound of the waves. The feel of the water on my skin. The freedom I feel when I surf."
"I like the blue in your room. It feels like you."
"And the pink in your room feels like you. So don't change it."
This is why I like Reed so much. He always finds a way to make me feel better.
He gets out of the Jeep and comes around to open my door. He helps me out, then takes the bag of ice and the sack of food and we begin the long walk back to the dorm.
"I should've dropped you off," he says.
"Then who would help you cross the street?"
"You're right. I need you." We're at an intersection and he grips my hand tighter as we cross the street. When we reach the other side, he stops and gives me a kiss. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." I kiss him back.
He keeps hold of my hand, his other hand holding the bag of ice and the plastic sack.
"I can take the sack," I tell him.
"I got it."
"That's a lot to carry. Aren't you in pain from being hit?"
"I'm good."
But I can tell he's not. He's taking shallow breaths because it probably hurts his ribs to fully inhale. And he cringed when he reached back to get the ice behind my seat.
When we're back in my room, I sit at my desk and take my sandals off and shake the sand into the trash bin. Reed comes over and turns on my desk lamp, tilting the shade up to let out more light.
"Let me see your chin." He leans down and I lift my face up so he can see. "It's starting to bruise."
"Great. My parents will be here tomorrow. How am I going to explain this?"
"Just tell them the truth. Tell them that asshole hit you."
"Then I'd have to tell them about the fight and I don't want them thinking you're violent."
"I was standing up for you. Protecting you. I don't think they'll be mad about that."
"I'd rather not have them know about it."
"Then what are you going to tell them?"
"I'll make something up. I'll say someone accidentally hit me with their backpack." I get up and go over to my dresser. "I need to change."
"I'll go wait outside."
"You don't have to." I take out my pajama shorts and a tank top. "Would you help me with the zipper?" I turn so my back's to him.
He comes up behind me and slowly unzips my dress, his fingers grazing the skin along my spine, making me shiver.
"Are you cold?" he asks.
"No." I step out of the dress and hang it in my closet. I'm left wearing a pink bra and matching panties.
I hear Reed talking behind me. "I should get something to put the ice in."
I turn around. "I have a washcloth. I'll get it in a minute."
His eyes move over me. He's never seen me this exposed. "I think I need to get out of here."
I smile. "Why?"
"You look way too damn good. I shouldn't be in here."
"It's not that big a deal. It's like wearing a bikini."
"Yeah, well, don't go out on the beach looking like that. You'll have guys all over you."
"So you like it?" I step up in front of him.
"A little too much." He's trying to keep his eyes on my face but they keep glancing down at my body.
"Is it too much pink?"
"I love the pink. Don't ever stop wearing it. I think it's hot." His eyes move to my bra. "It's really freaking hot." He blinks away. "I should probably get that ice now."
He turns, but I hold his arm. "Reed?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks for not pushing me to do stuff."
"You know I'd never do that." He glances at my body again. "Although I might need a cold shower now."
I laugh. "I'll put some clothes on. There's a washcloth in my closet for the ice."
He goes to get it while I change into my pajamas. I sit on the bed and he comes over with the ice.
"Here." He holds it gently against my jaw.
"I got it. You go get the ice cream. It's probably starting to melt. I have bowls next to my fridge."
My jaw is throbbing, but I didn't want to tell Reed that. If I did, he'd probably go find Preston and punch him again. The cold ice eases the pain and I continue to hold it there while I watch Reed make our sundaes.
"Do you like big chunks or small?" he asks, holding a cookie over the bowl of ice cream.
"A mix of both."
He crumbles the cookie, then takes another and breaks it into larger chunks. He brings the bowl over to me. "How's that?"
"Good. Thanks." I take the bowl and hand him the washcloth. "I think I'm done with this."
He leans down to see my face. "The bruise is darker now. Does it hurt?"
"Not really."
He stands up straight, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you lying to me?"
"No." I chew on my lip.
"Yes, you are. You always do that when you're lying."
"Do what?"
"Chew on your lip."
"I do not." And then I realize I'm still doing it because what I just said was a lie. He's right. I chew on my lip when I lie. But I thought only my family knew that.
"Just last night you said you weren't hungry when I wanted to take you out for dinner," he says, "but then you ate a full meal in the cafeteria."
"I didn't want you spending money on me."
"Yeah, so you lied about being hungry and you chewed on your lip when you told me."
I sigh and set my bowl on the table by the bed. "Fine. You're right. Are you happy now?"
"No." He sits beside me. "Because now I know your jaw hurts. W
hat can I do? You want some ibuprofen? I've got some in my room."
"I've got some in my desk drawer."
He goes and gets it, along with a bottle of fruit punch. He hands me the pill and the fruit punch, then takes a couple pills for himself.
"See?" I say. "You're in pain too, and you lied about it."
"I didn't lie. I said I'm good, which I am. I can handle pain. I've been in fights before."
"You have? When?"
"Back in high school."
"Were any of them bad?"
"Yeah. That's why I stopped getting into fights."
"What happened?"
"When I was 16, I was dating this girl. She was rich. Went to a private school. We dated for like a month and one day we were at her house, sitting by the pool, and this guy shows up. He tells me he's her boyfriend and takes a swing at me. I wasn't going to just stand there so I hit him. But when I did, he lost his balance and stumbled back into a concrete pillar on the patio. It cracked open the back of his head and he was rushed to the hospital."
"Was he okay?"
"Yeah. After a lot of stitches. I didn't even hit him that hard. He shouldn't have fallen back like that. I think he'd been drinking or maybe had drugs in his system. He was slurring his words and his eyes were all bloodshot. Anyway, the guy was rich and his dad sent his lawyers after me."
"He sued you?"
"He sued my mom because I was a minor."
"What were they suing her for?"
"Damages resulting from his pain and suffering or whatever bullshit legal jargon they used. I can't remember what exactly they sued her for. It doesn't matter. She had no money to give them so they had to drop the lawsuit."
"Did you get charged with anything?"
"He charged me with assault, but luckily the girl I was dating told the judge it was self defense so I got off."
"Did you ever talk to the girl again?"
"No. I was grateful to her for standing up for me, but I was pissed she didn't tell me about her boyfriend. That's why I wouldn't date you until I knew you weren't dating Preston anymore. I didn't want some rich asshole coming after me again." He shakes his head. "I shouldn't have hit Preston tonight. He's the type of guy who'd attack me with his team of lawyers. Try to take my college money. I'd have nothing left. If Preston hadn't been drunk, he would've called the cops and charged me with assault. I'd be in jail right now."
Lilly: A Kensington Family Novel Page 16