by Ali Parker
Wait a minute... Where was she headed in May after graduation? That had to be up in the air thanks to her mom being sick. Right?
"You all right?" Emily reached up and tugged on the front of my shirt. She sat beside Aubrey on the couch as the house continued to fill up with people.
I nodded and let my eyes move over to Aubrey. She glanced toward me and gave me a sad smile.
"You okay?" I asked her.
"I think so. I had breakfast with Tasha this morning. She invited me out tonight, but mentioned wanting to see you. Are you guys hooking up?"
"I sure hope so." I scanned the room and breathed in deeply. The cameras were in place and the food was laid out on the tables. People were dancing in the backyard and the wet t-shirt contest was well underway. I should have felt a sense of accomplishment like Jacob and I always shared when the parties went this well, but I wasn't interested in the success of the night. I just wanted to find my girl and make sure her day went well. It was an odd shift from promising myself that I would hold back until she was ready. Lies. It was all lies.
"I think you should." Aubrey got up and brushed away what looked like a tear.
I glanced down to see if Em was going to follow her friend into the kitchen, and when she didn't, I let out a soft sigh and moved in behind her.
"I'm going to work on the friendship and then move us toward something a little deeper when she's ready." I reached up and grabbed a paper towel, tearing it off and handing it to the pretty dancer. "Does Lucas know that you're this miserable without him? I'm pretty sure he'd tear up heaven and hell to keep you from crying."
"No, and don't tell him." She sniffled and lifted her chin to the ceiling. "I should go. I swear all I do is cry all the damn time."
"That's understandable, Aubrey." I reached out and pulled her to me, wrapping her in a hug like I would Emily. I didn't know her nearly as well, but I couldn't let her suffer by herself. Something inside of me had been searching for every bent or broken person or thing since I was a kid. It was my way of making up for Lyndsay, but I had no hope for it changing.
"Thanks," she mumbled against my chest. "I hate this place without him."
"Where is Layla?" I moved back and squeezed her shoulders softly. "Where's your brother?"
"He's killing himself trying to keep up with the hockey team and the baseball team. He's not made a decision to leave one and fully invest in the other. He's struggling with his classes too. Let's just say that being around him only makes things worse right now. He's a fucking bear to deal with."
"That's not good." I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter. "And Layla?"
"She took the semester off. She's got some family shit she's trying to deal with."
"Jacob's been worried sick about her. I swear he's turned into a grumpy old man between being concerned for Layla's safety and the bastard who keeps trying to dick over the frat." I ran my fingers through my hair and glanced around, hoping that Tasha was in the new wave of people that piled in the front door.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'll make sure she calls him the next time I hear from her." She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans, looking impossibly cute. "Thank you for listening."
"Anytime. You guys will get through this. Love has the power to do anything, right?"
"Yeah. It does. I just wanna be close to him. It feels like I’m missing out on something great by being here and him being there. It's not worth it to me to wait. I can just finish up there."
"Then go." I tapped the tip of her nose and smiled. "Seems like you've made up your mind already. What are you waiting on?"
"Layla and my brother, to be honest." She let out a sigh and moved around me. "Thanks again, Micah. I appreciate you. Go find Tasha. You guys will be great together."
Warmth filled up my insides. We would be great together. Was she at the party already? Had I missed her coming in?
I moved toward the back door, only to be stopped by Thomas Hammons, one of the best baseball players I'd seen play. We grew up together, but rarely crossed paths at Providence.
"Hey buddy." He lifted his hand and smiled. "How are ya?"
I hit his hand and pulled him in for a quick hug. "I'm good, dude. How are your folks?"
"Excellent. Everyone is doing great. Abigail is playing softball in the spring and is hoping to try out for tennis maybe her sophomore year. I told her that's too damn much between trying to study and party, but she ain't listening. You know she's an overachiever like nobody’s business."
His dark red hair and freckles left him looking like he was still a junior in high school instead of college, but he was a great guy all around. No luck with the ladies at all, but life wasn't just about sex. At least my life wasn't.
"That's great, man. If anyone can pull that shit off, it's Abby. She's just like your mom. Ready to rule the world." I leaned over and picked up a beer. "Seen any girls that spark your interest tonight?"
"Yep, but the hottest one here is a class-a bitch. I heard she's a lesbian. She's not dated anyone since getting here." He pressed his hand to the front of his pants and chuckled. "I'd be thrilled to slip between her and whatever girl she has hiding in her closet of skeletons."
"And who is this lucky lady that you respect so much?" I lifted my eyebrow.
"Stop playing the gentleman. I remember high school, dude." He popped me in the chest.
"Don't remind me." I lifted my beer to my lips and downed half of it.
"Natasha Kelly, man. She's the point guard-" He paused and tilted his head to the side. "You know Tasha, don't you? You have to. Dude. Hook me up."
"No way man. She's way too much woman for a guy like you." I snorted as he laughed loudly. "She here?"
"Yeah. She's out back, drinking like a fish. Something must have fucked up her day. I wish I had the balls to ask, but she's the top on my list of fantasies. I'm a chicken shit around her."
"Join the crowd." I moved past him. "Have fun tonight, man. Good to see you out and about."
"Yep. Later, bosky."
I walked down the stairs and scanned the backyard as a mixture of emotions raged inside of me. I didn't like the idea that Tasha was getting drunk without me around, but even more so, I hated the thought that something had fucked up her day.
I found her standing in a group of basketball guys, laughing about something as she wobbled back and forth. The red solo cup in her hand left me ill. Had someone really put out another container of punch? How stupid were we not to notice?
I moved toward her as aggression built up inside of me.
"And then Coach did what?" Clayton pressed his hand over his mouth and laughed loudly as Natasha said something. I couldn't make it out from behind her, but I could tell her voice was slurred.
"Hey." I gripped the back of her arm. "Come here for a minute."
The guys groaned around her and I shot them a 'shut the fuck up' look.
"Micah!" She turned and pressed herself to the front of me. "There you are. I was looking for you."
"Were you, because I was in the living room, looking for you." I took the cup from her hand and tossed the pink liquid into the yard. "Have I not mentioned that some bastard around here keeps spiking the punch with a date rape drug? Don't drink this shit."
She took a step back as her expression changed. "No, you didn't, and you're not my daddy."
"Tasha." I reached for her, realizing how harsh my tone was. "I didn't-"
"Fuck you too, asshole!" The male voice behind me caused me to turn in time to see one of the hockey guys plow into Talon Jackson.
"Oh shit. Will's high again." Geoff laughed as I released Tasha and moved toward the fight.
"Will who?" I glanced over at Geoff as he held Teri tightly beside him.
"William Turner. He was a freshman on the hockey team and was seriously as badass as Lucas, but he fucked up. Got high a few too many times and got the boot."
"Great." I moved toward the fight in time to see Jayce Moore move up on the other side of
it. "Hey man."
"Good seeing you, Micah. Nice party." He moved in and grabbed Will from behind as I grabbed Talon. We pulled them back away from each other.
I pushed Talon toward the house as anger tore up my insides. "What the fuck were you thinking?"
"He's trying to hit on my girl, Micah. You wouldn't stand for that shit either." He stumbled up the stairs to the house and stopped, turning around like he was going to plow through me. He was a good four inches taller than me, but I was stocky as hell. He wasn't going anywhere but off the side of the porch if he kept his bullshit up.
"I understand, but the rules are simple. No fights. Get your ass inside and you can figure out your girl problems later. Is she here?" I pushed at his chest, causing him to stumble backward into the house. He bumped into Darren, who turned and puffed up his chest.
"Watch where you're going, freshman bitch," he barked at Talon as he pushed him sideways.
I reached out and grabbed Talon's shirt before turning to Darren. "You're on a tight rope, mother fucker. Don't start anything tonight, or I'll personally make sure you limp away from this house in the morning with all your shit on your back. Got me?"
"Whatever, Sanders." He flipped me off and turned back to talk to the group of people he'd snuggled into.
"You all right?" I glanced over at Talon.
"Yeah, fuck it. Sorry man." He ran his fingers through his hair and headed to the kitchen. "Fucking Will Turner. Piece of shit bastard."
"Yep. Let it all out. You'll feel better in the morning," I called after him and waited a minute before jogging down the stairs to find Tasha. She was nowhere in sight, but Em and Jacob stood near the bonfire, snuggled up closely. "You guys seen Tasha?"
"No, but she had a rough day. Lunch with her dad really knocked her on her ass." Emily shrugged and pressed her cheek to Jacob's chest.
"Did she find out some more shit on her mom?" I tried to ignore the longing inside of me to have something like they did. I could sort through that emo shit later.
"Yeah. I'll let her tell you though." Emily nodded toward the house.
"I think she went back in the house." Jacob lifted his beer to his lips. "Everything okay with Talon?"
"Yeah. Just a fight over a girl. What else is new?" I turned and walked back toward the house. I'd get Tasha and take her up into my room until she came back to herself. There were too many bastards in the house that would be thrilled to take advantage of her.
"Lesbian?" I scoffed. "Not from my vantage point."
Chapter 20
Natasha
"Micah?" I reached for the railing on the stairs inside and tried to scan the crowd, but the room kept spinning. One drink. One damn drink and I could barely hold myself up. I was pretty sure I'd seen him outside, that we'd spoken, but I couldn't remember what we'd said. His room was upstairs, right? Maybe he'd gotten mad over me being drunk and stormed off.
"Yeah, he threw the punch all over the yard." I gripped the railing tightly and took a shaky step.
"Whoa. You all right, Tasha?" A cute redhead moved up beside me and wrapped his arm around my back. "You need help?"
"Yeah. Please." I smiled and leaned against him. "Who are you again?"
He chuckled and helped me take one step at a time. "I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you."
"Have we met before?" I stumbled, but the guy picked me up and carried me up the rest of the way.
"No, but I'm glad we're meeting now. You're a wiz on the basketball court. I swear if the WNBA doesn't pick you up next year, they're idiots." He set me back down on my feet and gave me a warm smile.
"Thanks." I touched the side of my face and hiccupped. "Am I blushing?"
He laughed. "Yeah, you are. It's nice. Looks good on you."
"Micah." I glanced around.
"Hmm? You looking for Micah Sanders?"
"Yeah. You know him?" I reached out and gripped the guy’s shirt as my knees shook. What the fuck was wrong with me?
"I sure do. He was just busting up a fight between two idiots out back. Seems he's the one that takes care of anything that goes down here." He gripped my shoulders and glanced down the hall. "One of these rooms is his. You want me to take you in there and then go find him for us?"
"Would you?" I rocked forward and rested against the guy. He seemed nice. Maybe he would find Micah for me. Something was off... wrong. I shouldn't have been as drunk as I was.
"I sure will. Come on." He helped me walk down the hallway as I tried to stay focused on the wall to my left. The room kept spinning, causing my stomach to turn.
"I might be sick. How gross is that?" I slurred out before laughing and hiccupping again.
"It's all right. Don't worry about a thing." He picked me up again as my legs gave out beneath him.
"I'm sorry. My legs aren't working." I rested against him again and let out a soft moan as he laid me down on a cold bed. The smell of Micah filled my senses and lit my body on fire. "This is his room."
"Yeah, I think it is. There's a lot of basketball shit in here." The redhead moved me up to the top of the bed and brushed my hair back. "Stay here and I'll find him."
"Thank you," I mumbled and rolled on my stomach, pressing my face to the pillow below me. I breathed in deeply and laughed into the pillow. Micah was going to walk in and find me sniffing his pillow like a stalker would. The thought had me in stitches, my sides aching at laughing so hard over nothing. The liquor. Had to be the liquor.
I rolled over to face the window as the door opened behind me. I wanted to roll back over, but I felt so fucking heavy.
"You find him?" I mumbled and closed my eyes.
"Mmmhmmm." The voice was deep. Too deep. Whoever he was, he crawled on the bed and moved up behind me, pulling me close and snuggling against my back.
"Who..." I sighed and moved my hair off my shoulder as his lips brushed by my neck. Warmth spread throughout my body, waking me up and leaving me needy for a long night of fucking. A warning kept brushing by my mind, but I couldn't seem to grab hold of it.
"You smell so good." The voice was wrong.
"Who..." I turned a little and screamed as the door to the room opened and smacked against the wall.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Micah yelled, scaring me.
I scrambled to my knees as he jerked a big guy off the bed and dropped to the floor, punching him in quick succession.
"Oh fuck." The redhead ran into the room and grabbed Micah, pulling him backward as tears filled my eyes.
"I didn't... I didn't..." I couldn't form a thought. What the hell was wrong with me. I needed to tell him that I didn't know. I wouldn’t cheat on him. Was it cheating? Tears rolled down my cheeks as the guys muscled the big guy into the hall and closed the door to the bedroom, leaving me alone. The sound of fighting started up again, and I dropped down onto my side and pulled the covers up around me.
I needed to get out of there. To go back to my dorm by myself where everything was safe. Just me. Behind a locked door where nothing could hurt me.
The door opened and I scrambled back to my knees as Micah walked in and closed the door. He pressed his back to it and covered his handsome face with his hands.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered as another wave of tears dripped down my face. "I didn't... I didn't..."
"Baby, it's all right. You were drugged." He moved across the room and got onto the bed, pulling me up and squishing me against him as he hugged me. "You okay? That bastard didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Who?" I pressed my nose to the side of his neck and breathed in deeply as I gripped the outside of his thighs where my hands rested.
"Darren. He's the asshole I told you keeps messing with all of us." He moved back and cupped my face. "He didn't touch you, did he? I'll fucking kill him if he did."
"No." I shook my head and tried to blink past the thick haze resting on me. "No. He didn't touch me. Was he supposed to?"
Micah chuckled and brushed his thumbs down my throat rhythmically. "No, Tasha. He wasn't supposed
to touch you. I'll get someone to get a glass of water for you, baby. It'll help flush your system. We'll just lock the door and let you sleep this shit off."
I ran my hands up his thick thighs to grip his hips before rubbing myself against the front of him.
"Stay with me?" I licked my lips and took a shallow breath. "Don't leave me in here alone. It's dark."
"No, I'm not going anywhere, okay?" He helped me lay back down before moving down the bed to take my shoes off. I reached out and squeezed his butt seeing that it was so close.
"Hey!" He jerked up and chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder. "Come on now. A man only has so much control when the girl of his dreams is in his bed."
"Where?" I turned my head left and right as he laughed again and moved to lay down beside me. He ran his hand over the top of my chest, rubbing softly.
"Right here, baby." He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. "You're gonna be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, all right?"
"Just don't leave me." I reached up and touched the side of his face, enjoying the soft five o'clock shadow that dusted his cheeks and chin.
"Never." He cupped his hand over mine. "What happened with your dad today? Emily said you were upset."
"Yeah." I closed my eyes as emotion swirled deep inside of me. Where was I? Why was Micah in bed with me?
A knock at the door had me trying to sit up. "Who's there?"
"It's all right." He pushed at my chest softly and got up. "I'm sure it's just someone checking on us. Probably Jacob or my friend Thomas."
"With the red hair?" I rolled onto my side and watched him as he walked to the door.
"Yep, he has red hair. I've known him since we were kids." He opened the door and talked to someone for a few minutes before walking back with a glass of something. "Let's get this in you."
"Okay." I took his hand and sat up before downing the whole glass of water. The cool liquid helped to calm down the franticness inside of me a little. "Where am I?"