“Drew,” Sara whined, “I wanna dance.”
I looked down at her, and while she was seriously hot and would probably serve her purpose nicely tonight, I needed to keep an eye on Russell and she was just going to get in my way. I smiled down at her and said, “Not tonight, babe. Not in the mood.” Then I walked away, heading to the bar.
“Asshole!” Sara shouted at me as I retreated into the party. I deserved that one.
I spent the rest of the party watching Russell’s every move. He left the brunette earlier, but never took his eyes off of her. His buddy kept bringing her and her friend shot after shot as the night went on.
When it was obvious both the blonde, who I figured out was Megan, and the brunette, who I assumed was Chelsea, were hammered, Russell made his move. He came up behind Chelsea as she danced in the living room. She waved her arms above her head and hooted as Russell grabbed her hips, moving to the music right along with her.
I mean, it was kind of a dick move to go to dinner with one girl and grind on another at a party that same night, but this was college. It wasn’t like he and Red were in a relationship. For all I knew, the date could have been a dud and he was taking advantage of another opportunity. I figured it was time to give the guy a break and headed to the kitchen to get a beer.
I spent some time talking up this girl named Randi. She pointed out that it was Randi with an “I” like that was a very important detail. From my experience, girls who spell their name with an “I” tend to go down faster than the others, if you get my drift.
I hit pause with Randi with an “I” to head to the bathroom. The two downstairs were occupied, so I went upstairs. Since David had lived in the house, I knew the layout pretty well and knew there was a bathroom in the back of the house up the stairs.
Upstairs was a little quieter compared to the chaos going on downstairs. I reached for the door when I heard a soft, “No,” coming from the room just to the right of the bathroom. I stayed where I was, listening to see if I would hear it again.
“Stop,” the voice said a little louder, but it sounded off. I pressed an ear to the door and could hear the faint sound of rustling, but nothing else. I tried the knob and it was locked. I didn’t know what was going on in there. It could be just a couple hooking up, but something didn’t feel right.
“Don’t touch me,” I heard a girl say. Her voice sounded lazy, like maybe she was drunk or high. That was my cue. I took a few steps back and kicked open the door. I stormed in and saw that Chelsea girl draped on the bed in just a black thong and Russell standing next to her, taking pictures of her naked body. She was half passed out and obviously had had way too much to drink.
“Get the fuck out!” he shouted at me.
I took one look at him and saw red. I took two steps toward him and slammed my fist into his nose, the impact making a sickening crunch noise. He doubled over as blood poured down his face.
Chelsea didn’t move. I draped the comforter over her so she wasn’t so exposed, then grabbed Russell by the collar and dragged him down the stairs and out the front door, dropping him, dazed and bloody, on the front lawn.
A crowd started to gather out on the front porch after seeing me drag him out of the house. I leaned in close to him and he retreated.
“If I ever see you come anywhere near that girl up there, and especially Alex, I will kill you. You got that, you son of a bitch.”
I turned and headed back into the house and saw Frankie looking at me, trying to figure out what happened. I walked right up to him. “Hey, man. I’m going to need your help.” Frankie nodded and followed me up the stairs to where I left Chelsea on the bed.
After explaining what I saw to Frankie, he helped me get her dressed and we found her friend, Megan, who wasn’t in such great shape herself. We were able to at least find out where they lived.
I got down to find Chelsea’s other shoe and saw the camera the douche had used. I picked it up and scrolled through the pictures. There were at least three other girls on there in addition to Chelsea. I handed it to Frankie, who flipped through a few of the photos and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Frankie was the president of the fraternity. This was not going to be an easy thing for him to deal with. He would have to deal with a hell of a lot of fallout if this got out.
Frankie sighed and met my eyes. “I swear, man, I had no idea this shit was going down.”
I dropped a hand on his shoulder. “I know.”
Frankie and I got the girls home and deposited them safely in their rooms. I seriously doubted either of them would remember anything that happened, but Frankie left his number in case they needed anything.
On the way home, all I could think about was Red. What if he had pulled this shit with her? God only knows what he does with those pictures. Just the thought of finding her like I had found Chelsea, helpless and naked with no way to fight back, made my skin crawl. I should have trusted my instinct and kept him away from her. At least he wouldn’t be coming around anymore.
I thought about calling her to tell her what happened, but she was constantly telling me that she could take care of herself. I was afraid she wouldn’t believe me. The only proof I had was Russell’s broken nose, which he could easily turn into a sob story about how I attacked him. Besides, Frankie needed to deal with Russell on his own. If anything got out about what Russell was doing, it would be really bad for the fraternity.
I trusted Frankie to take care of it quietly. He would make sure that son of a bitch paid for that bullshit and that nothing like that would ever happen again.
As long as Russell stayed away from Red, then there was no reason to tell her.
Chapter 12
Alex (Now)
The week went by pretty quickly and I even managed a small sense of normalcy with Drew. I was hopeful that I could get through this. I could get over him and no one would have to get hurt, myself included.
I had a last minute conference call on Wednesday, so I was a little late getting to The Den. When I walked in, everyone was already there. I said a quick hello to Papa Jack and headed back to our table.
“Hey guys, I’m sorry. I…” I froze. There, sitting in my fucking seat, was Gwen “Bitchface” Stevens. I was completely stunned and fucking furious. What the holy fuck was she doing here? My jaw was on the floor. I had to have stumbled into an alternate reality. It was the only explanation for why she was here.
I looked at Drew, who seemed nervous. He was quite literally backed into a corner since Gwen was blocking any chance he had of escaping.
Gwen beamed up at me with a Cheshire cat grin. “I heard you talking about trivia the other day. You made it sound like so much fun, so I thought I would check it out. Sean here was nice enough to ask me to join you guys.”
She reached out and put an acrylic tipped claw on Sean’s arm. He smiled at her, then turned to face me, his face crumpling when he saw the fire in my eyes.
“Uh yeah,” he stammered, trying to figure out his mistake. “We could use the extra brain power.” He raised his eyebrows and swallowed hard as I glared at him. Millie and David wore confused looks, not really understanding what was happening.
“I’ll go get you a chair.” David cautiously got up and headed to the back to get the chair. The anger was pulsing off of me in waves. The only one who didn’t seem phased was Gwen. She just beamed up at me from my fucking seat. Her victorious smile had never faltered.
“I’m going to go freshen up,” Gwen said, rising to her feet. “Be right back.”
She turned to Drew and wiggled her fingers. I momentarily considered dashing to reclaim my chair, but I thought better of it. No need to act childish.
When she was gone, I punched Sean in the arm. “You invited Bitchface to join us?” I said through clenched teeth. So much for not acting childish.
Drew snorted a laugh and then bit his lip to stifle it when I shot him a glare. Sean rubbed his arm, looking at me like I was crazy. At the moment, that was a pretty fair as
sessment.
Sean’s eyes widened. “That’s Bitchface?” He hooked a thumb in the direction Gwen just disappeared in. I cocked my head to the side. Really? Millie looked down at the table, shaking her head. Sean looked at everyone at the table for confirmation or help, but he got nothing.
“How was I supposed to know?” he said, his voice rising as he tried to defend himself. “You never said her real name.”
“Well, she’s here. Not much we can do about it now,” Millie said, pulling me down into the chair David set down between her and Sean. Bridget came by and set a Bud Light in front of me.
Before she could escape, I grabbed her arm. “Jack Daniels, double.”
Bridget raised her eyebrows.
We weren’t friends by any means, but she knew what I drank. Bud Light for every day, tequila for fun, white wine when I’m sad. Whiskey was reserved for when my life had gone to shit, and it couldn’t get much worse than this godforsaken night.
I released her wrist and she hurried off to the bar. I looked up and everyone was staring at me, waiting to see if I would spontaneously combust.
Gwen sauntered her way back to the table as Bridget set my Jack down in front of me. She dropped into the chair, making it scoot a little closer to Drew. I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to hold back the growl that was clawing its way up my throat. I picked up my glass and tossed the dark brown liquid down my throat. It burned the whole way down. I wiped my mouth and raised one finger to Bridget to bring me another as a heavy tension settled over the table.
David spoke up. “So, Gwen, is this your first time at The Den?”
He was pretending not to notice me trying to burn a hole in the side of his head with my stare. Millie squeezed my knee under the table, telling me to behave. I sighed and slunk down in my chair. Fine, I would behave, but I didn’t have to like it. Millie was going to be a great mom.
“Yes, I love it!” Gwen replied with too much enthusiasm, happy to be the center of attention. “It’s so cozy.”
Cozy? Was she kidding? The Den is a dive. No way would she come here without an ulterior motive. She went to bars that had twenty-five dollar martinis and rich old men looking for their next trophy wife.
By the time trivia started, I had already been through two shots of Jack and three beers.
“I vote we make this game a little more interesting,” Sean said, deviously rubbing his hands together.
“Every time you answer incorrectly,” he said, looking around the table, “you must perform a task of our choosing.”
“Don’t you think we are a little old for truth or dare?” David asked, always the grown-up.
“I’m in!” I said, slapping the table, causing Millie to jump.
“That’s my girl!” Sean threw his arm around my shoulders.
“Me too,” Drew said with a mischievous grin
Gwen leaned into Drew. “I’m up for anything.”
That skank made my life hell at work. Now she thinks she can come in here, wedge herself into my group, and throw herself at Drew. Who the fuck does she think she is? My whole body tingled with anger and Jack Daniels.
Sean clapped his hands together and I jumped. “Then let’s get this party started.”
The so-called tasks got crazier as the night went on. Sean was the one to do most of them. I almost fell out of my chair when he followed Papa Jack around the bar, singing “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, complete with choreography. It was ridiculous, but Sean’s game had successfully eased some of the tension.
Gwen was still trying everything she could to get Drew’s attention. Every time she moved in closer, he retreated until he was pressed against the wall and had nowhere else to go. He was starting to look like a cornered cat.
We all looked up as the next question popped up on the TV screen.
What unit of distance is equal to 1.85 kilometers?
“One mile,” Drew said.
We all waited for the screen to reveal the answer.
One nautical mile.
“Ooh! It looks like we have him on a technicality.” Sean laughed. He tapped a finger on his chin. “What should we have young Andrew do as penance for his ignorance?” Sean’s eyes went wide and a devious smile spread across his face. “How about you give one of these lovely ladies at our table a kiss?”
Gwen looked like she was ready to jump into Drew’s lap. He looked at me, Gwen, and Millie, then a slow smile crept across his face. He stood up and walked around Gwen, who slumped down in her chair with a pout. He walked behind me and stopped. My body tensed, waiting to see what he would do.
He leaned down and gave Millie a quick peck on the cheek. David cracked up and I breathed a sigh of relief as Sean protested. “No way, man! Doesn’t count. It needs to be on the lips, with tongue.”
Gwen sat up straighter, flashed a smile, and pushed up her breasts in Drew’s direction. Drew stepped around me. “Fine.”
Before I could even blink, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. He wrapped one hand around my waist and put the other on the back of my neck as he dipped me back. My head almost landed in Sean’s lap.
Drew pressed his lips to mine. The shock of it forced my mouth open as he slipped his tongue past my parted lips, deepening the kiss. I melted. He felt incredible. I could hear the hoots and cat calls, but they sounded distant and out of focus. His lips never left mine as he brought me back to my feet. I thought, for sure, he would break the kiss and step away, but his grip tightened on my hips and his lips continued to move with mine. I felt like I was out of my body watching this happen to someone else.
I forgot who I was and where I was and just went for it, thrusting my hands into his hair, trying to get even closer. He tasted like beer and honey. I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this until now. I’d spent so much time convincing myself of all the reasons I shouldn’t love him that I never considered what it could feel like to actually be with him. It felt so right, being in his arms, kissing him. It felt like I was where I belonged.
He broke the kiss, and I felt him take a step back. I slowly opened my eyes. Drew was only inches away from me, his hands still resting lightly on my waist, his eyes wide.
The spell broke, snapping me quickly back to reality. Drew kissed me. He kissed me on a dare, and I took it way too far in front of everyone.
I stepped further away from Drew, from everyone, as the humiliation crashed over me in waves. I looked at the rest of the group and every one of them were gaping at me, their mouths hanging open. I had to get out. My only solution at this point was to run.
“I have to go.” I grabbed my bag and bolted for the door before the tears could start.
“Alex!” Drew called behind me as I burst through the door. Once I hit the sidewalk, I took two steps and doubled over, evacuating everything in my stomach.
The door opened and Drew ran out just in time to see me let loose again. He rubbed his hand down my back, pulling my hair back from my face. I spit and grabbed a tissue from my bag. Could this night get any worse?
I stood up and took a step back from Drew. He looked so worried and dumbfounded, like he didn’t know what to do or say. I didn’t want him to say anything. I just humiliated myself in front of all of our friends, and Gwen, to top it all off. I couldn’t handle this right now.
“Are you okay?” Concern flooded his eyes and his voice.
“I’m fine. I just need to go.” My voice sounded hoarse from retching. I wanted to turn and run all the way home, curl up on the bathroom floor, and cry.
“I’ll walk you.” He took my arm and steered me toward my apartment.
“No. Stay, I’ll be fine.” I pulled away from his grasp.
“You’re not fine. You were just sick.”
“Too much Jack, not enough food, that’s all.” I shrugged, focusing on the tissue still clutched in my hand. “I felt it coming on and it was just quicker to get out here than go to the bathroom.” I sniffled. “Go back inside, Drew. I’ll be okay.”
He still looked a little freaked. I put my hand on his arm. “Really, I’m fine.”
“I’ll call you later. Have your phone next to you.” Drew dipped his head to make eye contact.
“Okay.” I could feel him watching me as I walked down the street. That’s when the tears came. What the hell is wrong with me?
***
True to his word, Drew called to check on me at about eleven. He offered to come by, but I told him I was just going to bed and would talk to him later. Millie texted, asking me if I was okay. I didn’t reply. I just cried myself to sleep. How would I be able to face anyone after this?
I called in sick to work the next day. After the fool I made of myself last night, no way was I going in to deal with Gwen. The thought of her smug expression made me want to crawl under a rock.
Around noon, I heard a knock on the door. I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled to answer it. I looked through the peephole but a hand was covering it so I couldn’t see. I hate when people do that. How was I supposed to figure out if I was going to ignore someone if they block the peephole? I cracked it open to see who had disturbed my slumber.
Wiley held up a paper bag. “I brought soup!”
I stepped back to let her in, then went back to the safety of my bed. She followed. “Wow, you look awful,” she said sympathetically.
“Thanks, Wiley.” I groaned as I climbed back into bed.
“You okay?” She made herself comfortable at the foot of my bed.
“No, I’m not. Why did you have to put that in my head?” I said, frustrated. “Why did you have to say that I’m in love with Drew? I was fine. We were fine. Now everything is so screwed up. I…I don’t know what to do?” I burst into tears.
Wiley’s face fell. She scrambled beside me and wrapped her arms around me, guiding my head to her shoulder. “Aww, honey. I knew you weren’t really sick. Did something happen?” she said, rubbing my head as I sobbed.
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