by Gail Haris
“I can’t drive a motorcycle, but thanks.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll never let you drive my bike. But I’ll let you sit on my bike while I push it.”
I snort a laugh. Real attractive. “What? You can’t push me on your bike all the way to the dorms.”
Not allowing me to argue, he helps me onto the bike and begins pushing it slowly down the street. I can’t look at him, without a giggle escaping. This is so ridiculously sweet. Finally, he stops the bike.
“Did you finally get tired?” I smirk.
He reaches for the helmet on the back of his bike. “Before you say any more, it’s not because I’m afraid we’re going to crash.” He places it on my head and closes the eye visor. “But, so you’ll quit looking at me goofy and laughing.”
“Rude.” I slide the visor back up.
“Me? You’re the one laughing at me.”
We take a moment, just to smile at each other, even though he might not be able to see my smile under the helmet. He clears his throat and begins pushing the bike again. I take the helmet off, and we discuss our fall break in October. He’s going back home to a small town in Nevada. When I asked how he ended up in Lexington, he said it was on a track scholarship.
When we finally reach the dorms, he parks the bike and escorts me through the main lobby. He presses the elevator button, and we step in together. I press the five and the seven. I turn to look at him, and he raises his eyebrow with a smirk. “Lucky number seven, huh?”
I tilt my head at him and sigh. “Luck of the draw I guess.” I narrow my eyes and playfully say, “I better not find any strays around my door.”
“Only if you’re really lucky.” He winks. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you remembered my floor number.” The doors open, and he steps off, with a wave of his hand.
As the door closes, I chuckle to myself. When the elevator reaches my floor, I step off and find Trent standing by my door. Oh, crap. Seeing him unannounced, I’m not sure I’m ready now. “Waiting for Alice?”
“No.” Great.
I unlock my door and allow him inside my dorm room. I plop down on my bed and close my eyes, but, immediately, open them wide, when I feel the heat from Trent’s hand on my stomach.
“Has he been moving?”
With a heavy swallow, I nod. Despite the warmth radiating from his body, so close to mine, and the heat of his hand coming through my shirt, I shiver. My eyes trail from his fingers up his muscular arm to his broad shoulder and finally come to rest on his slightly parted lips. I feel his hand stiffen, and his body shifts closer against mine. His tongue slips out and slides along his full bottom lip. My pulse quickens. I need to tell him. I’m tired of lying, and this has gone on way too long. His deep blue eyes blaze with desire. Warmth spreads through my body as I lean in. The only sound is our breathing. Until his phone rings. Casting my eyes down, I see Maggie’s name across the screen. Maggie. It’s as if she knew and interrupted our moment. Good. I needed the reminder that she’s still hanging around and that him being here could only be temporary.
“Rachel.” His voice is soft.
“Don’t you need to answer that?”
“No, I don’t. We need to talk.”
Shifting away from him, I sit up straighter on the bed. I’m glad his phone rang. If I’d stared into his hypnotic eyes, any longer, and tasted those delicious lips, I would’ve been under his spell lying on my back on this bed.
“Rachel…” He moves closer to me. “Do you feel anything for me?”
Do I feel anything for him? How can he even ask me that? I feel everything for him.
His phone rings again. I squeeze my eyes shut. “It could be important.”
“This is important.” I turn my face away from him, but he gently turns my chin back to him. “You’re important.”
“I think the one who holds the title of girlfriend should be the more important one.”
“You’re right.” He nods and drops his hand from my face.
Trent slides off the bed and leaves my room without another word. Once again, I let the moment slip by, and I didn’t tell him the truth.
It hurt that he left without a word. I vow to tell him tonight. I’ll give us both time to cool off and call him to meet somewhere public. I can’t believe I let my emotions and pride take over and get in the way. I should’ve just told him.
I force myself to focus on my assignments. I start work tomorrow, and I need to stay ahead on my schoolwork. I’m going to have debt upon debt when I graduate. If I’m lucky enough to graduate. My grades are what’s important, not my love life. Or lack thereof. When I finish typing my paper, I proudly press print. My printer beeps and a small box appears on my screen, letting me know my printer is out of ink. Great. It’s not too late, so the downstairs computer lab should still be open. Quickly, I hop into the elevator and descend to the lobby.
I hurry off the elevator and down the hall. I enter the lab, sign in and go to a computer. Once I’ve logged in to my class portal, I open the assignment and click print. Walking to the printer, I can feel eyes on me. My skin prickles with unease at the feeling I’m being watched, so I casually turn my head and scan the room while my paper prints. There, in the corner, where the lab assistant sits are three girls clustered together. One is Maggie. Trent’s Maggie.
If she’s here, I wonder if Trent is too. I give a small polite smile, and they give a similar one in return. My paper finally spits out of the printer. Taking my paper, I hurry to the counter to sign out and leave.
Hopping back into the elevator, I press the button for the seventh floor. The doors are about to close when a nude colored high-heel shoe is wedged between them. The doors immediately ding and reopen. Standing in all her glory is Maggie. She enters the elevator and hurries to hit the close button. The doors close, and the elevator begins to rise.
“We need to talk,” she says, as she turns to look at me.
“Talk then.” I cross my arms and appear a lot braver than what I’m feeling.
“This little scheme you’ve orchestrated won’t work.”
I’m disgusted, but not surprised. I knew this might come up. Gosh, she probably thinks I’m a gold digger. If Maggie knew the baby was actually Trent’s, she’d assume I got pregnant on purpose. I may have been obsessed with Trent, but I’d never purposely try to force him to be with me.
“There is no scheme. I’m having an unplanned pregnancy. I wouldn’t risk my future-”
She slams her hand against the emergency stop button. “Your future? Please. This would guarantee you a future. But it’s not your future that you’re risking. This plan to play the sympathy card and snare the Randalls—more importantly, Trent. A guarantee to be well-provided for, for the rest of your life. You knew the Randalls would gladly support you as the mother of their grandchild. Now, your future is set. However, Trent’s future…” Her nostrils flare, and she points a finger at me. “You’ve ruined his future. Our future. How does it feel knowing he gave up a relationship he willingly chose to be with you?” She looks at me, as though I’m nothing more than a roach at her feet. I probably am nothing to her. She clearly finds me repulsive. Well, the feeling is mutual.
“What the hell are you talking about? This has nothing to do with Trent, and for sure, not you.”
“It does when he broke up with me…for you.”
“I’m so confused. I thought you two broke up months ago. Before I found out I was pregnant.”
“We were on a break. We do that. However, a few minutes ago, he told me it was over for real and to never call him again. Then, conveniently, you show up, to what? Flaunt it? Rub it in my face?”
The elevator dings, and I begin to feel slightly uneasy. I’m not claustrophobic but being trapped in an enclosed metal box suspended in the air with a crazy jealous woman—is, most definitely, not my cup of tea. I guess when Trent left my room he did go to Maggie after all. I’m surprised to find out it was to tell her to leave him alone. This bitch is clearly insa
ne and unhinged. I feel the steam coming out of my ears. I sneer right back at her. “You weren’t there for him! He’s always there for you. But you weren’t there for him at his brother’s funeral. I was.” I watch the color drain from her face.
Very slowly, she nods. “Oh, I’m sure you were there to ‘help’ him get through it. I bet you would sit in that pitiful town, waiting for him to return. And there you’d be. Waiting for the moment—your chance to trap him. But you couldn’t, so you used his brother! You preyed upon his weakness that day and seduced him. Now you’ve followed him here. He can’t get away from you. It’s tragic and pathetic.”
“Seduced?”
“He told me! Don’t deny it. He admitted that you two had sex.”
Hot, angry tears fill my eyes. My breathing becomes labored. I’ve never felt so hot with fury in all my life. “He sure as hell wasn’t trying to get away from me when he was coming home. It takes two—” Before I can finish that sentence, she lightly slaps my face.
“You bitch!” I hold my face and then slap her back hard.
I didn’t intend to do it, but I’m so livid I can’t think. She holds a hand to her face and stares at me wide-eyed. What I expect for her to do is to run out of the elevator crying and go tell Trent what a horrible person I am. Instead, a wicked grin spreads across her face. Her eyes are wild. A face that once always appeared to be so sweet and beautiful is now ugly. She punches me in the eye. I shriek and bring my hand up to cover my eye. Then I scream when she kicks my feet out from under me. She towers over me and shakes her head in disgust.
“Did you sleep with Trent?” Her voice quivers with fury. Then she screams, “Did you?” I nod. She continues, on the verge of tears, “How did he even stand to sleep with you?” She spews venom. “I know you’re just a dumb slut, but try and think of what’s best for everyone. Trent’s too good for you. He’s only trying to be noble. He could never love someone like you. He deserves better, and if you really love him, you’ll let him go.”
I stare up at her and whisper, “What’s wrong with you?”
She narrows her eyes in frustration. “You! You’re what’s wrong, you whore.”
“What makes you so sure he’ll even go back to you?”
She gives me a bitchy smirk. “Even if he doesn’t, I won’t allow you to have him.”
Wow. So that’s what her real problem is. It’s not that she loves Trent. She can’t stand that he might leave her for me; someone she feels is beneath her. That’s been the issue all along. He danced with me at Alice’s birthday party last year and took me to prom. All those little things were him devoting time to me. The fact that he slept with me, broke up with her, nonetheless, is driving her insane. I don’t even want to know what she’d do if she knew this baby was his. My anger has me wanting to stand up and fight her, but I won’t. I will not risk my baby’s health.
“But he’ll come back to me. We’ve done this before, remember? You’ve never been Trent’s girlfriend. And you’ll never hold the title of his wife either.” Maggie leans down and looks me directly in the eye. “You may be carrying a Randall bastard, but you’ll never carry the name. You’re his whore, but I’ll be his wife.”
“Why? If you know I’m his whore?”
“I can forgive Trent. I love him like my mother loves my dad.”
A humorless laugh escapes me. “I don’t think you know what love is. That’s a messed-up marriage, if you ask me.”
“Maybe. But nobody’s asking you.” Tilting her head with a sneer, she stands and releases the emergency button. The elevator jerks and begins rising to the seventh floor. The doors open, and Alice is sitting in the lobby on her computer with two other girls. Maggie quickly reaches down and grabs me under my shoulder with more force than necessary and hoists me up.
Alice’s smile drops, and her face turns into a look of horror. “What happened? Rachel? Are you okay? Do we need to get help?”
Maggie feigns concern. “Hi, Alice. I think she’s not feeling well. I tried to help, but she insisted she was fine. She can barely stand, and her speech doesn’t make any sense. I think the pregnancy hormones are making her crazy.”
When Alice’s arms wrap around me, I crumble into her and sob. I don’t miss the smug satisfaction in Maggie’s voice, as she tells Alice, “I have to go, but keep me updated. Feel better, Rachel.”
Alice runs her fingers through my hair and holds me tightly. “Rachel? You’re scaring me. Please talk to me.” I can’t answer her. I’m emotionally wrecked. Slowly, she leads me to our dorm room. “I’m calling Trent.”
I shake my head. “No. Please don’t.”
She ignores me. “He’s on his way. Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“Can I just lay down? For a minute. Please.” I’m hurting. Not so much physically, but emotionally. My heart is breaking because I’ve been a fool. Everything Maggie said keeps playing on repeat inside my head. I believe every word that she said, whether it’s logical or not. Everyone thinks that Maggie is so perfect, and aside from being a raging bitch, she is. I’ve only been his quick, convenient fix for an easy lay. He’s only devoting his attention to me now because he thinks I’m carrying his nephew. They’d probably still be together if not for this pregnancy. Why did he break up with her? Why did he tell her to stay away for good? I can’t think any more, and I allow the darkness to swallow me, praying it gives me peace.
Trent’s voice finally breaks through the constant streaming of Maggie’s voice inside my head. “Rachel! Rachel! Hey, she’s coming around. Get her some water. Rachel? Baby, talk to me.”
A glass is pressed against my lips, and I take a small sip of cold water. I sigh and greedily accept some more.
“Rachel? We’re going to the hospital. You blacked out for a second. You can’t do that, Baby. What happened?” Trent’s voice is laced with worry. I stare into his striking cobalt eyes. I watch his dark, long lashes flutter, as he blinks. Will our precious baby have his features? Any woman would kill for those lashes. All of his features are stunning.
“You have the most beautiful lashes. I hope our son has your features.”
“Rachel?” His voice cracks this time.
My lip quivers as I force myself not to cry. “I’m letting you off the hook. I know you’re under some illusion that you’re obligated to this baby since Landon’s not here, and you’re trying to be noble. But you’re free.”
“What the hell? What are you talking about?”
“Maggie told me.”
“What’d she tell you?”
“Y’all broke up because…of us. The baby and me.”
“Yes.” He cups my face with his strong warm hands. I can feel a few callouses on his palm. “I broke up with her because I realized I’m always going to want you. Whether you were Landon’s or not. But, Baby, that was back before summer. We got back together a few days after your prom, but I knew that it was wrong of me to start a relationship with her again, when I knew I didn’t love her. I just hoped it would take my mind off the girl I couldn’t have. I know you think I could’ve been with you, but, Rachel, you have to understand, you were in high school, and I was in college.”
“She told me about the recent break up.” I jerk my face from his hands and push him away.
“It wasn’t a break up. It was me telling her we can’t even be friends because she keeps assuming we’re back together. I don’t want to be with her, whether I’m with you or not.”
“We will never work.” His thick brows pinch together, and I watch, as a flicker of pain and disbelief shine in his eyes. “Because I’ll always wonder.” A pain rips through my chest, as though my ribcage is cracking. Or maybe that’s just my heart. Tears cascade down my cheeks as I stare into his beautiful face. I shake my head when I see his lips part. I can’t bear hearing anymore. “You settled for me because of this baby. You’re not going to be tied to me when I know you don’t love me. I don’t regret what happened between us, and I’m so grateful for our baby, but Trent—�
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“Rachel, what the hell? Stop. Just stop with this bullshit about settling.” He holds a single trembling finger up. “First of all, we need to be discussing if you and the baby are, for sure, okay. We can discuss our relationship, or lack of, later. Also, are you finally admitting…am I…Is this my baby?”
His voice is laced with anger and hurt when he demands, “Answer my damn question. Is this my baby? What happened to you in that elevator? Are you physically okay? Did someone hurt my unborn child?” Through gritted teeth, his voice comes out strained, and as he commands, “Tell. Me. No more bullshitting. I’m done. Answer now.”
I ignore his questions of concern and demand he tell me if he’s with me for me. “No, you tell me. Tell me! I’m right, and you know it. Would you already be back with Maggie, if this hadn’t happened?”
“No.” He sounds exhausted. “I’ve always been in love with you. It’s always been you. I’ve dated other girls to try and get over you because of our age difference. Then, there was your and Landon’s relationship. I didn’t want to ruin that. But, Rachel, please. Open your eyes. I’ve been yours. I knew this baby was mine. In my heart, I knew.” He places his hand on my belly, while he bows his head. “I just needed you to admit it. Confirm it. I’m not going to let you down anymore. And I’m sure as hell going to try and never let down our son.”
His words are so beautiful. I can’t speak. I just silently cry. Alice brings an ice pack and places it over my right eye. I’d forgotten about the punch. I whisper a thank you and hold the pack in place.
“What about your eye? How’d that happen?” He clenches his fists. “I swear to God, Rachel, if you don’t give me some answers now, I’m going to lose my mind. I want the truth. I deserve to know.”
In a timid voice, Alice whispers, “It was only her and Maggie in the elevator.”
“Fuck this shit. Alice, we’re going to the hospital, just to be safe. Call the authorities. Have them meet us at the hospital. We’re filing a complaint. I don’t want her anywhere near Rachel and my baby again.” I start to protest, but Trent glares at me. “You were attacked. If you won’t think of yourself, then think of our baby. We’re filing a complaint. You’re not thinking clearly. About anything.”