by Rose Croft
After the game, I followed Kenzie out of the stands outside, and we walked around the stadium to the east end. “What are we doing?”
“Waiting for Justin.”
A small crowd of people began congregating around and soon players started coming out looking freshly showered in street clothing. Kenzie grabbed my arm. “There he is. Come on.” I let her drag me along.
When Justin’s baby blues landed on my friend, he broke out in a huge smile.
“Good game, babe,” Kenzie gushed and threw her arms around his neck. I glanced around awkwardly while they kissed and spotted Nick passing through the crowd.
“Theo, you wanna go?”
My attention was drawn back to my roomie who dangled over Justin like a human necklace. “Where?”
“There’s a party tonight at a friend’s place off campus,” Justin supplied as his hands wrapped around my friend’s hips.
“She’s going,” Kenzie filled in before I could answer.
“Sure,” I said with caution. On one hand, I wanted to avoid another possible unpleasant confrontation, but on the other, I chided myself for being a coward. Why not? It was stupid, really, to let one person piss on my parade. Who knew if he’d be there anyway? And if he was? I shrugged off the thought.
“You came.” I heard a deep voice behind me.
I turned and Nick stood with arms crossed and a cocky smile on his face.
“Yeah. Good game.”
“Thanks.” He dipped his chin. “There’s a party tonight at my house…”
“She knows,” Justin said behind me and released his hold on Kenzie to fist bump Nick’s hand.
“You gonna make it out there?”
I thumbed my hair behind my ear. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”
“Nick, let’s roll!” I looked up to see Axel dressed like he just finished a photo shoot with GQ signaling with his index finger a few feet away impatiently.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He brushed my chin with his thumb, flashing his teeth before he took off in the direction of his friend. Despite the excitement I was feeling, self-doubt once again drifted in my brain cells. Own it, I reminded myself.
Music floated through the air as Kenzie and I walked up the long driveway filled with expensive SUVs, tricked up jeeps and sports cars. Damn, Nick was a high roller. I could tell by the modern house that was somewhat isolated on private cul de sac surrounded by trees. This place must have cost a fortune. It seemed it was situated a block away from other impressive homes in this neighborhood, but only about fifteen minutes from campus. Kenzie had driven and parked down the street behind a stream of cars that already lined the curbs for at least a mile long.
The music from inside was so loud the ground vibrated as we neared the front door. A few people were hanging out with drinks in-hand talking. Kenzie opened the door, and the house was crazy-packed with people bumping and grinding to the beat. We threaded through the crowd, and I almost felt claustrophobic. When we finally made it through the living room, I’d already been bumped by a hundred people. I was ready to either have a drink, pop a Xanax, or down both at the same time.
“Kenzie!” Justin was leaning against the island in the kitchen, and Nick was next to him. His eyes fell on me, and that never-ending cock-sure tilt of his mouth he always carried was on full display.
She was at Justin’s side, and several bottles of liquor and soft drinks crowded the counter.
“Hey you.” Nick stepped close, and his eyes ran over me, checking me out. I had on high-waist denim shorts and a cropped tank showing a flash of stomach. “What would you like to drink?”
I shrugged, making a show to ponder the array of bottles displayed, as if I was some kind of connoisseur, which could’ve been further from the truth. I noticed Justin had mixed Kenzie something with Malibu, so I jutted my chin out. “I’ll have that, too.”
Nick made a drink and handed me the red plastic cup. Kenzie looked up at me. “We’re going out back.”
I followed them with Nick by my side. We passed through the wide-open doors and faced a lit rectangle-shaped pool. People were either grouped around it in conversation, dancing around like they were at Lollapalooza, or mugging down in lounge chairs. There were others who were in the pool in both swimsuits and underwear, and the night was still young. No telling when all the clothing would come off. Probably sooner than later as more drinking commenced.
“This place is nice,” I said. Wait, did I call it nice? Nice? That was the best description I could come up with? I must’ve been in awe that a college kid could afford a home like this. Of course, it was probably his family’s money. It had to be.
“It is nice,” Nick agreed.
I took a sip of my drink, staring around trying to think of something to say. Something that didn’t make me sound like an idiot. Words didn’t flow freely like my friend, Kenzie, who was standing a few feet away with Justin flipping her hair as she spoke with her mouth moving animatedly to the small group around them.
I felt a nudge on my upper arm. Nick bent in. “Did you want a tour of the house?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Sure.”
Before he led me away, a thick arm wrapped around his neck. “You better fuckin’ pay up, man.” Axel popped up behind him holding him in a fake chokehold, cackling. “I beat you!”
Nick shook his head, shoving Axel’s arm aside. “It was one time. I usually annihilate you.”
“Doesn’t matter. I beat you when it mattered. When there’s money on the table, you bet your ass I’m gonna win.” Axel looked up at me and grinned. “Hey, Theo.”
“Hi.” I lifted a hand in some stupid wave that I made a mental note to not ever do again. Axel and Nick continued talking trash about whatever bet they had, while I observed them; they both looked intimidating in build. Axel was a running back on the team and he’d run rampant in the game earlier, scoring at least two touchdowns. I wondered if they were friends with Roman? Was he even here? I shook off the thought, hoping he wasn’t. Although I spoke bravely earlier, I really didn’t want a repeat of the other night.
As their conversation heated, Nick beamed with a challenging gleam in his eye. “You know what, Ax? Let’s go, I want a rematch. If you’ve got the balls that is. Double down, bro.”
“You really wanna wager a thousand dollars?” Axel raised an eyebrow at him.
What the hell were they wagering on? Who had that much money to just throw away? Obviously, these guys.
“You feeling lucky, bitch? Then lets go again,” Nick goaded.
“All right. Let’s do this.”
Axel downed his drink and turned to head back inside. Nick took my hand and nodded toward the house. “Come on, Theo. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To the lair.” Say what? The lair? Was this some kind of fight club or something?
“Relax. It’s a game room.” Nick chuckled as though reading my worried face like an open book. “We’re just playing NBA 2K20.”
“Okay.” Whatever that meant. Still, my expression was puzzled.
“It’s just a video game.” Nick tapped my nose. “You’re too cute,” he teased, leading me with him, while I cautiously looked behind me to see where Kenzie was, but she was nowhere in sight. Passing through the packed house, the sea of partiers seemed to disintegrate quickly at his sight, leaving an open path. What was it with football players here that everyone gave them a wide berth? We passed through the kitchen, and the crowd kind of thinned out as we walked down a long hallway and turned right, descending down concrete stairs. Did I mention this house was massive? I didn’t even know it was multi-leveled. From the outside, it looked like an oversized one-story house.
When we reached the bottom step, there was a stately black door that almost looked like a vault. Jeez, were we going to a dungeon? Should I be nervous I was following a guy I barely knew into a room that was closed off from the rest of the house?
“It’s all good,” Nick reassured me.
When he o
pened the door, a hazy cloud filled the room along with an acrid smell of pot and cigarettes. I followed him in and saw a ginormous flat screen on a wall and an oversized leather sectional with people sitting around, Axel was among them jawing nonstop to some other guy beside him who had a girl in his lap clad only in a bra and a micro-mini skirt grinding against him.
“Let’s get you a refill.” Nick guided me over to another corner of the grand room that was equipped with a wet bar and enough liquor to host a music festival and full-size refrigerator. A billiards table was set in the middle of the room, and two beefy looking men were circling around with pool sticks chattering about tonight’s game. Nick took my cup and uncapped a bottle of Malibu, obviously remembering what I had earlier, although I watched him as he poured making sure he didn’t roofie my drink. I didn’t really think he would.
High-pitched laughter drew my attention across the room. Guys and girls were assembled at a round table playing cards. “You cheated!” a female voice squealed, throwing down her cards in a fake huff and then unhooked her bra as her generous boobs spilled out, while the other participants ogled and cheered. Some whipped out their phones taking videos. Maybe this was a mistake coming down here. Maybe I should just relax and let go. Why did I keep questioning myself?
“Here you go.” Nick laid the cup in my hand and nodded toward the sofa. He didn’t seem to care there were half-naked women in the room. Was this an everyday occurrence for him? Shut up, brain. “Time for me to kick my friend’s ass.” His lips curled up boyishly with a gentle nudge at my back. As we reached the already-filled couch, Nick’s eyes slanted to Axel, who clicked the buttons on his controller before he signaled to the two girls sitting beside him. “Move,” Nick said in impatience; the smile never left his face. I guess he thought he was being polite, lessening the blow. The girls’ faces scrunched up as they glanced at Axel, who was focused on the game before slowly rising in annoyance.
“Hey, why the fuck you sending away my fan club?” Axel asked, although his eyes were still glued to the screen, not sounding too worried about it. Finally, he graced them with his attention, flashing his pearly whites and dimples. “I’ll hook up with y’all later.”
Not you. Y’all.
That answer seemed to appease them, and the girls both made I heart U eyes at him before they strutted off.
Nick sat down and patted the space beside him, and I lowered down on the plush leather seat. He slung an arm on the back of the couch behind me, leaving space not completely crowding me in. I felt his fingers brush my shoulder, and my eyes widened at the theater-sized screen in front of me.
Twisting his head at Axel, Nick prodded, “Are we playing or what?”
“I’ve been here, son, just been waiting on your prima donna ass.” Axel scoffed.
Nick leaned around Axel to the dark-haired guy with the girl in his lap who was draped all over him with her tits in his face. “Tell fuck boy to give me the remote. Is he even playing the game?”
“Not well. Fucker thinks he is, but he also thinks he can multitask the game and her and handle his liquor.” Axel nudged the guy next to him. “Dmitri, give over the remote. Nick wants to play.”
“I can multitask and handle my liquor, asshole, I’m Russian.” Dmitri shifted the girl on his lap as his face made an appearance from behind a veil of chocolate brown hair. His puffy lips were well-kissed and swollen but lifted in an arrogant tilt, and giving zero fucks, he tossed the controller across to Nick.
Nick and Axel both burst out laughing as though sharing an inside joke. Axel finally said, “Let’s play.”
“Hey, it’s about fucking time you showed up!” Someone shouted behind me and I craned my neck out of curiosity. And I knew. Call it a sixth sense. Call it common sense because half the football team was here, so it was only natural he’d be here too.
Theodora
Roman was here. It was like his presence made everyone demand his attention. His dark hair was thick on top and recklessly styled. He wore a black T-shirt and dark jeans. His cool eyes scanned the room with no emotion as he shifted on his feet while some guy was nudging him and talking non-stop. Roman hated small talk. Regardless, I felt anxiety in my chest seeing him so close. Perhaps I should’ve been more apprehensive, because it didn’t take long before he saw me, and the unease sped up double-time as I was caught in his relentless gaze, while stark darkness filled his eyes. He was several feet away from me across the expansive room, but it didn’t seem far enough. Even worse when he took a step forward in my direction. I held my breath, preparing myself for another uncomfortable encounter.
All the bravado inner pep talks I gave myself about not caring whether I saw him again were beginning to get skittish and threaten to run and hide like frightened cats. Reality beat me over the head. Hanging around a crowd of adoring fans was his domain, and I should’ve steered clear of him. In my defense, it’s not like I sought him out nor knew we’d even end up at the same school. As far as I knew, Roman had interest in going to one of the bigger colleges in the SEC. But that was in the past…much like our history. He took a few more steps closer, his jaw tightened with determination as though he were on a mission to truly destroy me.
“Roman, there you are.” A girl with jet black hair stepped in front of him. Someone who looked very familiar. Whose family was just as wealthy, if not more so than the Martinez family. Taylor Shields. He kept his glare on me as Taylor was coaxing him into making her a drink, signaling to the bar. Finally, he relented and allowed her to lead him to the back of the room.
I turned to Nick, who was focused on the video game talking smack to his friend. “Where’s the restroom?”
“Go back up the stairs, and it’s the second door on the left. If it’s full, just use the one in my room at the very end of the hall.”
I rose and went over to the door flashing a glance to my right to catch his eyes again, watching me like I was a wounded rabbit in an open field. Soon, he turned his head at something Taylor said and his face wasn’t so severe. Peeling my eyes away, I slipped out and made my way up the steps. How my heart could beat faster with unease and yet sink to my stomach at the same time was pathetic. I was still trying to digest how we’d come to this. My thoughts rifled through an internal folder of memories. Remembering how there was a time when Roman’s face softened around me. He’d always been someone who was somewhat withdrawn and serious around everyone, although he was the person everyone gravitated around at school, at parties, everywhere really. Back then he never let his guard down, but he would around me. Until all hell broke loose.
When I emerged from the stairs, there were several people congregating around a closed door, a solid line waiting for the bathroom, so I continued down the long hall until I reached the end. Opening the door, I turned on the light and gazed around Nick’s room. He had a queen-sized bed with a plaid comforter, a dresser, and nightstand. Some football paraphernalia and a few family photos. I picked up one of the photos seeing him in his football uniform in between an older man and woman who I assumed were his parents. Both were blond and striking as well. Setting it down, I made a move to the bathroom. At least, it smelled somewhat clean and looked tidy. When I took care of business and washed my hands, I flicked off the light, opened the bathroom door and saw the motion of a tall figure pass through the door. The enemy was upon me.
“You don’t listen very well, do you?” Roman’s deep, contempt-laced voice bounced off the walls above the muffled background noise from the living room. The bedroom door was now closed, and he leaned against it with his arms overlapped.
“What do you want?” I stood my ground fighting something bubbling inside. Maybe it was fear, or maybe it was the thought of challenging him, I didn’t know. Lord knew he was hate-glaring at me with a sick smile on his face. I’d seen that look before when he was on the football field after an opposing defender fucked with and taunted him before he went off like a madman. He thrived on getting the best of someone. Thrived on winning. Knowing that i
nformation, a saner person would’ve sprinted back in the bathroom, locked the door and called for help. I rubbed my palms over my shorts. “I was invited. You do know what that word means?”
“Well, I’m uninviting you.” He pushed off the door, stalking closer with his never-ending resolve when he set his mind on something, while I fought the urge to run. However, I dug in my heels. The two drinks I’d downed gave me courage. Not saying that was the smartest decision. Or best justification.
“Uninviting me?” I paused deliberately, tilting my head in question. “Oh wait. I’m sorry, but who the hell do you think you are?” I goaded, shrouded with my shield of fake confidence, but a twisting in my stomach reminded me I wasn’t completely immune to this dread. To him.
His footsteps reverberated against the hardwood as he neared; his unmistakable scent of maleness and dominance ruled my senses. He didn’t stop until his chest pressed mine, crowding me in. A vein in his neck bulged as he craned over me. His thick chest rose and fell slowly with his every breath as he nosed around my face like a German Shepard picking up a scent. Finally, lowering his head under my chin as he whispered, “I’m the one who haunts your dreams. So if you want to save face, I would suggest you get the fuck out.”
The air felt too thick to breathe, and our bodies were a hair’s breadth away. He was intimidating, which was his goal, wasn’t it? However, I countered, “You must be mistaken to think your threats mean anything. What are you? An eight-year-old on the playground playing bully?”
As soon as the words came out, fingers dug into my arm. I fought to yank away, but it was futile. He warned softly, “No. Just trying to get rid of the trash. By the way what the hell are you doing in my friend’s room?”