Keeping Secrets

by Lisa Eugene

  Their noisy applause had drawn the attention of several people at a nearby table. The pouty girl in the red dress who I’d met at the door was seated at the table next to us. She stared in our direction, her eyes rounded with what looked like surprise. Ignoring her, I draped an arm around Alexa, tuning in on a conversation she was having with Tina.

  “It’s definitely you,” Tina was saying to Alexa.

  Alexa’s forehead crinkled. “How can you be sure?”

  Tina rolled her eyes and smiled. “Because, silly, I heard that Professor Lee told Rhonda she got the second-highest grade on the midterm. There could only be one other person who’d beat her out—you! I swear, you two keep killing our curve.”

  Alexa chewed pensively on her bottom lip, but I could see hope flaming her eyes. “I won’t celebrate until the ID grades are officially posted.”

  I squeezed her shoulders, realizing they must be talking about the infectious disease class she was taking. I’d helped her study for that midterm and she’d known her shit better than the spelling of her name. It wouldn’t surprise me that she’d aced the exam.

  “I’m sure you owe it all to your brilliant boyfriend and study partner,” I teased.

  She elbowed my ribs just as another girl came over. Alexa introduced her as Carla. Carla swept me with an appreciative glance, one that made me feel as naked as the day I was born.

  She swung that gaze to John and laughed sarcastically. “Now, Alexa has a date. Where’s your date, John? Is she busy posing for Playboy tonight?”

  “Leave John alone, Carla,” Alexa cut in.

  Carla snickered and plopped into a chair. “I’m just playing around, for God sakes!”

  John colored floridly and took several sips of his drink.

  “I swear, you need a muzzle.” Monika eyed Carla.

  Carla opened her mouth to respond when the photographer reappeared. She protested with everyone else, but rose from her seat to get into position.

  “Yearbook pictures,” Alexa explained apologetically. “The photographers have been driving us crazy all evening.”

  I nodded, reluctantly letting her go.

  “Can you take my place?” John asked me, standing. “I think if I smile one more time tonight my face will crack.”

  “Sorry.” I shrugged.

  “He’s just hoping they’ll put your pic over his name in the yearbook,” Carla tossed out.

  I moved out of the way when the photographer asked the adjacent table to join in the picture. Pouty Girl still looked peeved, but rose ceremoniously and sauntered toward the group.

  “How many more pictures do you need for this damn yearbook?” she yelled to the photographer. “I’ve been taking pictures all evening.”

  “Come on, Rhonda, you know you enjoy it,” someone teased.

  Her pout morphed to a cocky smile. “Well, I suppose you’ll need to grace the pages with your next valedictorian,” she drawled.

  On hearing Rhonda’s name and her knifing comment, my spine zipped straight and my gaze shot to Alexa. She looked annoyed by the hold-up. Rhonda took her time walking over, swinging her hips while her gaze glided to me. She didn’t seem to care that everyone was lined up and waiting. I frowned. That girl had “troublemaker” written all over her. I still couldn’t shake the odd feeling that I’d seen her before.

  She squeezed in next to Alexa, and instinctively, I shot to my feet, alarm bells ringing. Alexa caught my move and must’ve seen the tension on my face. She sent me a warning glare, telling me to sit, that she could handle herself. I sent her an equally meaningful stare, telling her I wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, I took a full step closer and braced my arms across my chest.

  The photographer instructed the large group to huddle closer. Everyone stared forward, focusing on the man holding the camera. I felt my brows furrow when Rhonda turned and mumbled something to Alexa. I was too far away to hear, but Alexa’s gaze flicked briefly to me. She responded to Rhonda, her smile never wavering, but her eyes narrowed. She was pissed.

  I started toward the group, not giving a shit about ruining the yearbook picture. I had a few words of my own for Rhonda. I’d show her how effectively I could burst her damn bubble. The picture was taken and students scattered. Alexa intercepted me, smiling and taking my hand.

  “Are you okay?” I dragged her against my body, brushing my lips across her forehead.

  “Yes, my caveman,” she teased, towing me back to the table.

  I cupped her chin and tilted her face up so I could see her eyes.

  “Are you sure? What did she say to you?”

  “Nothing.”

  I sighed. “You promised me no more lies, remember?”

  Her lashes fluttered and she reached up to adjust her glasses. “What she said isn’t important. I’ll tell you later.” At my frown she rose on tiptoe and smacked a kiss on my lips. “C’mon, caveman. Let’s go back to the table. She’s not worth even thinking about for one sec. Besides, all the deans are here and I don’t want a scene. I’m sure she’d love the opportunity to make me look bad.” She smiled sweetly. “Later you can take me home and work off all this aggression.”

  I couldn’t help smiling at the provocative look she gave me. After suffering her absence for a week, there was a lot I wanted to work off. `

  We walked back to the table and took our seats. Several more students joined the group and the discussion turned to midterms. The mood was light. It seemed that everyone was glad the rigorous exams were over, but they nervously speculated about how they’d performed.

  Tina had been to Berlin with her family last summer and we talked a little about the city while Alexa went off to chat with the deans. Tina seemed to be a good friend to Alexa, having nothing but good things to say about her. I smiled as I listened, because they were things I already knew.

  Stats had a heart of gold and a scary intellect, but she also had that insecure side that worried me, and some walls I had a hard time penetrating. She never spoke about her childhood. Whenever I asked about her relationship with her father, she cut me off or gave vague answers.

  He pushed her like a goddamn sergeant, that much I knew. And there was no way in hell her burns came from a cooking accident. I worried what internal scars she hid. The invisible ones could leave the deepest prints. I had a feeling she had a rough childhood. Her father seemed like an abusive bastard, with a wickedly stern demeanor and a disdainful attitude. I recalled the way he’d played with the lighters on his desk, and my heart squeezed for Alexa.

  I carried my own secrets, things I kept from Alexa. Henry was right. If I planned to have a life with her, I needed to come clean. I was planning a big surprise for her next week. I’d tell her then. It was time. I felt it in my heart. I wanted us to build the rest of our lives together on a foundation of honesty and love.

  A careless laugh drifted from the neighboring table, drawing my attention. Rhonda chatted loudly with another student. The sight had anger roiling in my belly.

  “What’s the deal with Rhonda?” I asked Tina.

  “She’s just a bitch.”

  I laughed. That I knew. “Is it just the valedictorian rivalry with Alexa, or is there more going on?”

  She shrugged. “Honestly, Rhonda has a real attitude. She’s privileged and used to getting her way. She’s a snob, plain and simple.”

  “Why Alexa?”

  “Alexa doesn’t take her shit. She stands up to her. I think that pisses Rhonda off more than anything. And of course, she really wants to be valedictorian.”

  “And Alexa is competition,” I added. “Are there other students up for valedictorian?”

  “Yes, but Alexa and Rhonda are the top runners. They both have almost perfect GPAs, mad clinical skills, and have consistently done well on the USMLE.” She rolled her eyes and explained at my frown. “More fucking tests we have to take to become doctors.”

  I nodded. “Who decides on valedictorian?”

  “The board of deans, but they look at everything
. I wouldn’t be surprised if they check our teeth for cavities. In my opinion, Alexa deserves it. She works her ass off and she has better clinical skills than Rhonda. She’ll be an amazing doctor someday.”

  I agreed, my gaze tracking Alexa across the room as she spoke with an older man I assumed was one of her deans.

  I didn’t get a chance to talk to John. He hopped from table to table, hanging with other students. Monika didn’t talk much, seeming very shy, or maybe she didn’t have a lot to say.

  A half-hour later, we traded the noise and chatter of the party for the steady whoosh of traffic and the boisterous din of the city. It was just after ten and Midtown was alive, people criss-crossing in every direction, forming busy patterns on the streets. Getting a cab was impossible. We walked a few blocks to the avenue where there was a steadier stream of traffic. It was a brisk night, the cold slapping our faces and trying to sneak under our coats. I took Alexa’s hand in mine, then frowned when I looked down.

  “It’s freezing. Where’re your leather gloves?”

  She shrugged. “I left them at home.”

  I brought her hand to my lips and kissed the back. “You okay with walking?”

  She nodded. I took my gloves off and handed them to her. They were big, but would do the job. Hand in hand, we walked along Thirty-eighth Street, talking and laughing.

  We passed a nightclub with a horde of scantily clad teens lined up against a velvet rope. Cabs dropped off party-goers, but just as quickly, they were snatched up. We kept our pace toward the avenue.

  “By the way, you never told me what Rhonda said to you.”

  She waved away my statement with a flick of her wrist. “It’s really not important.”

  I stopped, forcing her feet to halt. “Tell me.”

  Rolling her eyes and issuing a frustrated sigh, she nudged up her glasses. “She said that I must give good head to have a boyfriend who looks like you.”

  Although I shouldn’t have been shocked, my jaw dropped. Women could sometimes say the meanest things. Now I wished I’d handled Rhonda like I’d wanted to back at the party.

  Alexa stared up at me, her blue eyes darker in the moonlight.

  “Did anyone else hear her?” I asked, my voice tight.

  She nodded. “Everyone who was posing for the picture.”

  I cursed under my breath and pulled her into my arms. She must’ve been mortified. Rhonda deliberately embarrassed her. Anger coiled tight inside me, squeezing my palms into fists.

  “I’m so sorry, Stats. What did you say?”

  She pulled back and looked up at me. “I told her I give excellent head.”

  My jaw slackened again. “What?”

  A smile emerged from the corner of her lips. “Yup. I told her I give excellent head and then offered to give her some pointers.”

  My face must’ve sported a stunned, puzzled look, but my shoulders shook as deep laughter erupted. Stats started laughing, too. I was sure we both looked ridiculous, decorating the sidewalk and cackling out loud like happy birds.

  “You do give excellent head,” I concurred, sending her a salacious wink.

  She grinned and started walking. The wind whipped around her hair, pushed her deeper into her coat. She was cold. My hands and nose were frozen. I started following, still chuckling at her response to Rhonda. Just then, I spotted a cab at the end of the street, stopped at a red light.

  “C’mon,” I hustled. “We have to get to the light before it changes.”

  Alexa looked surprised, but fell into step as I ran past her.

  “How do you expect me to keep up with those long legs of yours?” she yelled from behind me.

  I stopped and shot a worried look at the cab, then back to Alexa. On such a cold, busy night, who knew when we’d find another taxi. And it looked like the light was about the change.

  I turned and gave her my back. “Hop on!”

  “What? No way!” she gasped.

  “C’mon, hurry!”.

  She laughed and mumbled something about me losing my mind, but scrambled awkwardly onto my back. I hooked my arms under her legs and took off at a jog.

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this! You’re crazy!” She shrieked and laughed as she bounced up and down behind me.

  “You better hold on tight, or I might drop you,” I teased.

  She squealed when I pretended to lose my hold on her. Her arms sloppily strangled my shoulders, our laughter carrying on the cold wind.

  Passing pedestrians regarded us as though we were nuts, but, cheering and puffing, we made it to the cab just before the light changed.

  Tucked inside the warm vehicle, she giggled and punched me playfully. “I can’t believe you just did that. You really are crazy.”

  I grinned at her. Her beautiful face flushed with color. Her cheeks were bright and rosy, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. God, how I love this woman. I captured her lips and plunged my tongue deep into the sweetest heaven.

  “I am crazy,” I said when I came up for air, “about you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  You are weak and defective.

  Yes, Daddy.

  Heed my words and I will save you.

  Yes, Daddy.

  If you don’t, you will only meet disaster.

  Alexa

  Midterms were over. Four more days until Christmas, and no one, including me, felt like being in class. Most of the grades were back, and I’d done extremely well, getting perfect scores on most of my exams. A few grades were still pending, but some of the professors were cruel and would make us wait until after the break.

  After class, Tina, John, and I headed to the hospital to check on our patients. The thought of seeing Dex tonight had excitement humming in my belly. He’d been very secretive about what he had planned. His only request was no sweats or hoodies. Okay, that eliminated about ninety-five percent of my wardrobe.

  He was picking me up at eight and we planned to stop and check out the seventy-foot Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Seeing the lighted Norway spruce with him would be magical. His presence sprinkled happiness into everything we did, sweetened each treasured moment. After the tree, I had no idea what he was up to, but I was sure I’d have a great time.

  When I arrived on the ward with John and Tina, I noticed two nurses at the medication cart speaking in rapid conversation. I could only catch bits and pieces but heard the distinct whisper of Dr. Leon’s name.

  “Did Cass say that Dr. Leon is here?” John turned to me, his thick brows knitting together.

  “Yeah,” Tina confirmed, looking equally concerned. “Shit.”

  Dr. Leon’s presence was enough to rattle the usually unflappable nurses. If he was on the ward, something was wrong.

  “Where’s Dr. Leon?” I asked Cass.

  “He just went to the back, to the lockers,” she replied, confusion drawing lines on her forehead. “He has a security guard with him.”

  I took tentative steps to the back of the nurses’ station, my pulse pounding. Security guard? Absurdly, I thought about the two dozen donuts I’d stolen. Had there been another breakin? I didn’t keep much in my locker since the robbery, but just the thought of it happening again was concerning.

  Dr. Leon was standing with another man when I arrived at the back. The dean was dressed in a stiff suit, an impatient expression pulling his face. He turned as I stepped in, brows furrowing.

  “Miss Kennedy.” He nodded curtly.

  My heart was a drum in my chest. There was something about the way he’d intoned my name that had it thumping chaotically.

  Something was very wrong.

  “Wh-what’s going on?” I asked.

  His lips firmed. “I’ve received a very troubling report, Miss Kennedy, something that warrants investigation.”

  Confusion must’ve been plain in my eyes because he sighed warily, as though he thought I was playing a game with him.

  “I don’t know what this is about,” I stated, moving closer.
/>   Dr. Leon raised a palm to the security guard and faced me squarely. I could now see that the guard was carrying what looked like giant clippers. From the quiet shuffling behind me, I knew others had entered the room, but I didn’t dare look back. My focus stayed on Dr. Leon’s ridged face.

  “Open your locker, Miss Kennedy.”

  I blinked slowly, even more confused. He frowned deeply, craggy lines fanning from the corners of his eyes.

  “Certainly,” I whispered, stepping forward. I didn’t know what to think. I was still surprised that he was here at all.

  With shaking fingers, I dialed open my combination lock and pulled open the door. Gasps sounded behind me, giving voice to the noise that wouldn’t release from my throat. My previously empty locker was stuffed, filled with medical equipment. I didn’t have to look at the name tags to know that the equipment belonged to Monika, Rhonda, and the other students who’d had their lockers broken into months ago.

  “Does this equipment belong to you, Miss Kennedy?” Dr. Leon asked tightly, the answer already in his eyes.

  Stilled stunned, I shook my head. “N-no.”

  I stepped aside as the security guard pulled out a bag and started emptying the locker.

  “I have no idea how that stuff got in there,” I explained, my voice sounding like it was thrown from somewhere in the distance. A fine sheen of sweat started to break out all over my body.

  Dr. Leon pressed his lips together and regarded me through narrowed, angry eyes. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw what looked a lot like disappointment. An image of my father’s face came to mind.

  “I swear to you,” I pleaded, surfacing from shock. “I have no idea how that equipment got there.”

  The busy murmurs and chatter behind me suddenly swelled. My head turned as Rhonda barged into the room. Shock and anger rounded her eyes as she astutely assessed the situation. Her enmity was so profound, even I had a hard time believing her reaction wasn’t real.

  “Holy shit!” she exclaimed hotly to no one in particular. “I told you it was her. I knew it!”

  “That’s enough, Miss Rothford,” Dr. Leon commanded, then he addressed the crowd. “I’m sure all of you have some place to be.”