Pushing Limits (Fighting Love: Book 1)

by cross, kali

  “Yeah, well, I had a fifteen twenty-five on my SATs and a three point five GPA in high school. I didn’t tank in school until after I graduated and Angela died. I guess all that’s not in my file, huh?” My eyes narrow as I stare back at her.

  “That’s Lily’s MO.” Rolling her eyes, she shakes her head and says, “She takes select parts of information and molds them into a believable rumor. Saying enough truth to make it plausible but still do the most damage. I’m sorry. You wouldn’t even be on her radar if you weren’t my friend.” She pulls me in for a hug.

  Pulling away, I say, “Clothes, Westin. Put on some damn clothes, girl.”

  “Right, right. Old habits die hard.” She smiles with a sheepish grin. “I’ll get out of your way.” She places her hand on my chest, “Unless you want me to stay. We could have some fun before you have to head off to class,” she says, with a leer and a tiny lick of her lips, giving me what I am sure is her best come-hither look.

  “Not happening.” I laugh as I push her out of the bathroom. I take a quick shower and wave to Sally as I run to history class.

  Chapter 15

  “So…tell me what I should wear to the Hole in the Wall,” I ask Karen as we walk through the Quad. “It sounds like an old fashioned dive bar.”

  A voice croons from behind us. “You could always wear those short jean shorts with the sexy fishnets you wore a couple of weeks ago, pequena.” We stop and turn to see Bobby behind us, still dressed in his soccer uniform complete with a lecherous leer. Such an arrogant bastard.

  Jerrod runs up to join us. “Hi, babe.” He bends down to give Karen a kiss. His calloused hand strokes her cheek tenderly.

  “Hey, baby.” Her eyes shine up at him, a light pink blush on her cheeks.

  “Thanks, but I got this,” I say to Bobby.

  “Just trying to help, pequena,” he says, flashing me a bright smile. “Listen, I’m struggling with my poli-sci paper. Is there any way you would consider looking over it? You know your grades on the quizzes have been better than mine.” Getting down on his knees in front of me, his hands in proper begging stance, he says, “Please, pequena?”

  Seriously? I frown down at him, my eyes glancing around to make sure no one is watching his theatrics. “Get up before someone sees you,” I say. He joins me on the bench with a playful grin. “Ok, I don’t know how I can help you, but I’ll take a look at it.”

  His eyes move up and down my body with a devilish grin, and he says, “What time would you like me at your place tonight?”

  With a dry tone, I say, “Ok, diablo. Hold up. I’ll meet you at the library at seven, third floor. “

  “Sounds good, pequena. You know meeting in the library or your place doesn’t make a difference to me,” he says, giving me a wink.

  Karen says, “We better go, Amber. “ Giving Jerrod a kiss, she whispers something in his ear.

  He smiles and blushes, watching her turn and leave.

  Karen walks briskly to our dorm. “Don’t look back. I’m planting a seed. If one of us looks back, it’ll ruin it.” She links her arm in mine, and says, “You know Bobby is going to hit on you the whole night, right?”

  “He can try. Doesn’t mean he’s going to get anywhere. His grades don’t seem that bad, I don’t know why he needs help in the first place. I hope this isn’t some meaningless study session for the sole purpose of getting into my pants.” I shiver thinking about him and me, my mouth curving into a sneer. Eww.

  “You know he and Sally used to date, right?” she asks. The cool air from the lobby hits my face immediately.

  “Yeah, how weird is that?” I scoff with a grimace. “Sally with a guy, yeah right.”

  “I know! It’s almost funny,” Karen says, nudging my arm. “You know the Sanchez family is one of the oldest families in Texas. I’m telling you, Sally has the lineage for that family. Her family is self-made, but they still have the pedigree, and her dad has a strong presence in DC. They were the perfect couple from what Jerrod tells me. I can believe he would want to hook up with her, I mean look at her. For a trophy wife, she’d look good on anyone’s arm. Apparently, they were pretty hot and heavy for a while. From what Jerrod tells me, it’s not all the women Sally slept with that bothered Bobby. It was the waitresses and strippers. If she had slept with someone in their circle, he wouldn’t have cared. But all the ‘trash’ as he put it, is what made him crazy.”

  My mouth curves up in disgust. “That’s snobby. He’s so pretentious. It’s odd relationship strategy with someone like Sally, too. Like any person, man or woman, could control or try to control her constant penchant for a nice piece of ass.”

  “I know. Right?” Karen laughs, pressing our floor number. “Don’t be fooled, he’s a total player.”

  “Another reason they would have made a perfect match!” I laugh as we exit the elevator. “I know. His biggest problem is that he was such a dick when I first met him. I take it back. That and more importantly, I have Tommy. Not even a chance in hell.”

  “I’ll see you later. I have to clean up before Jerrod comes over,” Karen says with her hand on her doorknob.

  “You’re letting him meet Melissa?” I ask.

  “What are you kidding me? No.” She smiles a sly smile. “Melissa is gone for the weekend. Bye now.” She waves and closes the door. Good for her.

  I unlock my door, and Sally is at her desk, books open at various spots along the top of the desk. Her computer is open, and she’s typing away. As I walk closer, I can see she’s actually doing homework. I nearly go into cardiac arrest. “Is the world coming to an end? What the hell are you doing?” I ask.

  “What? I’m studying,” Sally says. She studies her text intently. “I have to do some work, just like everybody else.”

  “Ok, ok,” I say holding my hands up in mock surrender. “Do you wanna grab a bite for dinner since you’re here or get something delivered?”

  “Let’s go over to the student union, but give me an hour or so. I can’t eat this early.”

  “Ok, but I’m meeting Bobby at the library at seven.”

  “Don’t tell me you are steppin’ out on Tommy.” Her eyes pop open as she waits for my answer. “I mean I’m not judging…Ha! Me, judge someone who plays the field. I crack myself up sometimes.” She giggles. “But, if you were, I would think this fine ass would be your first choice.” Her hand glides up and down her body, with a wink. “It’s far less threatening to another man, too. You know some guys think it’s hot to date a girl who likes other women.” She looks me up and down, heat radiating from her eyes.

  God, she is one sexy beast.

  “We’re studying,” I say, waving my finger back and forth. “None of that steppin’ out business is going on here. He asked me for help so I told him I would help him.”

  “Girl, you know his moves put mine to shame, right? You might not even see him comin’.”

  “I think the minute any part of his body touches mine will be my first clue. I got this.”

  God knows I have plenty of homework to do. I still have half of Brideshead Revisited to finish. It’s a good book so the reading is fast like a good summer read. But, I have to finish it by this weekend to get my paper done for class.

  The tower bell chimes as we cross the courtyard to the student union ringing the six o’clock hour. Tonight is taco night, and the spread is amazing. Sally giggles and laughs making stupid sophomoric jokes like “Amber, want some of my taco,” “Amber, can I see your taco,” “Tacos are the sluts of the food world, everything imaginable gets jammed into them,” and my favorite: “If God didn’t want us to eat pussy, he wouldn’t have made it look like a taco.” By the time we sit down, she has me giggling and smiling.

  I swear this girl can make a root canal fun.

  We sit down to eat, and the TV is blaring with the local news. My eyes gravitate to a news report on the TV. A picture of a woman’s back with a boot mark on her back flashes on the screen while the news anchor comments on it. “Sally, listen.
” I point at the TV. “The news. Karen told me about this story, a waitresses around campus are getting beaten up. I think another girl was attacked. Look.”

  Sally and I catch the end of the report as the reporter says, “…another victim was assaulted outside the Crazy C on the 1500 block of Guadalupe around three a.m. this morning. This is the third incident in the area. The police are investigating leads on a boot print on the victims’ bodies.” Sally googles it and looks at the full coverage indicating another girl was beaten the same boot print on their backs.

  “Oh my God. I think I know that girl.” Sally’s mouth drops open as her hand flies to her chest.

  “What do you mean?” My eyes narrow. “You know another victim?”

  “This is where I was last night. I was hitting on this cute little waitress, and I walked her to her car after the club closed. We stayed out there and fooled around for about an hour, and she said she had to get up early the next morning. I kissed her goodbye, walked to my car, and left around three.”

  “She put her number in my phone.” She searches her phone and sends her a text. “I’ll make sure it wasn’t her. It probably wasn’t. I mean what are the odds? Right?” Sally types in a text.

  Her phone pings, and she looks at the display. Her eyes open wide as she says, “It was her.”

  “Sally, is Lily psycho enough to beat someone up? What am I saying?” I ask, flinging up my hands. “Should you call the police or something?”

  “Lily may be a bitch, but she wouldn’t hospitalize someone.”

  “Ok, if you say so.” I say pensively. “I think that chick is one card short of a full deck. Just sayin’.” I check my watch and say, “Listen, I need to head over to the library.” I stand grabbing my book bag. “You coming?”

  “Nah, I’m going to head back to the room. I’ll see you when you get back. You can tell me how your study session went. Text me if he gets too handsy. I can always zip over and give him a hand.” She chuckles.

  “You can’t drag your mind out of the gutter can you?” I sneer at her, shaking my head.

  “Only when it comes to you, darlin’,” she says smiling up at me. “Only with you.”

  ***

  On my way up to the third floor, I wonder why the hell I agreed to this. Why can’t he ask one of his bros for help? Because, they don’t have vaginas, dumbass. It’s not like we’re friends anyway. And, I have Tommy, so why the fuck am I here? Is this some fucked-up-Oprah-people-pleaser bullshit? So some hottie asks me for help and I fawn and bat my eyelashes at him, grateful to be noticed? Why the fuck am I here?

  I haven’t heard from Tommy today so I text him:

  Heading for a study session with people from my poli-sci class.

  Thinking about you. Miss you.

  I search the floor, and I see Bobby in a private study room. I feel guilty for fudging the truth with Tommy. Why get him worried out in the middle of a pasture? He should trust me anyways. I’ll help Bobby and leave. Clear conscience. I need to get my paper done anyway. And, I still have a buttload of reading to do.

  “Hey.” I enter the small study room and set my book bag down next to the chair opposite him. “I don’t have much time, only about an hour. I still have to finish reading a four hundred page novel for my contemp lit class.”

  “Whatever help you can give me, pequena, would be greatly appreciated,” he says with a smile.

  He hands me his paper, and I note he has chosen the role of the Hispanic community in the next election. Good topic. As I read, I realize he has some strong political opinions on immigration reform and gun control. A man after my own mother’s heart. His paper is well thought out but incredibly one-sided. The writing is a bit weak, but I edit out the few mistakes I see in sentence structure and punctuation.

  “Regardless of what Professor Warren’s viewpoints are during class, you have to present a more balanced view. You obviously have strong feelings about these issues - ”

  “-why do you say that? Because I’m Hispanic or because I’m not white?” He interrupts, his eyes narrowing.

  “No, your feelings are transparent in this paper.” I say matter-of-factly. “This is exactly my point. I can see you coming from a mile away. Do you think any politician - ”

  “– I’m not a politician.”

  “It’s obvious that’s what you want. No one gets this fired up about issues if they plan to graduate with an accounting degree.”

  “Ok, well you got me.” He smiles raising his hands in defeat.

  “My point is you can’t make a speech, or write a paper, where you don’t at least acknowledge the other side. You have to present both views and prove the other one has faulty reasoning. It’s great that you’re passionate, but balance that passion with statistics and prove you point. Like here,” I point to a section. “The opposing section should be as many paragraphs as the advocated position. Equal number of arguments presented. Your view can’t be discussed until your conclusion.”

  “But, I do present the opposing position.” He moves to my side of the table. “Right here. It’s in this section here.” He points to the section in his paper.

  “I understand that,” I say, nudging him toward his chair.

  “What? Do I make you nervous, pequena?” His eyes twinkle.

  “No,” I say. My tone is a tad too defensive. Damn it. “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

  “And, what would that be?” His eyes roam up and down my body as my heart beats faster.

  “That I want to be anything more than friends.” I harden my eyes. I need to be clear on this. I don’t need him to get any ideas. “I’m seeing someone.”

  “And, yet, you are here with me, pequena,” he says, raising an eyebrow, challenging me.

  “Oh, really? So, now you are Rico Suave?” I laugh, probably a little too hard. “What the fuck is that? Is that a line from a crappy movie or something? Fucker please.”

  “Fucker?” He laughs darkly. “You have quite a mouth on you. Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?”

  “Oh, I am much worse with my mother, but hey, thanks for the etiquette lesson.” I smile, leaning into his face saying the word emphasizing each syllable, “Fuck-er.”

  His hands are behind my head as his lips are on my mouth. My body freezes. His lips are hot and forceful. He explores my mouth, demanding access. The hands on my face are firm but soft. His aggression surprises me. I am stunned. The realization of what I am doing and what I am risking hits. I finally pull away. Staggering back, my hand is up and moving across his face. The sound of the slap resonates in the tiny room, echoing off the walls. His shocked face is red. Out of anger or embarrassment, I’m not sure.

  “I have to go.” I pick up my books and run out. People flash by as I run back to the dorm.

  Chapter 16

  The sun is up, but I haven’t slept. I’m racked with guilt. I spend my first few waking hours, tossing in my bed. It was just a kiss. I try to convince myself I have done nothing wrong. Should I tell Tommy, or should I let it go? It’s not like I had sex with him or anything. It was only a kiss. Should I cancel tonight? Bobby’s supposed to go with us to the Hole in the Wall. Maybe I should stay home and steer clear of him.

  I didn’t hear from Tommy last night, but he warned me that might happen. That doesn’t mean I miss him any less. The inner devil yells in my head that I sure did miss him when I had my lips on Bobby Sanchez last night. Geez, shut up!

  I text Tommy:

  I miss you.

  Can we talk sometime today?

  If I get him on the phone, I can tell him about the kiss and get it over with. It was no big deal. I didn’t even kiss the prick back. Maybe I should stay home.

  My phone rings, and my heart leaps into my throat. I pick it up from the bedside table and groan at the display. Aunt Patty.

  My chest falls. “Hi Aunt Patty.” My voice sounds flat. “How are you this morning?”

  “I’m fine. How is everything?”

 
“Great.” I try to sound a little cheerful, but I’m disappointed it isn’t him.

  “I spoke with your mother about the billboard. She told me that after she wired the endowment, she spoke with Ms. Chadwick personally and told her she would get back to her on the endowment name for the facility. When she called back with the name, she left a message for Ms. Chadwick. The building is supposed to be named after your grandmother, The Rose Griffin Hall. Your mother never wanted it named after her, too gauche. I have to call Ms. Chadwick to get the billboard changed immediately and to get an explanation.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Patty. Did she happen to mention who took her message?” I’d bet money it was Lily. Since she works in Ms. Chadwick’s office, she could have been the one to take the call.

  “She said it was a female. She thought her name was Laura, Lindsey, something like that. She was light on the details. You know your mother. I’m sorry if the damage has already been done.”

  “Everyone is whispering about how my mother bought my way in here.” I hiss into the phone. My arms flail into the air. “One girl actually chewed me out to my face this morning.”

  “B-but that’s not true,” Aunt Patty stammers, her voice outraged. “You could have gotten in easily with your grades and SATs. The only mar on your transcript was the year after Angela died.”

  “I know, but there’s this chick named Lily, and she has it out for me.” I sigh. “She’s been spreading the rumors. It’s humiliating. The billboard is big fucking confirmation that what she is saying is probably true.” I rub my forehead, sighing heavily. “It’s at the north end of campus so maybe everyone hasn’t seen it.” I could be so lucky.

  “I’m sure they haven’t. I mean how many people know you on campus? It’s a big campus, right?” She’s trying to sound so optimistic, but it falls flat. We both know the rumors are flying because people have seen it.