“Because you are the Moon of My Life. That is all I know and all I need to know. I won’t rest until you are mine once more.”
I glare at him, then say, “Get the fuck out. Now.”
“Okay,” he says, no longer in character. “I’m here because I needed to see you again.”
“You just now decided you need to see me?” I don’t even know what I’m arguing here, but I do know I need to stay pissed off at Kal until I can get him out of this room and this house. I can’t afford to go soft on him and give him a second chance, no matter how much I miss him.
“It’s not like I could call you or drop by the Mi Alpha Alpha house. You’ve kind of shut me out, you know? So I decided to lay low and wait for the right opportunity.”
“And here you are. You thought you could just stroll back into my life after what happened?”
“What did happen, Dani? We were getting along spectacularly, and then you suddenly dumped me without an explanation.”
This is too much. He can’t possibly have not figured it out by now.
“You know exactly what happened, Kal. You may be an asshole, but you’re not stupid.”
In the dark, though, it kind of looks like he’s sincerely confused.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Seriously, I need to know why you broke up with me so suddenly.”
I have to remind myself that this man is an asshole.
“Get out of my room before I scream.”
Just then a couple of guys appear in the doorway, smiling when they see Kal and me in costumes.
“That’s awesome,” one of them says.
“Sorry, this room is out of order,” Kal says, shutting the door on them.
He flips the light switch before turning back around to face me, then stops short when he sees my costume in the brighter light.
“Holy shit,” he mumbles, his eyes roaming over my body for a second. Then he apparently realizes he’s not allowed to ogle me anymore and quickly averts his eyes.
“I deserve a reason, Dani.”
“You don’t deserve shit.”
“We were fine—better than fine, in fact, we were perfect—then suddenly we weren’t. You said you decided we weren’t a good fit, but never said why. Whether I deserve it or not, I would still like to know why you changed your mind about me.”
I’m so angry that I’m breathing hard, and I can feel my breasts rise and fall with each breath. Kal must be fighting a battle to keep from looking. I know that because I’m having to force myself not to look at his bare chest and thighs.
I’m angry at him, and I’m angry at myself for this weird sexual response I’m feeling to his presence. I decide in the heat of the moment to confront him about his abhorrent behavior.
“I saw her, Kal.”
He stares blankly. “Saw who?”
“Tall, curly black hair? Huge tits? Any of this ring a bell?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“I never went to my parents’ house that weekend. I got off the train at Bracken Point and took the next one back to Oak Ridge so we could talk about our future together.” Those last two words come out sounding nasty and full of spite.
His hands go palms up and he slowly shakes his head. For fuck’s sake, do I have to spell it out for him?
“I went to your place and saw her run out of your room, ass-naked. She passed me in the hallway, and a minute later ran back into your room and your bed.”
“There has to be a mistake. I have no idea who this woman is. Maybe you saw her coming out of someone else’s room and thought it was mine.”
I have the urgent desire to punch him, but I know I’ll just hurt myself.
“You’re an asshole to try and make me think this is somehow my fault.”
A light seems to go off in his head and he says, “Wait a minute, I know what probably happened. I sometimes loaned that room to friends who didn’t have a place to take their girls. It was probably one of them in the room that night.”
“Seriously, Kal? You honestly expect me to believe that bullshit story?”
“Dani, I swear to you I haven’t even thought of being with another woman since I met you.”
“So you went all summer without getting laid? Right.”
He takes a deep breath. “I didn’t want any other women. I still don’t. There’s only you.”
I want to believe him, but then again, I don’t. These last few months have been hell on me as I tried to recover from the pain he caused.
“Well I can’t believe that, Kal. I can’t believe any of what you’re saying. I saw that woman with my own eyes, giggly as fuck when she ran out of your bedroom on a night when you thought I was safely out of town.”
“This is all a mistake, I swear.”
“Be a man this time, Kal. Leave this place and go back to your grad school. Don’t come back to Oak Ridge. I don’t want to see you again. Ever.”
“I can’t do that. I’m going to grad school here. I decided to get my MBA from Oak Ridge.”
I’m shocked by the revelation. I had assumed he’d get an offer from the other schools he’d applied to.
“I could have gone to Penn State or NYU,” he explains, “but I wanted to be near you. I decided having us was more important.”
“There is no us, Kal.”
“If you give me a chance, there is. I can prove to you that I never—”
“NO!” Oops. I didn’t mean that to be a scream, but it’s too late now. “You’re not the right man for me, Kal. I don’t want a man who has to explain away naked women in his bedroom. I want a real man, one who would walk through fire to win my heart.”
“Dani, please listen to me.”
“No. I’m done with this conversation. I’m done with you. Get out of my life and don’t come back this time. You’re not a man, you’re a boy who doesn’t know what the fuck he wants.”
He lowers his shoulders as he seems to sense defeat. After staring into my eyes for the longest time, he heads to the door.
In the hallway, he turns back toward me and looks me in the eye as he slips back into his Khal Drogo character.
“You are the Moon of My Life. That is all I know and all I need to know. We are not done yet.”
Then he’s gone. I stand perfectly still for a minute, wondering if this actually happened. We were done, it was over. Why did he have to come back? Why couldn’t he have just left it alone?
I run off down the hallway to find Samantha or Brinly or Lola or anyone who can comfort me.
Chapter 6
Kal
November
The campus is thoroughly decorated in blue and silver, the official colors of Oak Ridge University and its beloved Bears football team. This afternoon the Bears will be playing the Chadwick College Pirates, our big rivals, so a large crowd is expected.
Halloween may have been last night, but there will be a big costume party tonight at Delta Delta Delta, the school’s largest fraternity, and it will be packed as well. The Tri-Delts are infamous for their outrageous parties.
As a former member of the football team, I’ve been invited to stand on the sidelines during the game, so that should be fun.
I won’t be going to the costume party, though. I have a paper due in a few weeks and I’ll stay home and get started on it. I don’t really feel like going to a party anyway. Ever since I saw Dani at the haunted house a week ago, I’ve been walking around campus like a fucking zombie.
The game is fun as the Bears jump out to an early lead, and I get to visit with a bunch of my old teammates in the area of the field beyond the home team’s end zone. Some fifty alumni players showed up for homecoming, a great turnout.
As I chat with some of the guys, I see Stacy Barren, the Mi Alpha Alpha president, walk past carrying one of those giant ceremonial checks. I don’t have time to read the whole thing, but it’s made out to Oak Ridge Children’s Hospital and has a shitload of zeroes on it. Looks like the MAA haunted house was a big s
uccess again this year. I watch her walk near the bleachers at mid-field and see a bunch of girls there, all wearing blue and silver, standing behind the team bench. It dawns on me that the entire sorority is there, and sure enough, I spot Dani among the throng.
Even from seventy yards away, she’s still the most beautiful sight I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s like there’s an aura around her that sets her apart from any woman in the vicinity, and anyone who doesn’t notice it has got to be blind or insane.
As I’m staring at the love of my life, I get a soft fake-punch in the ribs from behind.
“Hey, asswipe, you don’t miss me?”
I know who it is before I turn around; that whiny voice is unique.
“Taylor Swift!” I shout as I grab him with both arms and lift him off the ground. Taylor was a cornerback all four years I played for the Bears’ varsity. His last name is actually Mansfield, but the guys nicknamed him Taylor Swift because he always beat the hell out of us when we ran forties. He and I were good friends, but I haven’t seen him since graduation.
I ask him what the hell he’s doing now. He tells me about his new marketing career in Boston, and I tell him about grad school here at ORU. All the while, I continue to steal glances at Dani.
“You going to the Tri-Delts’ party tonight?” Taylor asks.
“Nah, I got stuff to do. Homework.”
“Bullshit. You’re going to the party. Can you find a costume? And a date?”
“Man, I don’t know if I’m up for it.” I say. “Do you have a costume and a date?”
“I’m going as a football player. Lame, right? But free! And hell yeah, I’ve got a hot date: This chick named Amie that I banged a couple of times last year.” He laughs, then adds. “Once in your bed.”
A weird feeling comes over me as pieces of the puzzle instantly fall into place. “Wait a minute… when was that?”
Taylor thinks, then says, “Mid-April. I remember it was a Friday night and I had to rush to get my taxes done the next day. That what I get for waiting till the last minute.”
I’m suddenly half-frantic. “What does this Amie look like?”
He turns away from me, then points and says, “That’s her up there. Thirty-yard line, five rows up. Her folks have season tickets.”
I follow his finger and scan that row in the stands, and Amie jumps out at me. She’s tall with curly black hair and is wearing a Bears jersey that is straining under the pressure put on it by her truly giant breasts.
“How about those tits, eh?” Taylor says proudly, as if he were responsible for their size. “I can’t wait to play with those puppies again.”
We’re distracted as the Bears score a touchdown and Taylor and I are shoved out of the way when the mascot runs out onto the field to celebrate with the players. I don’t know who’s in the costume this year, but he sure is enthusiastic.
The fake cannon booms in the corner of the stadium, as it does after every score. That loud sound arrives in my brain at precisely the same time as the most brilliant idea I’ve ever had in my entire life. I think it over for all of thirty seconds before I realize it’s perfect, and besides, I don’t have time to spare.
“Taylor, dude, you have to me do a massive favor,” I say, growing more excited by the second. “Do you think you can find a way to get Amie down onto the field?”
I fill him in as quickly as I can, and when he agrees, I dash through the tunnel into the locker room and head for the small storage area that functions as the mascot’s dressing room.
Chapter 7
Dani
I have no idea know why I’m so nervous. It’s not like I have to talk or anything. That’s Stacy’s job.
Mi Alpha Alpha is presenting a check to the president of Oak Ridge Children’s Hospital at halftime. The mayor will be there, too, and all of us will walk out onto the field to make the presentation. MAA does the same thing every year, and last year I wasn’t nervous at all. It was fun, in fact.
But this year just feels different.
The announcer says we’ve reached the two-minute warning, which in real time means we’ll be walking out onto the field five or ten minutes from now.
Someone taps me on the shoulder and I turn to see a couple standing there. The guy has red hair and an athlete’s build, about six feet tall. The girl is about the same height, with dark curly hair and—
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
It’s her, the naked woman. The giant breasts confirm it.
“Are you Dani?” the guy asks.
“Yes.” I’m instantly anxious as fuck. What the hell is going on here?
“My name’s Taylor. I’m a friend of Kal’s.”
“It really is you,” the girl says. “I remember your face. That was so embarrassing.”
I start to say something, but Taylor jumps back in. “Look, that was me in Kal’s room that night. I was with Amie. We used his room that night because my roommate’s kid brother was visiting.”
“I can vouch for him,” Amie says. “I thought it was kinda lame, to be honest, but Taylor talked me into it.”
“I apologize for any confusion I caused,” Taylor says. “Totally my bad. Kal is an awesome guy and I hate that I somehow got between you two.”
I look from his face to hers, then back to his. I open my mouth to speak but hear Stacy’s voice instead.
“Okay, this is it, girls. Let’s go.”
Then I’m being pulled away from ginger and big boobs and led onto the football field. The girls and I walk to midfield, my brain total mush at this point. Thank God I don’t have to do anything other than stand there. The mayor and the children’s hospital president meet us on the field, and the speeches begin.
It’s blissfully brief. Mayor Blackmon talks for a minute, then hands Stacy the mic. She’s eloquent as always, handing the giant fake check to the hospital president and announcing this year’s donation was over fifteen thousand dollars. The president takes the check and the mic and gives a quick thank-you speech, singling out Mi Alpha Alpha as one of the bright shining lights in the Oak Ridge community.
It’s all very touching and I’m beyond proud of myself and my girls for the hard work we put in this year.
That’s when I hear the crowd start to go nuts. Some of the MAA girls point towards the end zone as the crowd noise builds to a roar. That roar has already become a crescendo by the time I spot the source of the screams.
It’s the bear.
The Oak Ridge Bears’ mascot is running from the end zone towards midfield.
It’s comical, as that bear outfit is big and bulky, with a wire-frame middle to make it appear the bear is chubby and cuddly. He gets as far as the thirty-yard line, then stumbles and falls flat on his bear face. Running with that huge head can’t be easy; I’m not even sure how the person inside can even see where he’s going.
He pops right back up and the crowd cheers as he resumes his run. I see two security guards on the team’s sideline watching with interest.
Then the weirdest thing imaginable happens: The bear comes right towards me.
Just as I’m ready to turn and flee, he stops and I hear a voice from inside.
“Dani.”
What the actual fuck?
How the hell does the bear know my name? And what could he possibly want with me?
The voice is muffled, and its owner sounds winded. The bear leans over, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
“I’m Dani,” I confirm. What the fuck is going on here?
My question is answered when the bear stands erect and wrestles to remove his head. When he finally manages to get if off and drops it to the field, I see Kal standing in front of me, his dark hair matted to his sweaty forehead.
“Kal, what the—”
“Please, I don’t have long,” he says, eyeing the stadium security heading his way.
Samantha appears out of nowhere and positions herself between us. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but this isn’t funny.”
>
Tillie joins her, then Alyssa and Brinly. Suddenly I have a living wall of MAA girls between me and Kal the bear.
“Hey guys, it’s okay,” I tell my sisters. “Let him have his say.”
They look at me with concern, then step aside.
“I’m warning you!” Samantha points a finger at Kal, who’s finally breathing again.
Now it’s just him and me, along with thirty thousand confused people.
Kal reaches to the hospital president for the mic, “Excuse me, can I borrow this?”
Then he looks me right in the eye.
“Dani,” he says into the mic, each syllable echoing around the stadium, “we got off to an amazing start together. Then we had a little hiccup. Hopefully by now you realize it was just a misunderstanding.”
He looks to the sideline and I follow his eyes to see Taylor and Amie nodding. Are they nodding at Kal or at me?
“Well, I can’t risk something like that happening again.”
The two security guards arrive and are about to get involved when Kal drops to one knee right in front of me. In the corner of my eye, I see Mayor Blackmon intercept them, signaling for them to stand down.
My brain is about ready to fucking explode, and my heart is pounding like crazy.
“Dani, you are unquestionably the love of my life.” He retracts a hand back into the bear suit, fumbling around for a good ten seconds before producing a gorgeous antique diamond ring. “This belonged to my grandmother, and I’m absolutely certain she would approve of you wearing it.”
Oh.
My.
God.
This can’t be happening.
I burst into tears as he continues.
“Would you do me the great honor of being my wife?”
I swear you can hear a pin drop in the stadium.
I can’t speak. I’m beyond words. Hell, I can’t even nod.
“Say yes!” someone shouts. Then a growing cacophony of people begin goading me on, imploring me to say yes.
Still crying like crazy, I look at my MAA sisters, most of whom are glaring at me because they still think Kal cheated on me that night. But I know he didn’t. Deep down in my heart, I always wanted to believe it was a mistake. I knew he couldn’t have done something like that.
His Dragon Queen (The Halloween Honeys) Page 4