Bender (The Core Four Series)

Chapter Ten


10

TWO DAYS AGO I’D LEFT THE APARTMENT, and my mind was reeling. After talking to Macie while I found the rest of my Halloween costume, I was no longer questioning if Camden liked me, but rather just wanted to know why? I wasn’t his usual M.O. When I looked in the mirror I saw an average girl with curvy hips, somewhat pretty hair, and that was it. When I looked at Camden, he was dangerously sexy, the guy who every girl wanted to tame but never could. So I wondered again, why me?
I thought about this while I was putting on my costume that Macie had talked me into and was feeling butterflies in my stomach. Nobody had seen me in it yet, and as much as I told myself I was nervous for the general masses to get a load of me in my barely there nurse outfit, I was mostly terrified of Camden seeing me. He’d already referred to me as ‘the chubby one’ once before. Despite working out, I wasn’t feeling overly confident in my appearance. Macie said the costume was made for my body, but, as my best friend, I figured she was supposed to say that. I stood in front of the full-length mirror that hung behind the bathroom door. I had on a pair of black stilettos that increased my height by four inches, fishnet stockings, and a lace garter with a little red bow hugging my right thigh. A black dress that embraced every one of my curves completed the costume. There was no way I’d be able to bend over or sit down without flashing my box of treasures. When I decided to go with a nurse costume, it was really just as a joke since I was in nursing school. There were two options: black or white. Macie told me to go with the black, and we’d make it look like a vampire nurse, so it would be something different; darker, more alluring. My long blond hair was pinned up in a messy bun with some loose tendrils falling down around my face. What was most shocking were my eyes. The color of them were already a vibrant blue, so when I added the dark eyeliner and shadow, they stood out in stark contrast against all of the black. I leaned in a little to get a closer look. Weird…they seemed almost light blue/white. I added a finishing touch of some fake blood at the corner of my mouth and stood back to check out my reflection. Oh man, there was no way I was going to be able to go out looking like this. I didn’t look like a naughty vampire nurse, I looked like a straight-up hooker who must have bit some poor dude’s dick because he shoved it down my throat too far. Ack! No way, I needed to go change. I was sure I had something in my clos-. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Get out here woman! Luke will be here any time now, and I want to take a few shots before we leave,” Macie called from the other side of the door.
Well there goes that plan, I sighed. Tentatively I opened the door and slowly showed myself. I heard her suck in a breath of air before she let out a low whistle. “Holy hot momma, you’re going to set all the boys’ panties on fire tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, Mace. I’m not comfortable at all. Can’t I change into something that’s a little less revealing? I’m sure I have an adult onesie that I can put on. It even has a flap in the back. I could let it hang open and put a sign on the open part that says ‘no entrance’ or something.”
She shook her head and giggled at me. “No way lady. This outfit is smokin’! I don’t get why you’re so worried. I told you that you looked great, so what’s the problem?”
“The problem is my cooter is feeling far too drafty, my boobs are about to pop out, and all this makeup makes me look like a two dollar whore.”
She tips her head to the side and deadpans, “I’d totally pay a solid twenty to see your meat curtains.”
I cracked a smile. “Really?”
“Absolutely. I bet you have a better roast beef sandwich than any Arby’s.”
I let a giggle slip out. “This conversation is ridiculous, you know that right?”
“Yep, but if it convinces you to go downstairs and do some Lemon Drops with me, then mission accomplished. Now let’s go, or I’m sending Dodger up here to get you.”
I paled a little. There was a vast difference between standing in front of your best friend looking like a high-class hooker, thank God, than standing in front of a super-hot guy and letting him judge you. She must have seen the indecision on my face because she yelled, “Dodger?”
“What?” he called from downstairs.
I leaned in and grabbed her arm. “Wait, wait, wait…I’ll go, just let me get my purse.”
“Never mind.” She gave me a devilish smile. Little brat always got her way.
As we descended the steps, Macie was walking in front of me looking crazy beautiful, as always. She was wearing a shorts one-piece set that was supposed to look like a fighter pilot. Her long brown hair swayed with each movement she made. A pair of aviators sat atop her head, and she had on tan boots that stopped above her knee. They laced up and looked like combat boots. Where she found those, I didn’t know. I admired her confidence. She owned every room she walked into, and people took notice of her. Not because she was the fat girl who looked like she stuffed herself into a sausage tube, but because she has always been this way; gorgeous, stunning, poised.
I was looking down, watching where my feet were and hoping like hell I didn’t fall in these killer heels. As my foot hit the bottom step I heard a, “Holy shit,” come from Dodger’s mouth, and what sounded like an animal growl from Camden. When I was safely off the stairs I looked up. Macie was already in the kitchen pouring the liquid courage, and the two brothers were staring at me open mouthed.
“Jesus Christ, Keegan, have you been hiding that under all those clothes this whole time?” Dodger wondrously asked.
As I came toward the both of them, Camden’s eyes were following me. The intensity of them lit my insides on fire. I shook my head at Dodger. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Your body is f*cking banging!” he said appreciatively, but soon after was rubbing the back of his head where Camden had just smacked him.
“Shut your mouth douchebag,” he told his brother.
I shyly looked down at the floor and back up through my eyelashes. Camden and I made eye contact and all the air was sucked out of the room. His tongue came out and licked his bottom lip, and I felt my knees go weak. I took a few purposeful steps in his direction and saw his nostrils flare. I felt desire pooling at my core. He was holding me captive with his piercing brown eyes. I was a few feet away from him when Macie broke the trance I was in.
“Get over here Nurse Sexy, it’s time to make a toast.”
Clearing my throat I went to the counter and picked up a shot glass.
“To new experiences, dancing our asses off, getting laid, and making every cock on campus stand at attention,” Mace announced with a raised glass, throwing back her shot. I tipped my head back and swallowed the murky yellow liquid, its bitterness burning my throat. I noticed that Dodger was glaring at her. She leveled a stare at him. I took note of it and would have to remember to ask her what that was all about later. The two of them had been hanging out a lot, and I knew Macie liked him. They’d gone out on a few dates, but apparently Dodger wouldn’t give in to Mace and sleep with her. I could tell she was getting upset about it.
I felt someone behind me, and a subtle brush of air across my ear. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Camden rumbled.
I looked over my shoulder and gave a slight nod. I didn’t think Dodger and Macie would even notice my absence. They seemed to be locked in a battle of wills at the moment. Camden put his hand on my lower back, leading me into our small laundry room. When he shut the door behind him, I suddenly felt claustrophobic. Facing him, Camden took up majority of the space. His wide shoulders and tall stance dwarfed me.
“You can’t wear that,” he said flatly.
My brows drew together. “What? Of course I can.”
“Don’t test me on this.”
“I’m not testing you, but you’re not making any sense.”
He roughly reached up and yanked on his hair. “Seriously Blue, you can’t walk into a frat house where everybody has been drinking looking like that. Every guy in there will get the wrong impression.”
“Camden, I’m not wearing anything that’s more revealing than Macie, what’s the big deal?”
He took a step into me. The warm chocolate of his eyes hard, yet pleading. “You just can’t. I’m not going to be there to make sure you stay safe.”
“I wasn’t aware that you cared so much.”
He grunted. “Don’t start. You and I both know that isn’t true.”
“Oh really? Cause I’ve been going over and over it in my mind the past two days, trying to figure out what exactly this is between us, and I can’t seem to figure it out.” I had no idea what was making me discuss our mysterious relationship now. Regardless, I let it out and the question was now hanging out there for him to answer.
“Don’t be so dense, Keegan,” he replied harshly.
I put my hand up to my chest and gasped. “Are you insulting me now?”
“No, I’m stating the facts. You know damn well what’s going on with us and yet you come walking downstairs looking like a tramp. Then you say that you are still going with Luke, even after I warned you about him. I’m starting to think you don’t know your head from your ass,” he reprimanded.
My hand came up on its accord and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. His head swung to the side, absorbing the impact. Ouch, that stung. I was sick and tired of the hatred he spewed, especially after questioning his intentions.
“You’re a self-righteous son of a bitch!” I spat. “From the day I walked in here, you’ve treated me like I was some inconsequential thing that you could speak to and treat however you wanted. You’ve degraded me with name calling, harassed me, ignored me, and pushed me. Then you all of a sudden find out that I was the poor girl living across the hall without furniture, and now I’ve become some project. It’s like you’re testing me to see if you can get me to fall for you. Well f*ck you Camden. I’m not falling for you. In fact I’m jumping off this rollercoaster ride. I’m sick to death of your bullshit, and I call quits. Enjoy your evening, I have somewhere I have to be.” I tried to push past him, but he blocked me.
I saw so many emotions warring across his face. If I didn’t know any better I would say it looked like sadness, regret, pain. His hands came up to touch my face. I held my breath, knowing that if he did it, I’d melt into him. I needed my resolve to hold strong. If I gave in to him right now, he would never stop this outlandish quest he seemed to be on. There was a knock at the front door, and Camden dropped his arms. Every expression I’d seen only a second before was now wiped clean. The indifference on his handsome face was like a punch to my gut. Stepping aside, he gave me enough space to leave. I guess that was it. I somehow got the last word with him, and I honestly couldn’t feel worse about it. He’d always fought me every step of the way, and now he seemed to be giving up. I couldn’t afford to let him in right now. Camden would destroy me if I let him. Steeling myself, I squared my shoulders and lifted my head. Hoping like hell that my eyes showed exactly what I felt in that moment, I stared at him. When he tilted his head to the side I knew I needed to get out of here. When I walked past him, my side brushed against his front, and I could have sworn I heard him groan.
Macie was just opening the door for Luke while a very grumpy looking Dodger stood in the kitchen watching her. Apparently I wasn’t the only one having issues tonight. When Luke walked in it was like seeing a breath of fresh air. After several days of Camden’s intensity, it was going to be nice being around Luke’s easygoing demeanor. His tamed blond hair and aqua eyes sought me out. When he found me over by the laundry room door, his eyes grew wide, and the shocked expression was well worth the discomfort of wearing the outfit. We tried to coordinate what we wore, so he was decked out in a pair of scrubs with splatters of blood on the front and had a stethoscope hanging around his neck.
I walked toward him, wanting nothing more than to feel his embrace. He opened his arms to me, and I sank into him, breathing in his clean scent. His mouth came down to the top of my head, and he kissed my hair.
“You look stunning,” he complimented.
I tipped my head back and smiled at him. “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself, Doc.”
His pointed finger tapped the tip of my nose, and he smirked. “Maybe later we can play doctor. You can be the naughty nurse and assist me with a breast exam.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “You’re terrible,” I said, slapping him on the arm.
His deep chuckling warmed my chest. I stiffened when I heard a door slam behind me. Looking over my shoulder I saw Camden standing with his hands on his hips looking furious. His eyes were trained on mine, and I felt myself sinking into Luke. Those dark brown depths looked lethal, and it made me nervous. Even Dodger and Macie paused what they were doing to look at Cam. The room was silent and nobody moved. Camden’s look was meant for me. He was angry, hurt, vulnerable, but there was something else there. He was warning me. I squinted my eyes in confusion and tilted my head to the side. It was barely perceptible but I saw it, he glanced from me to Luke. He was telling me again to be careful. I desperately wanted to know why he felt the way he did when Luke’s been nothing but a gentleman to me. Either way, I’d heed his warning. How could I not? No matter how confusing our relationship was, deep down in my gut I knew I could trust Camden. I nodded even more subtly toward him. His mouth thinned into a straight line, and he exhaled loudly. Breaking his stare, he walked over to the corner of the dining room and picked up his gym bag. Slinging it over his shoulder he moved past Luke and me to the front door.
“Where’s he going?” I heard Macie whisper to Dodger.
“He has some issues he needs to work out,” he replied.
When the front door closed we all visibly relaxed. “What was that about?” Luke asked in my ear.
I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I lied, not wanting to tell him anything.
When I turned to face him again, he looked down at me skeptically. A slow smile spread across his face, and he brought his lips down to mine. The soft tenderness of his kiss causing me to sigh. It was the briefest of pecks, but it was enough to erase the tension that Camden had caused. However, I couldn’t ignore the niggling feeling that there was still so much unsaid between Camden and me. We’d have to talk at some point. Plus I wanted to know what his issue was with Luke.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Yep, let me grab my coat.”
When I was all set, I shut off the lights, and we headed to the party.
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Pulling up to the house, there were cars parked haphazardly all over the place, and the music could be heard all the way down the street. Orange lights were strung up in the trees, and cheesy Halloween decorations adorned the front lawn. There was everything from Styrofoam tombstones to plastic zombies that looked like they were clawing their way out of the ground. Cobwebs were strung all over the front bushes, and black lanterns lit the path to the front door. The house itself was huge. It was a two-story Tudor style that could use a coat of fresh paint and some new trim. Coupled with the Halloween decorations, the place was pretty creepy.
As we approached the front door I hesitated. Not only was I nervous because I never really hung out with the frat types, but it was made worse because of my chosen attire. Silently cursing myself, I wished I’d gone with the onesie. When Luke opened the door, the party was in full swing. People were packed in like sardines; dancing, laughing, kissing, and having a good time. Up against the far left wall was a small DJ booth with speakers planted all over the house. The booming music of Ellie Goulding-Burn was reverberating in my chest. Those who were dancing had their hands in the air feeling the beat. Luke placed his hand on my lower back leading me through the crowd. People were bumping into me left and right, and I lost my balance a few times in these heels. Thankfully Luke was there to steady me. Several couples stopped us as we pushed our way through the crowd, greeting Luke with hellos and eyeing me with curiosity. We made our way into a kitchen that seemed much too small for a house this size. Assorted alcohol littered the counter, along with cups that were half full or tipped on their side. Luke opened one of the cupboards and turned toward me.
“Pick your poison Nurse Rachett.” The lazy grin he gave me was infectious.
“Beer from the keg is fine.”
“I never pegged you for a beer girl. I would’ve figured Cosmos and anything with an umbrella was more your speed.”
I laughed. “That’s Macie’s thing. I’m not a high-maintenance girl.”
Filling a red cup, he handed it to me and pulled me into him. “No, you’re really not,” he said with such amusement I wondered if that was what he thought of me this whole time.
“Hey, where’s my drink?” Macie asked from behind me. She and Dodger came in right behind us but had gotten lost in the crowd. Dodger had been here a few times before, so he knew his way around and I wasn’t overly concerned about Macie staying by my side. Luke grabbed another cup and asked her what she’d like. She thought about it for a moment, tapping her black nail polish covered fingernail on her chin. “Do y’all have anything fruity?”
Luke and I both chuckled. I caught his smile and shrugged. “I can come up with something. All the guys in here have to keep their dates happy somehow.”
When he handed her the drink she twisted around to face me. “So what are you two going to do?”
“I don’t know. All of these people make it hard to move around.”
“Well, there’s dancing, beer pong out back, there’s also some lounge chairs on the deck that we could sit and relax on if you’d like,” Luke piped in.
“Relaxing sounds nice. I’ve never been a big dancer, and I’ve never played beer pong before in my life.”
His boyish grin hadn’t left his face since we came in the door. “You don’t know what you’re missing. I’m the reigning champ in this house. If you change your mind, you would have an undefeated partner.”
“Good to know,” I said, bringing my cup up to my lips. His eyes were watching my movement, and his pupils dilated.
Turning my back to him, I gave my attention to Macie. “What about you? Where’d Dodger go?”
She bristled and said, “Who knows? He got stopped by some whorish-looking angel before I walked in here.”
My eyes softened toward my friend. I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Mace, I’m sure he was just being friendly. Besides, does Dodger even know you like him?”
Rolling her eyes she said, “I’m sure. We’ve gone out a few times, and he’s even kissed me. But when I’ve asked him inside at the end of our dates, he’s blown me off each time. I’m starting to wonder if he’s gay.”
“Jesus Christ, Macie, I’m not f*cking gay,” an irritated Dodger said from the door.
She spun on her heels, not even remotely embarrassed that she got caught saying that. “Then what’s your deal? You’ll make out with me, but you won’t sleep with me?”
He looked from me to Luke and back to Macie. “We’ve talked about this, and I’m not discussing it in front of other people.”
“Oh come on Dodger, anything you tell me, I’m going to share with Keegan.” Gah! Did she really need to bring me into this?
He vehemently shook his head. “No. This isn’t the time, nor the place.”
“Well aren’t you chivalrous,” she replied snidely.
Dodger’s frustration amplified, and he dragged a hand through his almost black hair. “I swear to God, Mace. I don’t know what you want from me.”
She flung her arms up in the air in frustration. “I want you to f*ck me!”
Dodgers eyes grew wide and then narrowed on her. “You’re pushing it. Keep this up and I’m going to drag you out of here and take you home.”
“Oh goodie. Then I’m sure you’ll just drop me off and leave me there to take care of my own needs. Such a gentleman.” Her words were laced with venom, and she wasn’t even drunk yet.
I didn’t want to be in here for this, and I’m sure Dodger would appreciate it if we left them alone to sort this out. Touching Macie on the shoulder I told her, “We’re going out to sit on the patio. Come get me if you need me.”
Not breaking her stare, she said, “K.”
Luke grabbed my hand and led me back out through the crowd. “What was that all about?” he shouted in my ear.
“Long story,” I yelled back.
As we passed groups of girls chatting and laughing, I noticed that a few of them took notice of Luke. Jealousy stirred in my veins. He was mine ladies, eat your hearts out, I thought. I also took note that of all the costumes and how mine was surprisingly tame. There were barely there bikinis and Playboy Bunny bathing suits. A few girls were wearing outfits where the back went up their butt like a thong. I shivered. I’d never be caught dead wearing something like that. Not even in the privacy of my own home. The guys, on the other hand, had an array of costumes. From Ace Ventura to Chippendales. A few of them made me giggle with their creativeness. Walking out a set of French doors, we stepped onto a very large deck that spanned the whole back of the house. There were no Halloween decorations out here, but Tiki torches, resting in cylinder holders, lit up the backyard. There were about a dozen lounge chairs scattered across the deck. A group of guys were off to the side loudly talking and having a good time.
“Hey Luke!” a male voice shouted over the crowd. Several heads turned and looked in our direction. Luke smiled, and we went over to where they were sitting.
Luke palmed several of their outstretched hands, and they all greeted each other.
“Keegan, I want you to meet some of my brothers from the house. This is Holden, Brent, and RJ.” I gave a shy wave to the three of them. “And the rest of these clowns are pledges.” There was a resounding grunting coming from the males standing in front of me. All I could picture was every one of them sitting in front of a television with a beer and their hands down their pants. The thought made me want to laugh.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Luke?” a sweet female voice said from behind a few of the guys who had stood up, blocking her from my view.
I noticed Luke’s jaw working back and forth, and something about his posture said he didn’t have any interest in telling me who this chick was.
“Keegan, this is Veronica. Roni, Keegan.”
“Ugh, I wish you’d stop calling me that. That nickname is so high school, Luke,” she said with slight annoyance. “Please, call me Veronica. Nobody calls me Roni anymore except for him.”
“Some things never change,” he said under his breath.
Veronica was sitting down on a chair, but I could tell she was tall. Maybe even taller than Macie. Her features were a mix of Asian and Caucasian. She had long black hair that touched the top of her breasts, and a pair of lips that were pouty and full. What was most striking about her were her long full eyelashes that surrounded cat-like eyes. The color was almost a caramel, which I’ve never seen before. For as beautiful as she was, she also didn’t give me the warm and fuzzies. She was eyeing me like I was somehow the enemy stepping into her territory. I had no doubt that a girl like her held every single one of these boys under thumb. That was fine. I wasn’t interested in any of them. It would, however, be an issue if she were interested in Luke. We’d only been on a few dates together, but it was enough for me to feel possessive of him. The way she was looking at me made me uneasy.
“So Keegan, what do you do?” the one introduced as Holden asked.
Breaking eye contact with Veronica, I turned to him and said, “I’m a nursing student here at UG, and I work in Medical Records at Dr. Hill’s office.”
Holden looked like an average guy, brown hair and brown eyes. Nothing really stood out about him. “Sounds cool. What year are you?”
“I’m in the middle of my junior year,” I stated proudly.
“You’re a junior, and you aren’t in the nursing program yet?” Veronica asked, interrupting the conversation. Her voice was suddenly becoming annoying.
“Stop it, Roni,” Luke scolded. I hated that he had a nickname for her. I wondered how long they’d known each other.
“What? I’m just asking. Most juniors are already doing clinicals in their third year.”
Clearing my throat I felt the need to defend myself. “I would be, but I chose to hold myself back. I don’t want to apply without knowing for sure that I am giving myself the best foot forward. The program is highly competitive, and I want to ensure that my grades are up to par. I chose to retake a few science classes. I should be good to go after this semester. I’ll submit my application and hopefully I’ll know if I got in by the spring.”
Luke was smiling down at me, and I noticed Veronica curling her lip. “Oh, well that’s good, I guess.”
I nodded, unable to say anything else without it coming across as rude. While I was talking I realized that the group of guys who were pledges were glancing at me every now and then, then turning back to their conversation. I ran my tongue across my front teeth, self-conscious that I had something on them. Why did I get the distinct impression that I was being talked about? Luke’s hand rubbed across my back, bringing me back to the other four still talking to me. RJ and Brent both had brown hair and green eyes. In fact the longer I looked at them, I realized that they could pass for twins. With their tall stance and wide shoulders, I wondered if they were on the football team. Nothing about those two screamed average. In fact, both were very handsome.
“You okay?” Luke asked, laying his forehead on my temple.
“Mmmhmm.”
“Y’all look like you’ve gotten cozy.” I think it was RJ who said that.
Luke once again became rigid. “I suppose we have. Keegan’s a sweet girl.” I leaned further into him at his compliment.
The smiles that spread across those four faces made something in my stomach turn. “Good to hear, Luke, good to hear,” Brent said in an almost sarcastic fashion.
“So how far have you two taken things?” RJ asked.
“Excuse me?” I said.
“F*ck off Brent.” Okay, I’d gotten the two guys mixed up.
Holding his hands up, palms out, Brent said, “Hey man, just asking. I didn’t know how serious y’all were. Maybe I wanted to ask Keegan out later for myself.”
My brows drew together. “That’s a bit rude, don’t you think?”
If looks could kill, Luke looked like he wanted to throttle Brent. “Maybe,” he said with a shrug. “But in case you haven’t got the memo, we share around here.”
The giggle that came out of Veronica’s mouth made me ill. “Well I don’t.”
“Hey Princess, just stating that you’re a fine piece. And when Luke’s done with you, I’d gladly take a ride.” This time it was RJ piping in.
“Enough!” Luke growled.
I was so flabbergasted at the turn this conversation took, I had no response. Needing to take a step back and gather myself, I looked up to Luke and said, “I need to use the restroom.”
Gritting his teeth, he nodded. “Down the hall, it’s the third door on the right.”
Without a backwards glance I rushed into the house and tried to find the bathroom. I needed a little bit of solitude. When I found the correct door, I had to wait for two other girls to go in and do their business. When it was my turn I went inside and locked the door. Sagging against the wood I tried to push away the feeling of panic. In that moment Camden came to mind. If those guys had said all of that in front of him, he would have leveled them to the ground. Luke seemed just as upset over their harshness, but there was something else there that caused him to bite his tongue. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it wasn’t right. Having never been to a frat party before, I had to wonder if this was just the way that these guys behaved. Luke had never once treated me like an inconsequential object, but maybe at one point he had acted like them. He was in grad school now, so that must have caused him to do a little growing up and see that women weren’t play things. I deserved to be treated with respect. Even though my outfit said trashy, on any other given day, I was very reserved. Steeling myself I decided I wouldn’t expect Luke or anybody else to stand up for me. I would demand a certain level of respect from these guys, and they would need to know that I wouldn’t tolerate anything less. Washing my hands and checking my ridiculous makeup, I wondered where Macie and Dodger had gone off to, and if they had worked out their issues. No way would they have sat back and listened to the load of crap I’d just heard. Drying my hands I unlocked the door and stepped into the hall. I was greeted by the same cat-like eyes that had been glowering at me outside.
“Are you having fun?” Veronica asked, her tone sounding weird.
“I guess so. All this,” I said looking around. “It’s not really my thing, but I’m having an okay time.”
“It’s all been one big joke, you know that right?” she said to me.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.
“Luke dating you, bringing you here to this party.”
“I’m not following you.”
She sighed in annoyance. “It’s what they do. They find a Plain Jane girl to see if she will fall for the guy, and then they bring them to this party for the friends to judge how in deep she is. They do it every year.” She casually looked at her finger nails.
I shook my head. “Luke would never do something like that.”
“Oh really? So you honestly thought that someone like him would go for someone like you? Sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart, but Luke and I are an item. We have been since high school. I let him take on the challenge, because the winner gets a vacation to Cozumel, and I wanted it. He gives me whatever I want.” Her full lips contorted into a sadistic looking smile.
My head was spinning, and I felt dizzy. Putting my hand on the wall behind me for support I said, “You’re lying.”
Her shoulders came up and dropped in a nonchalance attitude. “If you don’t believe me, go back out there. The boys are discussing it as we speak.”
I darted past her and made my way to the back door. When I reached the handle, I twisted it and hesitantly stepped out onto the deck, trying to keep myself inconspicuous so I didn’t tip them off that I’d come back. This was all a big mistake. She was just jealous. Veronica must have had a relationship with Luke at some point, and she wanted him back. It was the only explanation that I could come up with. For one, he’s never even mentioned her to me, not that we’d really been together long enough to delve into our past relationships. And two, I couldn’t fathom him taking me out, dining me, all of the laughs we’ve shared, and we’d even slept together, for it all to be just a ploy. Stuff like this didn’t happen in real life. This was the shit that you read about in novels. As I neared them, I stayed hidden behind people who were talking, I overheard Luke and the other three with a few of the pledges.
“I’d say it’s a done deal. The chick RJ brought could give two shits that she’s with him. In fact I just saw her sucking face with some dude from down the street.”
“Yeah, well Holden’s girl was looking at him with puppy dog eyes, and she looked like she would have gotten on her knees in front of everyone if he’d say he loved her.”
There was a round of laughter. “Luke has it in the bag. Maybe after you break the news to her, I’ll be the one to pick up the pieces, and she’ll let me f*ck her sadness away.”
“F*ck you dude. Leave her alone, okay?”
I was getting aggravated that I couldn’t hear who was saying what, but it didn’t matter. My stomach was sitting in my throat. Everything Veronica said was true. This all was for some big game, and I was a pawn for Luke to win.
“Dude, don’t tell me you’re falling for her. Roni would be pissed.”
“I’m not falling for her. But she’s a good girl, okay? I’ve gotten to know her is all,” Luke argued.
“Either way a*sholes, we’ve got another two hours before we call this thing. Keep your dates happy and their cups full,” someone else said.
I was going to throw up. Instead of breaking up their little charade and letting them know I heard everything they said, I rushed back into the house. Looking around frantically, my eyes darted everywhere in search of Macie or Dodger. I weaved in and out of people, bumping into some so hard I thought I’d fall over. I was trying to hold back the bile that was rising up in my throat, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I tossed my cookies. Just then strong arms wrapped around me, and I pushed back against the hold. I thought it was Luke who might have come inside to find me, but I heard Dodger near my ear.
“What’s the matter?” His deep voice was like a gentle stroke to my breaking heart. Turning into his arms, I pressed myself into his chest and let him hold me. Tears began to flow freely down my cheeks, and I could tell I was worrying him. Pulling back slightly he tipped my chin up. “Tell me what happened?”
I bit my quivering lip to keep from bursting out bawling. “I can’t talk about it right now. Can you just take me home?”
His blue eyes searched mine. “Did Luke do this? I’m going to kick his ass if he hurt you. Did he touch you?”
I shook my head. “No, no it was nothing like that. Please Dodger, I want to go home.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and nodded. “Let me see if I can find Macie. Give me just a second.”
I slowly made my way to the front door, when I heard Luke calling for me from the back of the house. Turning around I saw him waving and smiling at me, but it faded when he saw my face. He dropped his hand and started coming my way. I didn’t want to do this right now. I was too upset, and I wanted nothing more than to get out of these clothes and lay in my bed. If he got to me now, I’d be too tempted to slap him across the face for how he treated me. Dodger came striding up with Macie in tow, concern etched all over both of their faces.
“Hurry, we’ve got to go,” I said, desperate to get out of here and away from the noise of the speakers.
Dodger turned when he heard Luke call my name again. Glancing over my shoulder, regret was plastered all over him. I think he knew that I knew. Shouldn’t he be happy? He got what he wanted. He won his stupid contest. Now he could go back to Veronica and leave me alone.
“Keegan wait!” he shouted. Some people stopped what they were doing to watch the scene that was unfolding.
“Take her out to the car. I’ll be there in a minute,” he instructed Macie.
I grabbed his forearm and was shaking my head back and forth. “No Dodger. Leave it alone, okay? It was no big deal, I just want to go home. Please!” I begged.
Indecision warred on his face. He looked from me to my best friend, finally deciding that he wanted us to go ahead to the car without him. Not knowing what Dodger was going to do made me even sicker. I didn’t want him getting into any fights because of me. And sadly I didn’t want Luke to get hurt either. Macie took my hand and dragged me outside to the car. When I got to the curb, I bent in half and lost my dinner. Acid was burning my throat, and the taste of regurgitated alcohol made me retch again. Why was this happening to me? This was not how I saw tonight playing out. When my stomach was emptied of everything I’d ingested today, I climbed into the backseat of the car. Macie got in on the other side of me, and she pulled me down into her lap. With my head resting on her legs, I finally felt safe enough to let it go. The sob that tore from my chest was painful. I’d never felt so used before in my life. I held onto Macie like she were my lifeline. She was my safety net. She’d always been here for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful that my soft place to fall was here with me tonight.
“Wanna talk about it?” she asked quietly.
I shook my head. The driver’s door opened and closed. I lifted my head to see that Dodger had climbed in and was starting the car. His face was set in stone.
“What happened?” Macie asked him.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get her home.” I saw him pick up his cell phone that he’d left in the cup holder, press a few buttons, and set it back down. I briefly wondered who he was texting but didn’t think much of it.
The drive home was short but quiet. Macie continued stroking her fingers through my hair, calming my nerves, and silently giving me strength. Neither of them asked any questions, but they knew Luke was the one who upset me. I’d tell them about it later, but right now I was thankful for their reticence. I had no doubt Macie was full of questions, but she knew me well enough to know that I wasn’t going to be talking anytime soon. The last time I was this upset was when Mom told me she was pregnant with Sarah. It turned my world upside down, and Macie came over to comfort me. We’d put N’Sync on repeat, and we ate chocolate ice cream well into the night. I didn’t really talk then either, I just drew from the strength and company of my best friend. I had needed to process how this was going to change things for me, how my life was going to be different. Right now was much the same. Luke’s little operation was hurtful. It had hit me to the core. Much of my life I never felt like I was special, like I deserved anything outstanding. Luke asking me out was the first time I really let my guard down and let myself think that I might actually be good enough for someone like him. Someone who was smart, handsome, charismatic, and fun: the fairy tale man. I was nowhere near falling in love with him. But opening up the box that even allowed that idea to penetrate my shell, the sheer thought that we could have had something special, made this hurt all that much worse. I erected walls up around me for a reason.
Pulling into the parking lot of the apartment complex, I sat up and wiped my eyes. Macie gave me a sad but knowing look. I was tired and ready to wash my face and go to sleep. Dodger opened my door and helped me out of the car. I’d slipped my heels off earlier so the ground was rough on my feet. Without even asking, Dodger came up and slid his arms under my knees and around my back, picking me up to carry me. It was a sweet gesture, and one I was grateful for. I rested my cheek on his chest as he climbed the steps and opened my front door. Macie was following behind us carrying my purse, jacket, and shoes. He stood to the side to let Macie in and kicked the door shut behind him. I looked up at him and gave him a tentative smile. It was all I could muster.
A deep scent of sweat and Camden approached from the other side. What on earth? Looking toward the living room, Camden was a few feet away from us and striding toward me. His jaw was set in stone, and I’d never seen him look so angry.
“Tell me everything,” he demanded.