chapter Eleven
The last thing I wanted to do on Friday morning was go to class. Thursday night parties were fun, but they made getting up the next morning hard. My alarm didn’t go off because I’d been so tired I never set it, and I barely made it to my first class on time. Without time to grab breakfast or even a coffee, I was dreading my morning classes.
“You still like yours with milk and Splenda, right?” Colt held out a large cup of coffee as I slid into my seat in anthro less than two minutes before it started.
“Oh my god, you’re a savior.” I accepted the coffee. Just because I didn’t want to date him, didn’t mean I shouldn’t act appreciative.
He laughed. “I figured you could use one.”
“Weren’t you up late too? I heard Aaron had you guys leave to do something.”
“Yeah to sleep. We’ve got something big going on tonight I guess.”
“Oh. Well, at least he thought ahead.” I opened the little flap on my coffee and took a tentative sip. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I’m impressed you remembered how I take my coffee.”
“I’m glad you’re impressed, but you shouldn’t be surprised.”
Professor Cains walked in, starting the class before he even reached the front of the room.
Class wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected, mostly thanks to the coffee. The gesture had been really thoughtful and perfectly timed.
Colt and I walked to our next classes together. I didn’t attempt to ditch him. The coffee had definitely put him in my good graces. “Do you want to meet up this weekend to start working on the first project?”
“This weekend?” Wow, he was on the ball.
“Yeah. It’s due in a week.”
“Aren’t you busy with Kappa all weekend?”
“Tonight and some of Sunday, but I’m free tomorrow.”
“I have plans tomorrow night.” I was less excited about my next date with Tanner than the first. Going to a party where I knew no one didn’t sound like much fun.
“Yeah. I know.”
“How?”
“I ran into Tanner this morning. He was quick to make sure I knew.”
“Oh.” Lovely. Tanner really had a possessive side. Either that or he was incredibly threatened by Colt.
“Do you even like him?” Colt’s words weren’t tentative. He was challenging me.
“Yes.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I did like certain things about him.
“Come on, Mallory. You don’t.”
“I don’t know him well yet.” I looked around Colt to the bustling quad. I wanted to get lost in the crowd so I could escape the conversation. I appreciated the coffee, but I didn’t like where the discussion was headed.
“In other words, you’re not ready to admit you’re using him as an excuse.”
“Just when I thought you were being cool, and we could be friends…”
“It’s not like you. You don’t use people. Remember that.” He nodded before walking into his building.
I sighed. Great. Just what my conscious needed. I was still thinking about his words when I slipped into my seat next to Reed in econ.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” I booted up my laptop.
“I heard you had fun last night.”
“Yeah, it was cool. How about you?”
“It was nice.” He got a goofy smile on his face, and I could tell he was thinking about his night.
“Anything with Juliet is fun for you.”
“That it is.” He smiled brighter and got his own laptop ready. “So you and Tanner, huh?”
“I guess.”
“You guess? I heard you’re going out again tomorrow.”
“We are.”
“Why do I get the sense you’re not into it?” He turned to me.
I couldn’t get Colt’s words out of my head. “I am. It’s just early.”
“I get that.” His expression didn’t quite match his words. I appreciated that he didn’t try to push me any further on it.
Class started and I was more than happy to concentrate on economic principles rather than my love life. It was far simpler.
***
Sisterhood movie nights are one of the best ways to spend an evening. A night without guys can be more rewarding than you’d think, and it was exactly what I needed at the moment. The first one of the year was on Friday night, and I happily settled into watching a movie with the other girls. We’d ordered in Italian and broke out some popcorn and candy—all movie theater style.
I sat on the floor and leaned back comfortably against the couch. We had nearly perfect attendance, which meant there were close to sixty girls watching the movie. The den was a little over crowded, but no one seemed to mind.
My phone rang halfway through the movie. I saw my mom’s name on the screen and headed toward the stairs to answer it. “Mom?”
“Mallory, hi.” Something was off. She didn’t sound right.
“Is everything okay?” I quickly took the stairs. Juliet glanced up at me questioningly. I waved her off and went up to my room.
“Yes and no.”
“What’s that mean?” I lay down on my bed.
“Mallory.” She paused, as if carefully considering her words. “It’s your father.”
“What about him?” I hadn’t seen or talked to my dad in ages. As far as I knew, neither had she. The birthday card and my quick thank you note were the only communication we’d had in months.
“He had a heart attack.”
“What? Is he okay?” I felt the stinging of tears. We may not have been close anymore, but he was still my dad.
“From what I got from his assistant, he’s still in the critical care unit in the hospital.”
“Should I go there?” I asked nervously. I wasn’t sure what answer I wanted to hear.
“Davie asked the same question. We’re going to wait until morning and reevaluate.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
“I don’t know, honey, but I hope so.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“Are you alone?” Concern filled her voice.
“Nope. I’ve got a house full of company.” Although unusually quiet thanks to the movie, there were tons of girls around.
“Good. I’ll update you in the morning. I love you, sweetie.”
“I love you too. Tell Davie and Rob I love them too.” I tried to control my voice before hanging up.
“Mallory?” Cara asked softly from the doorway. She waited with Juliet.
“Hi. Sorry.” I used the side of my hand to dry my eyes.
“Why are you saying sorry?” Juliet took a step into the room. Cara followed and they closed the door behind them.
“I don’t know.”
“What’s going on?” They both sat down on my bed.
“My dad had a heart attack.”
“Is he okay?” both girls asked at once.
“We don’t know.” I wiped my eyes again.
“This is your dad dad, right? Not your stepdad?” Cara slipped off her shoes and pulled up her leg so she could look at me better.
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to Charlotte? Do you want me to take you?” Juliet offered, mirroring Cara’s movements.
“I’m not sure. My mom’s supposed to update me in the morning.”
“I’m so sorry. Is there anything we can do?”
“No. I think I’m going to take a walk.”
“A walk?” Cara asked. “Now?”
“Yeah. I need to move.”
“I’m in then.” Cara slipped on her flip flops.
“Same.” Juliet put on her sandals too.
“It’s okay. You guys can finish the movie.”
Juliet stood up. “Not a chance.”
“I appreciate it, but I need some time alone.”
“You sure?” Juliet asked.
“It’s getting late. Will you get back before dark?” Cara fidgeted with her necklace. It was a ‘C’ with a small diamond.
“I won’t be gone long. I appreciate you guys offering to come though.”
They nodded. I loved that my friends were awesome enough to offer their company, but they also knew me well enough to know when I needed them to back off.
I put on my favorite black flip flops and headed downstairs. A few of the girls looked at me, and I fake smiled. “I’ll be back later.” I figured my roommates could fill them in on the rest.
I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I needed the fresh air. My feelings about my father were already conflicted, this just made it worse. I decided to head to Waterfront Park.
I still remembered the day Dad left Gasden. He’d kissed me goodbye and promised I’d still see him all the time. Ten years later, I saw him once a year if I was lucky. He was an exec at Piedmont Capital, one of the largest banking institutions in the U.S. I was his small town daughter. I had nothing to offer him, and he made that crystal clear. My mother made the best of it when he decided he was tired of commuting back and forth. In other words, he was tired of us.
I wasn’t paying attention to where I was when I heard my name.
“Mallory?”
I kept walking, ignoring him. Was my luck really that bad? Colt happened to be sitting on the Kappa porch with his pledge class?
“Mal! Wait up.”
I slowed, he’d catch up anyway.
“Are you okay?” He put a gentle hand on mine. His eyes were equally gentle, and for some reason, that made me lose it.
“Hey. What’s going on?” He pulled me into his arms. He just held me and let me cry. I appreciated that he didn’t attempt to make me talk again.
I let him hold me for a few moments before I could regain my composure. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. What’s going on?” He looked at me with concern.
“My dad had a heart attack.”
“What? When?”
“Tonight. My mom called a little while ago.”
“Is he all right? Are you going to Charlotte?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let me drive you if you do. You shouldn’t do it alone.”
“No. I’ll be fine. You’ve got your pledging and everything.”
He laughed dryly. “Like that would stop me. I know how hard this has to be for you.”
He was one of the few people who did. He was the only one at Harrison who knew the truth of how strained my relationship with my dad was.
In college, having the exec dad was helpful for once. It made it easier to shed my small town image. No one cared about what town I was from once they figured out who gave me my last name. They assumed it meant I had money, and that put me in a different category.
Colt ran a hand down my back. “Have you talked to Davie?”
I shook my head. “No. I figured he’d call if he wanted to talk.”
“Yeah. He’s not the biggest talker.”
“You can go back to whatever it was you were doing.”
“It’s just a stupid pledge thing.” Concern still marred his face.
“Go on. I want to be alone anyway.”
“Are you positive?” He watched me warily. “I really don’t care if I miss anything.”
“Go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I’ll have to loop back to the house soon anyway. My friends will freak if I’m not home before dark.”
“You’ve got some good friends.”
“Yeah, I do.” I included him in that group. Maybe things with Colton could work out.
“Do me a favor. Let me know what your mom says tomorrow. I’m serious about going with you.”
“I’ll keep you posted.” I had no intention of taking Colton up on the ride, but I’d let him know any updates.
“Okay. Take care of yourself.” He squeezed my hand before jogging back to his house.
I watched his retreating figure. I remembered back on how I’d watched him at football practice during high school. I had such a crush on him, but I spent half of high school dating his brother. It would have looked awful if anyone knew the truth about how I felt. At one time, I’d convinced myself I was in love with Jack. I’d said the words, but the more time passed since the breakup, the less likely that seemed. My mom called it puppy love, and I was beginning to think she was right.
My phone rang a few minutes later. It was Tanner. I let it go to voicemail. I waited for the notification before checking for a message.
Hey, Mallory. I heard about your dad. If you want to talk or anything, let me know. Also my dad’s a cardiologist at Emory. I can have him get involved if you want.
The sentiment was thoughtful, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I made my way back to the house, glad when I realized the girls had put on a second movie. I snuggled in between Juliet and Cara on the couch. The Delta Mu house was beginning to feel more and more like home.