by Lynn Stevens
“Okay, now let’s get to work.”
For the next three hours, I drove the ball until I could barely hit it off the tee. My shoulders groaned as I put my driver away. If we had a hot tub at home, I’d be in it without taking off my clothes.
My stomach growled loud enough Rex heard it a few feet away. He raised his eyebrows, something he did more than most humans.
“How’s your diet?” he asked, crossing his arms. After I listed my usual meals, he nodded in approval. “Very good. I don’t see the need to make any adjustments. Just stay away from junk food after today.”
“After today?” I asked, struggling to put my bag on my shoulder. He didn’t lift a finger to help. Probably part of the training.
“Yeah, go to the snackbar. I’ll call over and have them get a pizza ready for you. Pepperoni? Sausage? What’s your favorite?”
“Veggie,” I said as my stomach announced how good pizza sounded.
“Got it. Hold on a second,” he said as he popped into the office. Cassidy smiled at me as she talked to a guy at the window. Rex stepped back out with a wire bound notebook. “Here. This is our game plan.”
I took the notebook that read “Andrea’s Plan for Golf World Domination” on the cover. Rex definitely had a sense of humor. Smiling as I flipped through it, there were detailed workout schedules, training, even recipes. There wasn’t a single stone unturned. It also had a list of things I needed to work on.
“Thanks,” I said, impressed that he had even done this. It must’ve taken all weekend. “This is amazing.”
“Kid, you have a natural talent.” He bowed slightly and smiled. “It’s my honor to get you where you should be. You’re not meant to play golf on the weekends for fun. You’re meant to play on the biggest stage.”
I pressed my lips together to keep them from trembling. “Who said you’re not good with kids?”
Rex laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “Everyone. Now get out of here. I’m sure you have some homework.”
Homework. Crap. I had a ton. Stupid classes. I took off to my car to put my golf clubs in the trunk and grabbed my backpack. My shoulders strained worse at the heavy books and laptop weighing me down.
I walked toward the snack bar, stopping halfway. Erik sat at the cement picnic table with his books piled on top. I pressed my lips together and started walking again.
Chapter Thirteen
He didn’t notice me until I sat the large pizza Rex ordered along with two bottles of water on the table. I wondered if Rex knew Erik was sitting here while we trained. Rex wasn’t stupid, but maybe he really had heard my stomach growling. It wasn’t like it was quiet. But I couldn’t eat a large pizza by myself.
Had Erik been sitting here the entire time? That would’ve been insane. Nd sweet
I flipped open the pizza box and sat beside him.
“Hey,” he said, glancing up long enough to notice me. “How was your first lesson?”
“Great actually,” I said as I put a paper plate on top of his notebook and set a bottle of water in front of him. “How long have you been here?”
He picked up his phone. “About an hour.” He set his phone back down and opened the pizza box. “Veggie? Cool. Tell me about Rex.”
“Wait a minute. You’ve been here an hour?” I asked. Erik put a large Chicago-style slice on my plate then took one himself. “Why?”
Erik rolled his lips together and stared at his plate. Then he looked up at me, and the anger raged in his eyes. “Because you are good enough.”
“I am?” I asked, mesmerized by the way his nostrils flared as he tried to calm himself.
“Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not,” he said, closing his eyes. His lips moved as he silently repeated the poem he’d used to calm down. When he finished, he opened his eyes and stared into mine. “I have to tell you something, and you’re not going to be happy with me. I accept that and acknowledge it.”
I didn’t like the sound of this one bit, but I waited. My own therapist’s words rang in my ears. Don’t jump to conclusions because you’re afraid of the narrative.
“When Vicky decided not to go to Europe this summer, Theo made a plan to...” He bit his upper lip and exhaled through his teeth. “He wanted to get laid. Bottomline.”
“So you knew?” I asked, my stomach rumbled like a cauldron ready to explode. “You knew he was going to pick some random girl to just for his own pleasure? You knew?”
Erik winced. “Yes, but it’s worse. I knew he who he was picking.” He met my gaze and flinched. “I knew it was you.”
I stood up, closed the pizza box, and grabbed my bag. There wasn’t anything I could say. The only thing I wanted to do was punch him, but I wanted to kill Theo. The rage I’d just seen in his eyes was nothing compared to the rage I felt. It was worse than that, though. Another guy just humiliated me, and I didn’t even know.
“Please forgive me,” Erik said as I stormed away.
I didn’t turn around. My fingers clenched around the box so tight I crushed it. When I got to my car, I threw everything inside and drove off as fast as I could. My mind wasn’t blank exactly. It raged with pure red. I couldn’t see past it. I didn’t even know where I was going until I got off the highway twenty minutes later and parked behind Vicky’s BMW on the street outside her grandmother’s house.
Why was I here of all places? I sat in my car with my hands on the wheel, staring at nothing. Why would anyone do that to another person? Right, Theo Tudor was pure evil. He only cared about his goals and ambitions. If you got in his way, you were stomped on. But I never got in his way. I was just someone he used for pleasure. Nothing better than a dog toy.
I was nothing.
A sob choked my throat. I swallowed hard, but it wanted it. My forehead fell to the steering wheel, and I lost control. I don’t know how long I sat there before my car door opened.
“Andrea? What’s wrong?” Vicky shrieked. She put her hands on my shoulders and led me out. “Daniel, help me get her inside.”
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me up and guiding me toward the front door of Vicky’s grandmother’s house. A wave of cool air greeted me as we stepped inside. It smelled like fresh baked cookies, just like a grandmother’s house should smell. My grandmother’s smelled like salt, sea, and starch.
“Oh dear, what’s wrong, Andrea?” Vicky’s grandma said. Her warm hands gripped my wrists and led me to the soft blue couch. I sobbed into her shoulder as she tut-tutted and rocked me. “Whatever it is, honey, it’ll be okay.”
“Daniel, I think you should go,” Vicky said softly.
“Yeah, let me know if you need anything.” His voice was velvety soft. I knew why Vicky fell for him. He was kind, gentle, gorgeous, and so head over heels in love with her.
The front door closed quietly, but it echoed with my sobs. I sat up, embarrassed by my display and glad not to be alone. This room, this was what a family room should look like. There were two bookshelves filled with framed photos. My living room had framed photos of my father with various famous people.
Grandma patted my hand before she stood. “I’ll make tea. Tea helps everything.”
Once she was out of the room, I looked at my best friend. Vicky’s face twisted in confusion and concern. She tugged at her blond ponytail, a staple since she moved in with her grandmother. I’d overheard her tell Rachel the ponytail was easier when there was only one bathroom in the house. She’d actually sounded happy about it.
“What’s going on, Andrea?” she asked, sitting beside me on the couch.
I swallowed hard. This wasn’t something I wanted to talk about with her, well with anybody. I wanted to bury it deep into my brain and cover it with nothing but good things. Vicky, though, was the one person who would understand. I hoped, because I had to talk to somebody and there wasn’t anyone else. Well, nobody I could just see. My next appointment with Dr. Levine was two weeks away. And Vicky had a right to know.
“I’m a horrible friend,”
I said as I sat back against the couch and pulled my knees to my chest. “Theo—”
“Lied to you, seduced you, tricked you,” Vicky interjected. Her eyebrows knotted deeper. “We’ve talked about this.”
“He planned it,” I added.
“What?” Vicky’s screech rattled the glass.
“He planned the entire thing before the class even left. Before you even decided not to go, I think.” I pressed my knees tighter against my chest. “And he picked me.”
“Before you left?” she asked again, clearly dumbfounded. “So this wasn’t some random hookup? He fucking planned this? While we were still dating? That asshole.”
I cringed at her tone. “He ...” A sob bubbled out and I let it. “He just wanted to get laid. Or so I’ve been told.”
“Who told you all this?”
I shook my head. It didn’t matter who I heard it from. Erik wouldn’t lie about this. He told me knowing ... knowing I’d hate him for it. Vicky didn’t need to hear that I’d betrayed her twice. And I knew it was true because I’d overheard enough of what Theo said. “I’m sorry, Vicky. I should’ve seen it. I should’ve known he wasn’t actually interested in me. I should’ve known you two hadn’t broken up. I should’ve talked to you. I should’ve—”
“He used you, Andrea. This isn’t all your fault.” Vicky stood and paced in front of the coffee table.
And there was the real truth. It wasn’t all my fault, but I was still at fault.
“Theo is horrible human being who only uses people.” Vicky stopped and loomed over me across the table. “He used me to get to my dad. He used you to get off. And I’m sure there was another motive. He always has an ulterior motive.”
“He hates you,” I said. My eyes shut quickly. That should not have come out of my mouth. “I overheard him talking to someone else.”
Vicky snorted. “Well, the feeling’s mutual. He’s an ass.” She walked around the table and sat beside me. “He conned me too, remember? He had me convinced we were perfect for each other for months. If I hadn’t met Daniel, I’d probably still be dating the asshole. There’s no way he would’ve admitted to cheating on me.”
And there was the second shoe. She doesn’t think I would’ve told her either. Vicky and I weren’t friends. God, why hadn’t I ever seen that before? We had nothing in common except just being around each other.
“I would’ve told you,” I said. Anger bubbled in my chest. “You think I wouldn’t have?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I just meant Theo would manipulate the situation to suite him.” She shook her head and her ponytail smacked her in the face. “You’re right, though. You would’ve told me, but he would’ve deflected it and claimed you seduced him.” She grimaced. “His games are pretty easy to see when you know where to look.”
“He played on my insecurities.” I tucked my chin in between my knees. “My therapist said he used the things I hate about myself to get to me.” I snorted. “Believe me, that’s been the big topic in my sessions this summer.”
Vicky put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me into a half hug. “I get it, Andrea. He’s a master manipulator.”
We sat like that for a few minutes. Grandma brought in the tea and hustled back into the kitchen. I envied Vicky in that moment. My mom’s parents retired to Florida before I was born. My dad’s parents moved to Arizona. We saw them maybe once a year. The only other family we had in St. Louis was my dad’s brother, his wife, and their son. Mom had been an only child.
“You know I don’t hate you, right?” Vicky said softly. “I don’t blame you, either. Theo is charming when he wants to be. We weren’t getting along before the class left. I just... I didn’t want to see it because I felt like I had found something real. It was just as fake as it was for you. Theo’s not a good person.”
“I blame myself,” I admitted. “I feel like you’ve avoided me pretty much since.”
“Not intentionally.” Vicky shook her head. “What would your therapist say about that?”
I sat up straighter and gave her a sheepish grin. “Probably that you’re burying some repressed anger or something.” I nudged her with my shoulder. “Get your own therapist. She’ll help you figure it out.”
Vicky laughed and hugged me. “I’m sorry this happened. When I see Theo again, I’m going to knee him in the nuts.”
“Beat me to it,” I said, hugging her back.
“Are we good? I mean, really good?” she asked after letting go.
I nodded, because on the Theo issue I really felt we were good. That might change if she finds out that I’ve been hanging around Erik. That grudge was not going away as easily. We were standing on a thin strand, and it was bound to break. How long would it last? I wasn’t sure. Just rename me Benedict Arnold.
Grandma called us into the kitchen for dinner. She’d made spaghetti with marinara and garlic bread.
“How’d you know I hadn’t eaten?” I asked, the pizza long forgotten in the backseat of my car.
“Child, I could hear your stomach growling two rooms away. Now eat.” She patted my arm with a smile, but the concern was still etched into her expression.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Just remember you always have a sanctuary here,” Grandma said.
A home away from home. I understood why Vicky left the luxury of the Hudson Mansion in Hillsdale. This felt like a home, not just a house. I wished I could’ve stayed.
Chapter Fourteen
I ignored Erik the rest of the week. He’d sent me a few texts, but I never responded. I made an appointment with Dr. Levine for Friday night. When I got there, I had to wait before she called me in.
“What do I owe this special visit?” she asked as she sat across from me with her arms crossed at her wrists over her knees. A black pen dangled from her fingertips, and a notebook sat on her lap.
“There’s this boy.” I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Or why I was doing it, but I knew I had to talk to someone about Erik. “We’ve become friends, but I found out he knew about something that hurt me and didn’t tell me.”
“Were you friends when he learned about this something?”
I stared off toward the window. “No.”
“Think back to when this information was available. Would you have believed him?” she asked softly.
“No.” I sighed, because she was forcing me to answer the questions I didn’t want to hear. I closed my eyes, and the entire story spilled from my lips. Nothing was held back. For thirty minutes, I talked and she scratched notes. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“Andrea, you need to face yourself. You hold your feelings in. Let them out. And start with yourself.” She smiled gently. “And you need to talk to Erik. Confront him, and don’t hold back everything you’re feeling. It’s hard to face your own emotions. It’s harder to share them. You said he told you this Theo boy was planning his... seduction despite knowing he would probably lose you as a friend. Do you want to lose him?”
I shrugged, because that was one question I couldn’t answer.
“Think about it.” She stood and tucked her well filled notebook against her chest. “Don’t forget to journal. Think of that as talking to yourself so that you better understand what you’re feeling.”
That just seemed like a lot of work.
But I couldn’t ignore him on Saturday morning. Dad had left me a note that we had an seven o’clock tee time. I texted Rex, and he gave me a list of things to work on while I played. Then he reminded me to be at the range for babysitting duty. I smiled at that. It actually sounded better than golfing with my father.
The Perdays were waiting when we got there, driving separately of course. Erik bit his lip when he saw me. Our dads were already deep in conversation while we waited for the golf carts. I wanted to walk the course, but Dad would never deem that acceptable.
“Dad, can Erik and I take your cart?” I asked, sweetly. My hands were behind my back and I rocked on my
heels. Basically, I did everything I could to make my father think there was more going on with Erik than just two classmates playing golf.
Dad glanced between us, raised his eyebrows, then he smiled knowingly. Yep, he thought there was something going on between us. Let him. Leave it to Dad to approve of someone just because his father has money. Erik and I were just friends. Well, friends with a major problem between them. It was like the Grand Canyon sized problem. Dad nodded and tossed the keys toward Erik. I snatched them out of the air.
Erik didn’t say a word until we were past the first hole, which I parred on. He had eagled.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’m angry,” I countered.
“I understand.” He laced his fingers together on his lap. “I’m working on it.”
I snorted. “I know you are. You’re my friend I think and this really hurt me, Erik. I get that we weren’t friends before this all went down, but I can’t believe you would knowingly let any girl fall for Theo’s crap.”
“Can you stop for a second?” he asked, turning toward me. “We’ll tell them there was a stubborn squirrel or something. Just give me a minute.”
I pulled the cart over and faced him. “Theo really hurt me, Erik, but this is so much worse. I don’t feel like I can trust you.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line. “I acknowledge your feelings.”
Rolling my eyes, I snapped at him. “I don’t want to hear psycho-babble. Just talk to me like a normal person right now.”
“Fine,” he snapped back, letting his anger out. “You want to know why I didn’t tell you? Because you’re Vicky’s friend. You wouldn’t have listened to me even if I had. You would’ve assumed I was just trying to get revenge on Vicky again. You would’ve completely ignored me even if you listened to me. And let’s be honest, Andrea, you wouldn’t have let me within ten feet of you to tell you, so it never crossed my mind. And that’s the damn truth.”
It went straight to my heart. He was telling the truth. He was trying to open up to me now even if it hurt. I liked it. A lot. I leaned in and kissed him. Why? I had no idea, but it felt like the right thing to do. His lips were soft and warm, and they felt so good against mine. Erik leaned back and stared at me with wide eyes.
