by E. L. Todd
I found that hard to believe. “I think you’d stick around.”
He shook his head. “I don’t like traditional girls.”
“Well, Alex doesn’t strike me as slutty.”
“She’s not,” he said defensively. “But she’s not a saint like Beatrice.”
“She just…takes things slow.”
“Man, you’re in love with this girl.”
I didn’t see the point in agreeing with him. It was pretty clear. “Are you moving back?”
He thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. I haven’t asked Alex about it.”
“Would you stay if she stayed?”
“Yeah,” he said immediately.
“Maybe you should talk to her. Graduation is in a week.”
“I know,” he said with a sigh. “We just haven’t been together that long.”
“Have you done the deed?”
He shook his head.
I laughed. “You’re such a hypocrite.”
“Hey, she and I fool around and do hot shit. Have you?”
“I’ve kissed her…”
He rolled his eyes. “Juicy.”
“You’re just as much of a pussy as I am,” I said. “Just admit it.”
He shrugged. “I really like Alex. I haven’t felt this way about anyone before.”
I smirked. “And you used to hate her…”
He chuckled. “I know, right?”
“What did your parents think?” I asked.
He laughed. “Shit, they love her more than me.”
“That’s not surprising,” I said with a straight face.
He kicked me under the table. “Go to hell.”
I laughed. “I love pissing you off.”
“Oh, you don’t want to see me mad,” he threatened.
Whenever Theo and I wrestled or fought because we butted heads, he never used his training against me because it wouldn’t be a fair fight. I was bigger than him, but that didn’t make a difference. Sometimes I wished I knew as much as he did. Then I had an idea. “Would you be willing to teach me taekwondo?”
He narrowed his eyes. “You? Why?”
“Beatrice said something that freaked me out…” Did thugs really try to take out defense attorneys?
He shrugged. “Sure. But it’ll take a long time, like a year.”
“That’s fine.”
“Okay, let me know when you want to start.” He snapped his fingers. “Hey, why don’t we go on a double date?”
“Why?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Isn’t that what couples do?”
“I guess we could.”
“Cool,” he said. “If we’re serious with these girls, maybe they should meet.”
“So they can talk shit about us to each other?” I said sarcastically.
He gave me a cocky smirk. “I don’t know about you, but my lady definitely doesn’t have anything bad to say about me…if you catch my drift.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
***
Beatrice and I arrived at the bar first.
“I didn’t know Theo had a girlfriend?” Beatrice sat beside me, looking like a vision in a black dress.
“Yeah, they’ve been dating for a while.” I put my arm over the back of her chair so everyone would know she was taken.
“What’s she like?”
“I haven’t been around her much. But from what I hear, she’s pretty cool.”
“Okay.” She played with her nails.
“You look pretty tonight.”
She smiled. “You look handsome tonight.”
“But I always look handsome,” I argued.
She chuckled. “At least you’re humble about it.”
I leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to her neck. “But you’re still out of my league.”
She melted under my touch and closed her eyes.
“Whoa…PG, please.” Theo had his arm around Alex.
“Leave them alone,” Alex said. “They’re cute.” She extended her hand to Beatrice. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Beatrice took it and smiled.
Theo motioned with his hands to tell me Alex had a nice rack while she wasn’t looking.
I tried not to laugh.
Alex somehow knew what he did. “Do you mind?”
“What?” He feigned innocence.
“Could you not talk about my boobs in front of people I don’t know?”
“How did you know…?”
She rolled her eyes and sat down.
Theo sat beside her. “So, I can talk about your boobs in front of people you do know?”
She glared at him but didn’t argue.
Theo shrugged. “Talk about mind games…” He picked up the menu then put his arm over the back of her chair. “What are you getting, baby?”
She ignored him and read through her menu.
He gave me a knowing look. “How about a margarita? And make it a double?”
She kicked him under the table.
“Ouch,” he hissed. “Don’t forget you’re wearing heels.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t kick you somewhere else,” Alex threatened.
Beatrice chuckled while she watched them.
“I’m glad you’re nice to me,” I said.
“Well, you don’t give me a reason not to be nice to you,” Beatrice said.
“Yet.” Theo butted in.
I ignored him. “What are you going to get?”
“Hmm…fried artichokes sound good.”
“Excellent choice,” I said.
When the bartender came over, we all ordered drinks. Beatrice drank often, but it was usually just one glass, nothing more.
Beatrice and Alex talked about their favorite places to shop. Theo and I got bored listening to them, so we talked about baseball. When our conversations were over, Beatrice asked about their martial arts training. She seemed extremely interested.
“Conrad asked me to teach him,” Theo blurted.
“He did?” Beatrice turned to me.
I shrugged. “It sounds like it could be fun.”
She stared at me for a moment before she dropped her look.
After the food arrived, the girls picked at it without really eating much.
“She eats like a bird,” Theo said.
“Mine does too.”
The girls rolled their eyes at the same time.
“Excuse me,” Beatrice said. “I’m headed to the restroom.”
“I’ll go too.” Alex grabbed her purse and walked with her.
“Why do women always go to the bathroom together?” Theo asked.
I shrugged. “It’s one of the wonders of the world. Scientists have been studying that phenomenon for centuries.”
“Weird…if some guy said that to me, I would assume he wanted to check out my package.”
I leaned back in my chair then drank my beer.
Theo looked around the bar. “Isn’t it weird to think we used to come here to pick up girls all the time? And now we have girlfriends?”
“I guess it’s weird.” Personally, I never thought I’d settle down. I preferred one-night stands and not being tied down. It was just easier that way. But then I’d never seen a woman as beautiful as Beatrice. Then when I got to know her, I realized how cool she was. It was a fate I never expected to have, but I wasn’t sorry about it. Sometimes I was sexually frustrated, but it was a small price to pay to have Beatrice.
Theo looked around the bar. “Gross.”
“What?”
“Remember that girl that went down on me then threw up on me?”
“Like I’d ever forget that,” I said with a laugh.
“Well, she’s here. I hope she doesn’t say anything to me.”
“Probably not,” I said.
“Since Beatrice is such a goodie-goodie, does she know that you slept with every easy girl in Cambridge?”
“No…”
His eyes were wide. “How did that no
t come up?”
“I never told her.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “I was afraid if I told her when I was trying to be with her, she wouldn’t give me a chance.”
“I guess that makes sense. But don’t you think she’s going to find out anyway?”
“I don’t see why she would,” I said. “If you keep your mouth shut.”
He smirked. “I got your back.”
“Does Alex know?”
“Yep. My dad told her, actually.”
I laughed. “And she was cool with it?”
“She threatened to chop off my danglers if I pulled any shit on her.”
“I like her,” I blurted.
“You and everyone else I know,” he said sarcastically.
I eyed the door then saw a girl I recognized. “Uh, another one just walked in.”
“Seriously, why did we come here?”
“Girlfriends are expensive,” I argued. “You know how much it costs to feed them? At least this place is cheap.”
“You got a point,” he said. “Who walked in?”
“This girl I was tapping for a while. She wanted a relationship and I kept blowing her off until she stopped calling me.”
He laughed. “You’re such a dick.”
“I was a dick,” I snapped. “And you’re one to talk.”
“Hey, at least I was honest with Alex about it.”
“No, you weren’t,” I snarled. “You just said your dad ratted you out.”
“Whatever,” Theo said. “The secret is still out. You should just tell Beatrice the truth.”
I sighed, knowing he was right. “I will. Now that we’re together and I made it perfectly clear I love her and I’m not going anywhere, it shouldn’t freak her out.”
“Honesty is the best policy, man.”
Alex sat down next to Theo.
“If you go to the bathroom together, don’t you come back together too?” Theo asked.
Alex rolled her eyes. “If you weren’t so hot, I wouldn’t put up with you.”
He smiled.
“She ran into a friend and I didn’t want to wait around.”
“In the bathroom?” I asked incredulously. “Is that a hot meeting place?”
“No,” Alex said with a laugh. “By the door.”
When I turned back to the entrance, my heart fell.
Theo caught the look. “What?”
I had to speak in code because of Alex. “That thing we were just talking about…”
“Yeah…” His eyes were wide.
“Well, it looks like Beatrice knows her.”
Theo almost dropped his beer. “Oh shit…”
“What?” Alex asked, interested.
“Nothing,” Theo blurted. He looked over his shoulder and eyed Beatrice with Candice. “Shit, we really shouldn’t have come here.”
I kept my head down and my face averted. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice me. If she did, she might say something to me.
“Just keep your head down and she probably won’t notice you,” Theo said. “It’s crowded in here.”
“Yeah.” I kept looking down. “Is Beatrice done talking to her?”
“Who?” Alex demanded.
Theo ignored her and glanced over my shoulder. “Fuck, they’re both coming over here.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“She probably wants to introduce you or something,” Theo said.
Alex crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. “Seriously, what’s going on?”
“I’m so happy for you,” Candice said as they approached. “Good guys are hard to come by.”
“They are,” Beatrice said. “But he’s so sweet, wonderful and amazing. He’s my hero.”
If this were any other time, I’d be thrilled Beatrice was bragging about me. But now I was trying to think of an escape plan.
“Dude, run,” Theo hissed.
Like a coward, I stood up and turned around.
“Conrad?” Beatrice said. “Hold on, I want you to meet my friend.”
“Oh god, I’m going to pass out,” Theo said as he put his hand over his head. “Someone call an ambulance.”
“What?” Beatrice said, distracted.
Phew, I was free. I walked away.
“Conrad?” Candice’s voice made me stop.
Fuckballs.
“Wait,” Theo yelled. “I’m having a stroke. Help.”
“No, you aren’t,” Alex sneered.
Candice didn’t care about Theo at all. “Conrad, is that you?”
Kill me now.
“You know him?” Beatrice asked.
I couldn’t run. I was trapped. I slowly turned around and faced both of them.
Candice’s face burned with hatred. Her eyes held the resentment she felt for me. A year hadn’t been long enough for her to forget how I treated her, how I slept with her but refused to commit. Every time she asked for more, I ignored her. I knew she was really into me, so she kept sleeping with me to keep me around, but I was never interested enough to be monogamous. Her body visibly tensed when she looked at me. “This is him?” Disdain was heavy in her voice.
I knew this was going to be bad.
Beatrice’s eyes darted back and forth between Candice and me.
Candice turned to her, her eyes bright with hateful fire. “The amazing guy who’s sensitive and caring?” She couldn’t sound more incredulous. “The guy that makes you happier than you’ve ever been?”
Beatrice’s eyes burned with offense, but then they dwindled at her friend’s obvious fury. “What’s wrong with Conrad?” She sounded slightly defensive. “He’s one of the best people I know...”
Ugh, that made me feel worse.
Candice laughed but it was full of pain. “This guy is the biggest player I’ve ever met. Remember me telling you about that guy that used me over and over and treated me like garbage? You said I should cut off his nuts and never speak to him again?”
“Yeah…” Beatrice swallowed the lump in her throat.
“This is him.” Candice flashed me a look of loathing before she turned back to Beatrice. “This is the asshole. And now he’s played you too.”
Full of hurt and pain, Beatrice looked at me.
“No, I didn’t,” I said immediately. “I love you, Beatrice.”
Candice rolled her eyes. “He’s just saying that until he sleeps with you. When he gets what he wants, he’ll take off without calling you. He dodged my phone calls for weeks and never had the balls to officially break it off with me to my face.”
“We were never together,” I snapped.
Candice pointed at me. “See what I mean? He’s an asshole.”
“I am not!” I hissed.
Candice crossed her arms over her chest.
“Okay, I was,” I admitted. “I was a jerk. But I’m not like that with you.” I begged Beatrice with my eyes.
Candice looked around the room. “He’s slept with a least half the girls in this bar.”
Theo and Alex watched the conversation. Theo covered his face, but one eye was visible. He was cringing.
Beatrice was breaking down with every passing second. Sadness was in her eyes, and also anger. She looked like she lost the world. Betrayal was burning her heart, closing her off from me.
“I’m not like that. I—”
“Liar!” Candice looked like she might slap me.
“I’m not like that now,” I said. “Beatrice, I’m different with you.”
Candice shook her head. “Beatrice, let’s go. I’m sorry you wasted your time with this jerk.”
Beatrice stood still, unable to move.
Candice grabbed Beatrice’s purse and handed it to her. “Come on.” She pulled Beatrice away.
I stood there, wanting to crack into a million pieces. This was bad. Really bad.
After I took a deep breath, I chased after her. They were outside and headed to Candice’s car.
“Beatrice, wait!”
Beatr
ice didn’t turn around.
I caught up to her. “Let me explain myself.”
Beatrice faced me, her eyes guarded and her face unreadable.
“Everything Candice said is true. I’m not trying to tell you otherwise.”
She stared at me, her eyes searching mine.
“But when I met you, I—”
“Was looking for the exact same thing.” Her voice was quiet and lifeless. “You saw me as another notch on your belt, another conquest to add to your list. I was a prize you wanted to have. You took one look at me and decided to add me to your collection.”
“No, I—”
“I thought you were different. I thought you cared about who I was on the inside. I thought you were my friend. I thought…” her breathing hitched as her eyes coated with tears, “you loved me.”
“I do,” I whispered. “More than anything.”
“How can you say that when you lied to me? You pretended to be something you weren’t. You pretended to be a good guy so I would open up to you. You preyed on my vulnerability then took advantage of me. How dare you look me in the eye and speak to me. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
My hands shook because I was terrified. Beatrice hated me, and the loving look she used to give me was gone. She defended me to Candice at first, but now she turned her back on me. She saw me as a monster, a liar, and a heartbreaker. “That’s not what happened,” I said firmly.
“That’s exactly what happened.” Her voice didn’t shake while she stared me down. “You are just like every other guy I’ve met. I was stupid for ever thinking you were different. My trust was misplaced, and you let me fall for you even though you were just using me.”
“I’m not using you.”
“Well, congratulations. You tricked me.”
“I’m not tricking you! I love you, Beatrice!”
She turned away. “Goodbye, Conrad.”
“I’m not done talking to you.” I grabbed her arm.
She turned to me with fire burning in her eyes. “Let go of me.”
“No.” I pulled her closer to me. “Just listen to me—”
She slapped me hard across the face. “Don’t touch me again.”
I dropped my hand and ignored the hit. “You got it all wrong.”
She climbed into the car then slammed the door.
I gripped my skull, the adrenaline pounding inside me.
Candice pulled out of the parking lot then hit the road.
I stood alone in the parking lot, hating myself for not being honest from the beginning. If I told her how I used to be, she would have listened and understood. But finding out like this was the worst possible way.
