by Sky Corgan
We were almost to Leonor's car when one of the guys came running up to us. It was the guy who had danced with Holly at the first party we had all gone to together. Brandon, I think his name was.
“Hey.” He ran his hand through his short brown hair, and beads of water fell to the floor, dotting the asphalt.
“Hi.” Holly twisted her arms in front of her, looking bashful.
“I haven't seen you in a while.”
“I've been around.” Color came to her cheeks.
There was a moment of silence between them. Brandon shifted his weight. Georgina and Melody and I pretended to be invisible while Leonor stepped up closer, her gaze drifting past Brandon to the other guys.
“Where are you ladies off to?”
“Shopping.” Leonor twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.
“Well,” he hesitated. “We're about to wrap up here. It's hot as hell,” Brandon laughed nervously, glancing back at the guys. “We were wondering if you'd like to join us for ice cream.”
It wasn't hot as hell. Maybe they were, in the sexy sense. But it was bordering on winter, and the temperature had already dropped dramatically. Why they were having a shirtless car wash this time of year was beyond me, but who was I to complain.
“By you, you mean all of us, right?” Leonor made a circle with her finger to encompass all of us. I loved how bold she was. It was amusing as hell.
“Yeah. Of course.” He quirked his head back as if the invitation were obvious.
“Good. Cause we're a package deal.” Leonor clutched onto Holly's arm. “You can't have one of us without the rest.”
“The more, the merrier.” Brandon's eyes darted between us. If the invitation wasn't genuine, I couldn't tell. He seemed to brighten at the thought that we all wanted to come.
“Awesome. Well, I need a new set of earrings, so I'm going to steal your girl for a little while. We'll meet you boys later. You can text her and tell her where you'll be.”
“Sounds like a plan. See ya.” Brandon took a few steps backward before turning to return to the guys.
“Your girl?” Holly whispered under her breath to Leonor, her embarrassment shining through. “Why would you say something like that?”
“You want to be his girl, don't you?” Leonor continued to hold onto Holly as we proceeded towards her car.
“That's beside the point.”
It felt like I was fighting everything in me to sneak another glance at Dustin. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was interested in him. Still, I couldn't resist the urge once we were safely inside the car. He was stretched out over the hood of a Corvette, the owner of which, a wealthy-looking woman in her early fifties, was making no effort to hide that she was also ogling him. Suds clung to his lower stomach, slipping down that delicious V that pointed straight to his dick. I hated myself for wanting to look at him. Hated myself for being attracted to him. A few months of him being nice to me couldn't erase years of emotional abuse. It never would. It would never change the fact that he was ugly on the inside.
***
Shopping with the girls was fun, but having ice cream with the guys was a lot more fun. To be honest, I had dreaded it like the plague from the moment that Leonor had accepted the invitation. The idea of being forced into a social situation with Dustin where there was no escape was unpleasant. What would we have to say to each other when he wasn't rescuing me from myself, or I wasn't apologizing for getting his clothes dirty?
The answer was nothing. And that was perfectly fine because everyone else was talking and laughing so much that it didn't matter. I was almost able to forget that he was there. Almost.
Brandon was good at keeping the flow of conversation going. He made sure to sit next to Holly, and from what I could tell, they looked like they'd make a cute couple. He draped his arm over the back of her seat, subtly touching her shoulder every now and then when he gestured while he spoke. She shyly smiled at him whenever she got up the courage. It felt like I was watching a romance bloom right before my eyes, and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I was happy for her.
Georgina bullshitted with the guys like she was one of them. Leonor cracked a joke where she saw an opportunity. The guys matched her when they could. It was an absolute blast.
We ate our ice cream and lingered into the night. The conversation began to die down, and as the sugar finished making its way through my system, I started to grow tired.
Holly leaned against Brandon, resting the back of her head against his chest. Leonor, Melody, and Georgina seemed to still be pretty engaged. I was fading fast, though, and apparently, I wasn't the only one.
“Well, guys, I think I'm going to head back,” Dustin announced.
It was just as good a time as any to take my leave too. As long as I wasn't the first one to bail, I didn't feel too badly about it.
“I think I'm out too,” I told the girls.
“Aww, really?” Leonor frowned at me. I wasn't sure why she sounded so upset. It wasn't like I had done a whole lot of talking while we had been there. For the most part, I was a wallflower, listening in and enjoying the conversation.
“Yeah. I need to get some studying in before bed,” I replied before yawning.
“I'm not ready to go yet.” She sulked, thinking that I would want a ride back.
“No worries. I'll just take Uber. It's not that far. Won't cost more than a few bucks.” The last thing I wanted was to ruin their good time.
“I'll drive you back,” Dustin offered.
I glanced over at him for a moment. Only a few months ago, I would have said no without a second thought, expecting it to be some kind of trick. I trusted him now, though.
“Alright. Thanks.”
“You guys drive save.” Brandon waved us off.
Leonor gave me a mischievous look. I knew exactly what she was thinking, but it wasn't like that. Before walking away, I cast a glance at Georgina. She seemed indifferent about the situation, engaged in a conversation with one of the guys about metaphysics. I wasn't even sure if she noticed I was leaving. That suited me just fine. As long as she wasn't giving me the stink eye, I didn't have to worry about this coming back to bite me later.
We walked out to Dustin's truck, and I crawled inside. It was odd that I didn't even feel weird about it anymore. This was starting to become a normal occurrence, him giving me rides.
“Thanks,” I said as he put the truck in drive, my eyes lingering on the ice cream shop window where I could see our friends still enjoying themselves inside.
“Yeah,” he replied absentmindedly.
“They're cute together.” My head snapped to the front as we pulled to the edge of the parking lot.
“Who?”
“Holly and Brandon. I think they'll make a good couple.” I wasn't sure why I was telling him this. Maybe because I wasn't in the mood for a ride filled with awkward silence.
Dustin grunted in reply, seemingly uninterested in the topic.
I decided to try for something else. “I'm glad you're not as big of a jerk as I remember.”
“And I'm glad you're not as annoying as I remember,” he shot back.
There was no cruelty behind his words. The second I saw the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, I smiled as well.
“Cheers to us both for getting over our shortcomings,” I laughed.
“Indeed.”
Queue the awkward silence.
Well, that tender moment didn't last long. Oh well, I suppose some conversation, as short as it was, was better than none.
“Listen,” he began again, drawing my attention to him. “I'm sorry for all of the shitty things that I did to you in high school.”
Deep down, I felt like I shouldn't accept his apology. There was so much that he'd done. I spent years fearing him. But here he was now, giving me a ride back to my dorm. If I held onto my resentment of him forever, I'd only be hurting myself. At least, that's what my psychologist told me. Forgiveness was the bes
t medicine for the soul.
“Ah, it's fine.” I flicked my wrist at him. “I'll consider it high school hazing. You were just helping me to grow a thick skin.”
“It's not fine.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel, and there was a sudden firmness to his voice. I glanced over at his hands. His knuckles were almost white. “It was never fine. You didn't need to grow a thick skin. I'd take it all back if I could.”
I wasn't sure what had come over him. My gaze flitted up to his face. There was something dark in his eyes. Like anger but not quite. I wished I knew what was going on inside of his head.
“Well, you can't take it back. All you can do is move forward,” I said softly. The mood was too intense. I needed to lighten things up. “I have an idea.”
“What's that?” His eyes cut to me before returning to the road.
“You can make it up to me by promising not to be an asshole to me anymore.”
He chuckled and seemed to relax a bit. “Deal. But I think I can do one better.”
“Oh really?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Would you like to go skydiving?”
“Skydiving?” I quirked my head back. Where did that come from? “I thought you were trying to be nice to me. Now you're telling me you want to push me out of a plane.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, his lips curling into a stunning smile. “No, that's not it.”
“Are you sure? Because if you want to kill me, there are easier ways,” I teased him.
“Are you on crack or something?” He gave me a quick look over. Every place that his eyes touched I felt a shiver, even though there was nothing sexual or even interested in the way that he was assessing me.
“Sugar crack. That ice cream had me buzzed.” I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling insecure.
He readjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “I remember on the school bus one time you talked about how you had always wanted to go skydiving but that you never thought you would get to because it's too expensive.”
He actually remembered that? I hadn't even been talking to him when I said it. I was having a private conversation with Petra, which means he must have been eavesdropping.
“I never realized you were such a nosy person,” I said because I literally couldn't come up with anything else. The shock was still so fresh that I was flabbergasted.
“Well, what will it be?” Dustin parked in front of my dorm and turned to me, placing his elbow on the back of the seat. “Are you in or are you out?”
My throat felt dry as I processed what the invitation meant. A million thoughts ran through my mind, though the one at the forefront was whether or not we'd be alone. I was too shy to ask. Too scared to think of what it might mean if it was just going to be the two of us. And while I was too shy to question the offer, I was intrigued by it.
“I'm in.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“You have a date with Dustin Nikoli!” Leonor squealed.
“It's not a date,” I insisted, instantly regretting telling her. Who else was I going to disclose this to, though? Well, I supposed I could have told my friends back home, but they would just think I was some crazy traitor.
Dustin Nikoli was the enemy. He always had been. Now I was going to be skydiving with him. And it might be alone. Just him and I. Together. The thought made me feel a bit queasy.
“He invited me out to make up for being a douchebag all of those years that we were in high school together,” I informed her.
“But he invited you out alone. That makes it a date.” She pumped her fist. It amused me that she seemed more excited about it than I was.
“He didn't specifically say that we were going to be alone.” I shifted uncomfortably.
“Did he say there were going to be other people with you?”
“Not exactly.” I scrunched up my face.
“Then you're probably going to be alone.”
“Just because a guy asks you if you want to do something with him doesn't make it a date.” I knew that well from all of the time I had spent with Bobby.
“I don't see any other reason why he would ask you.”
“I just told you why he asked me.” I frowned at her. Was she even listening to me?
“Well, I think it's a date.” Her head swayed back and forth.
“You can think whatever you want,” I laughed at her. “It's not a date, though.”
My phone buzzed, drawing my attention away. I looked down at it to see a text notification from Bobby.
Bobby: Hey. I'm driving back home next weekend. Want to come?
That was a no-brainer. I'd only seen my parents once since college had begun. If I could get a free ride home and back, I was going to take it. Besides, it would be nice to get away from campus for a while.
Brenna: Definitely.
“Who is that? Is it Dustin?” Leonor hopped from her bed to mine. The inflection in her tone was scandalous.
“No. It was Bobby.” I tilted my phone so she couldn't see the screen, though I wasn't sure why.
“Playing two men at once. You naughty girl, you.” Leonor slapped me on the shoulder, her mouth falling agape.
“It's not like that.” I rolled my eyes at her. “He wants me to drive home with him.”
“Are you going to go?” Disappointment showed on her face.
“Of course.” I shifted my weight. “I think it would be good to get away from all of...this for a while.” My eyes volleyed around the room.
“Aww, you want to get away from me.” She pouted.
“You know what I mean.” I gave her a serious look. “College life has been crazy for me. I want a little bit of normalcy for once.”
“Normalcy is boring, Brenna.” She transferred back to her own bed.
“Normalcy is nice.” I sighed, thinking about how I couldn't wait to see my old friends again, friends who weren't caught up in the Dustin and Bobby drama.
***
“I don't think I can do this.” The wind whipped by my face through the open airplane door at 18,000 feet above ground level. It was going by so fast that I felt like I was being repeatedly slapped.
I was pressed back against a stranger, and there was nothing sexual about it. His hands were on my hips, urging me forward.
“Of course you can,” the man said into my ear, though his words were barely audible.
“You've got this, Brenna!” Dustin gave me a thumbs up a few feet away. While I couldn't actually hear what he was saying, I had it pretty much figured out by reading his lips.
“We're going to go on the count of three,” the man told me. Without giving me a chance to respond, he began counting.
At three, I was practically shoved out of the airplane. I screamed so loudly that my lungs burned. My eyes were closed, my life flashing before them. In hindsight, this was an absolutely horrible idea.
Then I opened my eyes. And nothing had ever felt more terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. The world seemed so small, but it quickly became bigger and bigger, rushing to meet us.
The free-fall took about a minute, but it felt like a lifetime. Then my jump instructor pulled the parachute cord, and we drifted down to the earth. While I was thankful for the experience, I wasn't sure I would want to do it again, especially with the price tag attached. Most of our time was spent suiting up, listening to instructions, and making the ascent in the airplane. The jump itself was the smallest portion of the entire process.
“That was intense, wasn't it?” Dustin beamed at me from across the table, a fry pinched between his fingertips wavering just over his basket of food.
His excitement was infectious. We had both been wearing a grin ever since we left the skydiving center and drove to this diner for a late lunch.
“It was way more intense than I thought it would be.” My eyes widened for effect. “There were times I thought I was going to suffocate.” That had been even scarier than jumping out of the plane. Not being able to breathe. It almost made the ex
perience unenjoyable.
“It's all of the wind rushing up your nose.” He shoved the fry in his mouth and then gestured towards his face. “You think you can't breathe, but you're actually getting more oxygen than normal. Next time, if you feel like you're starting to suffocate, hold your breath for five seconds.”
“How would that help?” I lifted an eyebrow.
“It helps your brain reset and reminds you to breathe. At least, that's what my instructor told me.” He shrugged slightly as if he wasn't even sure he believed that.
“I don't think there's going to be a next time.” I scrunched my face. Skydiving was fun, but even if I could afford to go regularly, I couldn't see myself getting addicted to it. I preferred to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.
“Why not? Too scary for you?” He smirked.
“No.” I huffed playfully. “That was just something on my bucket list. Now that it's off, I don't have to do it again.”
It was strange how much this felt like a date. When I met Dustin in the parking lot at campus, and he was alone, I felt a nervous tremor race through me. When he informed me that it was going to be just him and me today, that feeling doubled. It didn't take long before I was comfortable with him, though. Conversation was sparse at first, but then we began talking about our classes, and it was like we'd always been friends.
“Your bucket list, huh?” His shoulder's sagged slightly, and he stared at his burger in thought.
I shifted in my seat, picking up one of my chicken strips and dipping it into the little cup of BBQ sauce on my plate. “Thanks for taking me out today. I've had a lot of fun.”
“Me too.” He smiled softly at me. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“I'm sure it would have been much more fun with one of your friends who has done this before.”
“Nah. It's always better watching someone jump for the first time. Next time, you'll have to jump solo.” His eyes lit up again.
