by Laura Ward
A girl left the dance floor and headed to the bar, but was stopped when one of the fraternity guys stepped in her path.
“You’ve got a great set of legs. What time do they open, baby?” He held his arms wide, making her an offer.
I clenched my hands into fists, prepared to jump in if one of the guys took things too far.
Maybe Caz was right. Maybe I did have a hero complex.
She rolled her eyes and ducked under his arm. The laughter of the guy and his friends chased her away.
I was so engrossed in watching the asshole frat boys, that I was caught off guard when a girl stumbled into me, spilling her drink down my side. My entire body sighed in resignation. It wouldn’t be a Friday night if I wasn’t soaked with beer.
“Oh, sorry,” the girl giggled. “I didn’t see you there.” When her eyes finally found my face, she smiled widely. “But I’m sure glad I found you.” Her hand slid up my arm, and she leaned heavily on me. “Do you come here often?” Her words were already loose with alcohol.
“I work here.” I tried prying her hands off so I could walk away and continue making my rounds, but she was still leaning against me.
“That’s okay, sugar. I don’t mind. My name’s Julie. Wanna tell me your name so I know what to scream out later on?” Julie’s hand was now on my chest, groping me.
I pulled her hand off, helped her get her balance, and gently guided her toward an empty table. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m on duty. You should be careful. Maybe you need to sit down and sober up a bit.”
She recoiled and gave me a nasty look. “Be careful and sober up? What are you, my fucking daddy?” She turned away from me, but stumbled again.
I reached out to grab her to keep her from falling to the floor. Christ. That’s all I needed was for this chick to pass out on the floor and give herself a fucking concussion.
“Jules, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” A girl with blonde hair came up beside Julie and grabbed her around the waist. “I got you a water,” she shouted over the music.
“You should take her home. She can hardly stand.” I glared at the backs of the girls as the blonde wrapped her arm around Julie to support her.
The blonde laughed without looking at me. “I’ve got her.”
“Mind your own business.” Julie waved me off as she turned to shout into her friend’s ear. “I think I saw a hottie from one of my classes by the bar. Time to make my move.” Julie turned to kiss the blonde’s cheek, straightened her spine, and then proceeded to walk a fairly straight line toward the bar.
The blonde turned to face me, still shaking her head over Julie’s behavior. “Sorry about that. She’s a mess...” Her breath caught in her throat when she saw me, and her eyes widened in surprise. “Alec?” Her hand flew to her chest, covering the low cut shirt she was wearing.
“Taren?” I cleared my throat, tearing my eyes away from her hand and what the fabric underneath barely covered. “What are you doing here?” I hadn’t talked to her in almost a year. Not since the night I found her wallet.
Her hand fell away from her chest and I could see how the top hugged every swell and perfect curve. “I’m here with my sorority sisters.”
I thought nothing could beat seeing Taren in only a towel, but I was wrong. Dressed for a night at The Shell, she was sexy as hell. Her jeans were so tight I wanted to peel them off with my teeth. Her face was flushed from dancing, and the strap of her tight top had slipped down over her shoulder.
Knowing those jackasses in the corner were probably thinking the same indecent thoughts about Taren that I was, made me want to drag her out of the bar and send her home.
“Is she one of your sisters?” I nodded over toward her friend, Julie, who was now draped all over another guy.
Taren smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. Jules is a little crazy, I know, but she’s got a good heart. She’s one of my best friends.”
“Well, keep an eye on her, okay? Some of the guys around here can be real assholes.” I gestured over to the group of guys who had gotten my attention before Julie showed up.
Taren looked to where I motioned and frowned. “Those guys?” She lifted the strap of her shirt back in place and stood up straighter. “They’re harmless.”
I’d seen enough drunk guys in my short time at The Shell to know the difference between asshole and harmless. Taren was too trusting. She always had been.
“By the way.” Taren leaned closer to talk over the music. “I heard you got hurt last year and lost your spot on the lacrosse team.” She chewed on her bottom lip.
I rubbed the back of my neck. Of course she heard about it. We lived in a small town, and I’d been one of our high school’s star players. “Yeah, well...unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a person from our hometown who didn’t hear about that.”
Taren looked down and shrugged. “My Aunt Claire is a bartender. Your dad kind of came in one night...” Her voice trailed off, and her eyes darted to my face as if she’d said something wrong. “Anyway, I’m sorry you lost your lacrosse scholarship. Claire said your dad was really upset about it.” She looked down again.
“It’s okay.” I bumped her shoulder with my elbow so she’d look up. “Everything’s good now.”
“Really? You’d rather work in a bar than play lacrosse?” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I didn’t mean it that way.”
I shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. This isn’t my dream job, but I’m happy.”
Taren smiled, and it was a beautiful transformation. She was no longer the shy Taren she tried to hide behind in high school or the haughty one covered in beer that she pretended to be last year at the bus stop. I was seeing the Taren I’d only had a brief glimpse of in those few study sessions in the library and at the debate competition. This was the Taren that was confident and sure of herself.
“I’m glad,” she said. “You look good, Alec.”
“Is that so?” I grinned, crossing my arms over my chest.
Taren’s gaze fell to my chest and biceps, and then her eyes darted back to my face, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “I just meant you look happy, that’s all.”
“Thanks.” I had to bite back a laugh when Taren looked back to my arms. Her gaze was as hungry as mine was.
“Well, I should probably get back to my friends.” She glanced over at Julie and then turned back to me. “It was nice talking to you again, Alec.”
I liked the way my name on her lips ended in a smile. “Maybe we could get together some time,” I suggested.
“Get together?” Taren looked nervous, and she reached up to rub her arm.
“Well, we’re in the same Professional Writing class. Maybe we could study together sometime?”
“Oh.” Her posture relaxed, and she smiled. “We are? I’ve never seen you.”
“That’s because you sit up front, and I’m usually late and sit in the last row.”
Taren tucked her hair behind her ear again even though it hadn’t moved. “Sure, that sounds great. Studying. We could study.”
A guy appeared behind Taren and wrapped his arms around her middle. “Hey, baby.” He was one of the fraternity guys I’d been watching earlier, and she jumped when he tucked his face into her shoulder, sucking on her neck like a goddamn leech. “You were supposed to bring me a beer.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, and Taren peeked up at me, shame darkening her eyes. “Sorry, I ran into an old friend,” she said to the guy as she nodded toward me.
Frat boy looked up as if just noticing me. I was sure the only reason he came over in the first place was to lay claim on her. I’d seen him in The Shell numerous times before with other girls, but never with Taren. She deserved better than a douche like him.
“Hey, bro.” He lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “Name’s Pickles.”
I lifted my chin in response. “Pickles?” I glanced at her, and she shrugged, rolling he
r eyes.
“Come on, babe.” Pickles grabbed the beer out of Taren’s hand, took a swig, and then hooked his arm around her neck, pulling her away. “Let the hired help get back to work.” He pretended to whisper it to her, but he said it loud enough to be sure I heard. He handed her the beer. She timidly took a drink and then glanced back at me once more before he led her away.
Fucking frat boy and his stupid nickname. What I wouldn’t give for the chance to kick his ass.
I did another round of the perimeter of the bar, watching as drunk co-eds danced and sang while the band played. I passed the area where Taren was hanging out just in time to see Pickles grinding his hips into her backside and groping her chest. She pulled his hands away, laughing awkwardly as she scolded him, but I could tell she was embarrassed.
It occurred to me that ripping both his arms off could solve that problem.
Julie handed Taren a shot, and she pressed it to her lips before tossing it back in a swift, expert motion. Taren laughed as Pickles handed her another one.
When did she learn to drink like that? And why was she dating a guy like Pickles? She could do so much better.
I shook my head, annoyed with myself. I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about Taren. She wasn’t my responsibility. Besides, as I watched her hanging out with her friends, it became very clear to me that we were part of two very different worlds. We’d both made pledges for new lives, and I was positive those pledges could never co-exist.
Chapter Fifteen
TAREN
“C’mon baby.” Doug moved on top of me, grinding his hips into my pelvis. I lay flat underneath him, my body rigid. The rhythmic motion was supposed to turn me on. Unfortunately, Doug’s movements were jarring. Too many beers in one night had altered his coordination and his attractiveness. “We’ve been together for a year. I’ve been patient, baby. I promise I’ll make you feel so good.”
“Watson is playing video games on the couch. Cut it out.” I pushed his shoulder, but he didn’t budge. I wasn’t ready to have sex. Doug shifted, dry humping my left thigh, and not my promised land. I almost asked him if he needed a map to find the right spot, but I didn’t want to give him false hope.
Doug dragged his tongue up my neck, continuing up to my ear. He licked around the shell of my ear and then shoved his tongue deep inside. I scrunched my face and bit the inside of my lip to keep from groaning. He could mistake that groan for a moan, and he did not need any encouragement. Making out with Pickles was like getting greeted by an overly excited puppy—lots of enthusiastic licking that made me want to wipe my face off. I shuddered from the unpleasant intrusion of his tongue in my ear, and he grunted. Shit. Did he think my response was from pleasure? I pried open my eyes and looked up at his face, taking in his sloppy smile. I winced as he started in again on the leg humping. Yup. Definitely an overgrown puppy.
I cared for Doug. I really did, but I didn’t delude myself. I wasn’t in love with him.
“So? Tonight?” he asked hopefully, flicking a condom up between us so that I could see he was prepared.
“Pickles.” I sighed, slightly annoyed that he was pressuring me, yet again. I understood that a year was a long time to wait for me to say yes. I always wondered if he might break up with me so he could have sex with someone else, but he never did. He just kept begging. “I’m not ready. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I’m not.” I bit my lip and moved a piece of hair away from his eyes.
Doug’s crooked grin vanished, and his eyebrows crinkled. “What do you need from me? What are you waiting for? A commitment? I’ll give you one, if that’s what you need.” Doug moved off me and lay flat on his back. He dragged his fingers through his hair.
I turned onto my side to face him. My stomach was knotted with the guilt of what I was about to say. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“I like you, Doug. I really do, but I’m not in love with you, right now. Maybe we’ll get there some day, but until then, the answer will be no.”
“Virgins are hot. Way to make him work for it, T.” Watson yelled out from below us.
Doug and I both groaned, and I buried my face in his chest. I stayed there for a few minutes, thinking about our relationship. Doug was goofy and a bit of a sloppy drunk, but he made me feel good about myself. The problem was, I wanted to feel passion and love. I didn’t have that with Doug. I wasn’t sure I ever would. I didn’t want to have sex just because it felt like the time had come or because of some twisted sense of obligation to him. The last thing I wanted to do, though, was to hurt him. He was my friend, and he mattered to me.
“I’m sorry. I care about you, Pickles. You know I do. Give me some more time to figure myself out, okay?” I picked my head up, resting my hands on his chest and saw that my Whistler was sound asleep.
***
“I broke up with Damien.” Julie sipped her Frappuccino and glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.
Slowing my pace, I blew on my own coffee before taking a drink. “You really liked him. What happened?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Julie grinned mischievously.
“Of course, we’ll believe you. Spill it.” Alexis leaned over me, narrowing her eyes to glare at Julie.
“He took a selfie.”
Alexis stopped walking. “And? You take selfies every day.”
Julie turned to face Alexis, and I crossed my arms over my chest, watching the show.
“He took a selfie at the wrong time.” Julie raised her eyebrows, daring us to continue our questioning.
“People make mistakes, Jules. So he took a selfie at a bad time. If you really like him, I think you could get past that.” Alexis worried about Julie all the time. She wanted to see her in a relationship with someone who cared about her, not serial dating anything that had a set of XY chromosomes and a nice head of hair.
“He took a selfie while we were having sex, Lex.”
No one spoke. We faced forward and continued walking.
“You did the right thing. Sorry about that,” Alexis mumbled.
Julie threw her arms up in the air. “Right? Thank you. What an ego-testicle prick!”
We laughed as we turned toward the Student Union where we would be meeting our assigned buddies for the first time. I couldn’t stop smiling. The satisfaction from being a part of such an important program reminded me of how proud I was when Alec and I had prepared our anti-bullying bill for the debate competition. Doing something that could actually make a difference in someone else’s life felt great.
We walked through the front doors of the conference building attached to the Union. Bright red and yellow balloons marked the doorway to the closest meeting room. A sign was perched on a tripod with the words, Welcome to Good Buddies in large, block lettering.
Leaving the topic of sex selfies behind, we moved into the room and found Kate standing near the doorway with a clipboard. “Ah, Taren. Great. Your buddy is waiting for you right now. He’s seated at the last table on the left. Go on over and introduce yourself.”
I headed in the direction of my buddy. Several of my sisters were already sitting with their respective buddies at small tables. Some shared cookies, pretzels, and sodas, while others looked at magazines together or sat chatting. At the last table on the left, a man was sitting alone. As I got closer, I noticed that unlike many of the other buddies, my partner didn’t have Down syndrome. If I had to guess, I’d say he was older. Perhaps in his thirties? He appeared clean cut with closely cropped hair and a freshly shaved face. I waved and a wide, beaming smile filled his face.
“I’m Taren. It’s nice to meet you.” I extended my hand, and he shook it gently.
“My name is William. Good to meet you, too.”
Pulling out a chair, I sat across from William, and he copied my movements, sitting back down.
“Thank you for being my buddy, Miss Taren.” William smiled again, and my cheeks burned from my own never-ending grin.
“I’m e
xcited to get to know you, William. Tell me something about yourself.”
“Yup. Sure.” William looked around the room for a few seconds before speaking. “I work every day. My dad got me a job at his office. I deliver mail. I like it. It is a good job.”
“That’s great you found a job you enjoy. I worry that I won’t have the same luck when I graduate.” That was an understatement. I loved to read and write, but I wasn’t sure what career I wanted. I worried that I would graduate with a degree I couldn’t actually use.
“What do you want to do?” William pushed a plate of cookies over my way and chose a small, broken chocolate chip one for himself.
Frowning, I selected the largest cookie on the platter, a thin sugar cookie, covered in sprinkles and handed it to him. His eyes lit up, and his cheeks flushed.
I played with the napkin in front of me. I had never told this to anyone. “I want to be a writer. I’d like to write a book someday, I think.”
“Yup, yup, yup. I like books.” William nodded and took a bite of his cookie, chewing thoughtfully. “I had a dream last night.”
“You did?”
He nodded.
“What was it about?”
He swallowed and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I met a girl who looked like sunshine, and she wanted to be my friend.”
I smiled and broke off a piece of my own cookie. “Do you have many friends, William?”
“Yup. I sure do. Two, including you.” His eyes shown with warmth, and a lump rose in my throat.
Something told me William would become my own form of sunshine.
***
“Taren!”
“Get down here!”
“Hurry!”
At the sounds of my sisters’ frantic voices, I hopped off my bed and hurried down the stairs. Alexis slammed her book shut and followed behind. At the first floor landing, Julie and Kate waited, lips pressed together and eyes wide.
“What’s going on?” I pulled my hoodie on and gathered my hair into a ponytail. Half of my sisterhood was crammed into the front of the living room, climbing over one another to look outside. The other half, it appeared, filled our front porch. The front door was open, but I couldn’t see what was happening outside.
