It took everything within me to not grab him by the throat and throttle him. Instead, I bit my tongue, letting the rage simmer long enough for me to move clear of the house. I ran back to my dorm, where I almost took the door off its hinges.
“Whoa!” Spence said, jumping up from his bed.
I paced the floor, clenching and unclenching my fists. I was ready to burst, unsure of how long I could take it.
“They gave you a name, huh?” Spence asked. “And from the look on your face, I guess it’s not something that bodes well, huh?”
“Tommy, the cocksucker that he is, named me fucking Flipper.”
Spence couldn’t contain his amusement at the name. He burst into laughter, but who could have blamed him? It sounded ridiculous, yet there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. If Spence and Drake could stick it out, then so could I.
“What did you get labeled?” I asked, and I calmed down.
“Toad!” He laughed.
I couldn’t stop laughing. They were going to do everything in their power to demean us. We were willing participants, too, which was totally fucked up.
“Okay, I need to sleep. I’ve got to get up in two hours,” I said.
I crawled under my covers, holding my arm over my face. I’d worry about everything later. A little sleep was needed since training was going to kick my ass.
* * * *
My arms ached. I pushed myself while doing my turns. The lack of sleep from the night before knocked me really hard. Not one to back down, I pushed myself even harder. My strokes were continuous, transitioning smoothly from one to the other without any dead-spots or pauses. This was my world. No amount of sleep deprivation would stop me from being the efficient swimmer I was.
I reduced my drag and slipped through the water with ease, increasing my momentum and allowing each stroke to push me farther. Every time I took a breath, the adrenaline pumped through me as if my life depended on it. Nothing compared to this moment.
Exhilarated, I finished my drills. I held on to the side of the pool and glanced at Drake as he finished his final set.
He smiled at me as I got out of the pool.
I grabbed my cap, goggles and kickboard before heading down to the shower.
Drake was beside me, smiling to himself.
“You’re on top of your game this morning,” I remarked, patting him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, no idea how, after last night,” he replied.
“A bit of a crazy night,” I said, switching on the shower.
“I heard a little rumor as to what you’ve been named.” He tried not to laugh.
“Yeah, apparently, Tommy saw fit to call me something that left little to the imagination.” I cringed.
“Hey there, Flipper,” Ethan said, stepping into the shower.
I smiled and ignored him. I wasn’t about to let him have the upper hand, regardless of who he believed himself to be.
“How’s my own little pledgling?” he asked, referring to Drake.
“All’s good here,” Drake replied, keeping his head down.
The tone in Ethan’s voice was condescending, full of ridicule and contempt. It was easy to see why Bree had dumped him. Getting into a war of words with him wouldn’t have done Drake any favors, so I walked away, not allowing him to stir the already simmering pot of fury.
Drake followed. “I can’t stand that guy,” he said. “I fucking wish he never bid on me.”
“Listen, don’t worry about it. It’s not as bad as being labeled something from a show in the sixties,” I replied.
He smiled. “Wanna bet?”
I looked at him, full of curiosity.
“Yup, you’re now looking at Tiny Tim,” he declared with one eyebrow raised.
Drake was far from being anything like Tiny Tim. He was six-foot-four, built like a machine, and had the kind of looks that were the envy of many of his peers. From what I’d seen, he wasn’t short of a few fans. Ethan thought it pertinent to belittle him, but Drake seemed to be okay. He was taking it all in his stride, which made me nervous, considering how upset he’d been the week before.
“Are you okay with this?” I asked.
“It’s only a name,” he replied. “If I lose my shit over a nickname that is more or less random, I’d be leaving myself at the mercy of whatever else Ethan has up his sleeve. I plan to make it through the next six weeks without incident.”
“Sounds like a good plan. From what I gather, last night was only the beginning of our troubles.”
“Yeah, about that. Our dear friend, Spence, is under the illusion he’s gotten through without having to do any of the tasks. I’d hate to be the one to burst his bubble.” Drake pointed at me. “That’s your job.”
“Ooooh, really?” I laughed.
“Yup, because I can tell you now, he’ll bust a gut when he finds out he’s not to touch a drop of liquor, not until he’s given the green light.”
Drake made a fair point. Spence hadn’t given the whole pledging thing enough thought. He assumed you pledged, got a bid, and voila, you’re a fully fledged frat boy. He couldn’t have been more wrong if he tried.
“I tell you what. We both let him down gently. That way we can pin him on the ground if he gets a little emotional,” I joked.
“Deal!”
Ethan stepped in front of us as we were leaving the locker room. “Tiny Tim and Flipper, make sure you’re at the house tonight, eight p.m. sharp, and relay the message to Toad. You guys are on sober duty.”
He wandered away with his usual smug grin on his face.
We looked like idiots, taking shit from an asshole who’d let a little power go to his head.
“Man, hate would be a bad word to use to refer to that guy,” I whispered.
“We need to be careful with him,” Drake said.
“True, but first, let’s go eat and let Spence know he’ll be watching everyone have fun tonight. He’ll need some consoling after that.”
We left the building. Drake turned toward campus and I smiled.
“Wanna ride back?”
He gaped at me, looking confused. “What?”
I nodded in the direction of the lot, clicking the key fob to unlock the car.
“Whoa, when did you get this?” he asked. His face lit up with excitement.
“My father,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Your asshole father who never gave a shit?”
“Hmm, my asshole father who’s trying to give a shit,” I replied, not wanting to sound too smug.
“This is brand new!”
“I know.”
Touching the handle, he stared at the car as if he was looking at a shiny new toy. “This is gorgeous.”
“That’s what Bree said when I gave her a little tour of the interior,” I replied.
“Whoa, you two haven’t… You know?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, not entirely.”
“I don’t want to know,” he said, pulling a face and laughing.
“Get in. We’ll go pick up Spence and grab something in town.”
Drake hopped inside, checking out the interior before switching on the stereo. “We need something decent to go with this ride,” he said, choosing a track of his choice. He sank back in the seat.
“Make yourself at home,” I said, chuckling as I drove back to my block. “Give Spence the heads-up.”
Drake took out his phone and called Spence. “Hey, meet us out front in about five minutes.”
He hung up and rested his arm on the edge of the open window, smiling as we made our way to Spence. It dawned on me that the three of us were tight.
It was true what my mother said. Some of the best friendships were forged in college. I now understood the importance of letting down the walls and allowing people into my life who shared the same interests as me. People who shared the same values and never expected anything from me.
Drake and Spence didn’t have a hidden agenda. They were genuine, comfortable with me,
and not once did they expect me to change who I was. To me, that proved so much. I couldn’t wait to share the journey over the next few years with them.
I pulled up outside my hall of residence. Spence sat on the steps, busy texting on his phone. He didn’t notice the car pull up along the sidewalk, completely oblivious to us until I sounded the horn, and Drake shouted out of the window.
“Yo, Toad!” he bellowed.
Spence looked up from his phone and laughed when he saw Drake. He got up and jogged down the steps to the car. His mouth opened when he saw me behind the wheel. “What the actual fuck?” he asked.
“Get in,” I replied, laughing.
He didn’t say a word until he got into the back and sat holding onto the headrests. “Where did this come from?”
“Logan’s good old daddy is doing a little damage control.”
“Sweet!” Spence replied. “And there was me convinced your meeting would end up with you being done for common assault.”
I shook my head and laughed as I drove away from campus.
“But seriously, he just gave you this?” he asked.
“Yes. He said he wanted me to be more independent,” I answered, and it wasn’t entirely a lie. “So who am I to say no?”
“If my father offered me something like this, I’d be asking what I had to do to get it,” Spence remarked. “But, hey, you know what this means?”
“What?” Drake and I said in unison.
“We got us a designated driver, which means… Party time every weekend.”
Spence couldn’t help himself. He was hell-bent on making every weekend count, whether he was going to spend the majority of it drunk or nursing a hangover.
“Yeah,” I said. “About that. There’ll be no fun times, not while we’re pledging.”
“Screw that!” he replied.
“No seriously,” Drake said. “We are on duty tonight.”
“And?” Spence shook his head, refusing to acknowledge what we were saying.
“And… If we want to make sure we survive whatever they plan over the next six weeks, we’ve basically got to be their lapdogs and do as we’re told. Which means being sober when they tell us to be,” I said.
“Well, that sucks huge balls,” Spence replied, sitting back and looking as if he’d been told there was no such thing as Santa Claus. “But…” he remarked. “On the bright side, in six weeks, we can drink and get laid as much as we want. Well, Drake and I.”
Drake nodded and smiled. “Well, how about some noms, then discuss what’s ahead of us?”
“Sounds good to me.”
My stomach rumbled. I was starving and couldn’t wait to eat. Between swimming and Bree, food was another obsession of mine.
By the time we parked and got out of the car, it was shortly before ten a.m. We were early birds. That gave us several hours to relax before I planned on taking a nap prior to my evening training.
Walking down the street, we headed straight for Skillet. Once we were seated, Spence made sure he stocked up on as many carbs as possible. Every time I watched what he ate, it amazed me. I hadn’t a clue where he put all his food. He either had an amazing metabolism, or was storing food for later.
“This place does amazing shrimp and grits,” Drake said.
“Yeah,” Spence replied. “I’ll be having some of that…and…” he said, though he didn’t get to finish what he wanted to say.
The waitress approached to the table. “You guys ready to order?” she asked.
“Yup.” Spence beamed. “I’ll have the shrimp and grits, the cinnamon roll, and a side portion of bacon.”
“Can I have the biscuits and gravy, bacon, and a cheese omelet, please?” I asked.
“Sure,” she replied, and smiled at me.
Drake smiled at the girl.
Her face beamed when they made eye contact.
“Can I have the lamb chorizo biscuits and gravy, and…the smoked brisket poutine…and a cinnamon roll?”
She nodded and wrote everything down. “Juice and coffee?”
“Yup, all round,” Drake said.
She smiled once more and left the table.
To Spence’s delight, he couldn’t resist having a little dig at Drake. “You know, you’ll need to tip her real hard.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Spence wasn’t known for his decorum and tact, but it seemed to be one of his charms.
Drake shook his head and grinned. “What can I say?” he remarked. “I have charm.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “There’s no need for us to stroke your ego, huh?”
This was how we were together. There were no gimmicks or pretenses between us. We were three guys who clicked, all from different backgrounds, yet not one of us tried to be better than the next person.
My only little secret was the truth about my father. That was something that would naturally test our boundaries. I had no intention of revealing that any time soon. Not until it was necessary.
After we ate, the tiredness crept in. We paid the check and left a generous tip.
Drake got his own little surprise.
“Call me,” the waitress said, handing him a piece of paper.
Leaving the restaurant, Spence took the paper from Drake’s hand. “Ah, Sabrina,” he said. “Pretty girl with a pretty name. Will you?”
Drake laughed and snatched the paper back, stuffing it into his wallet. “We’ll see.”
Once I dropped Drake at his place, I parked the car, eager to climb in to my bed.
“I’m exhausted.” I yawned.
“You go catch some rest,” Spence said. “I’ve got a date.”
“What?”
“Not like that!” He shook his head. “I’m helping out at the study center.”
“Oh!”
“But she’s a cutie, and she likes my brain, so who knows,” he said, sounding positive.
“Later, man!” I said.
“Catch you after training,” he shouted before rushing away.
Once inside the room, exhaustion claimed me and I crashed onto the bed. Sleep was the only thing on my mind. Regardless of Bree invading my every thought, my sleep-deprived brain switched off, and boy, did I snooze!
Chapter Sixteen
Revealing something she’d been keeping to herself for so long, Bree understood that it would be like an emotional awakening. In some ways, it was so much more.
She’d spent the past three months living a lie, entrapping herself in a sordid affair that would ultimately destroy a family and a lifelong friendship. She needed to break the cycle, but she didn’t have the tools to make it happen.
Jet sat on the floor of her room.
Bree was slowly coming to, her face red from all the crying. So much had changed.
“You need to make contact with him and tell him it’s over,” Jet said for the umpteenth time.
“I know,” Bree replied, weary from all the crying.
“I can’t believe you allowed this to happen.” Jet glared at her. “After all Ethan did to you, you let another man use you. Only now, the stakes have been raised.”
Jet shook her head and got up off the floor. She sat on the edge of the bed.
“If Jenny finds out, she’ll never forgive me.”
“Jenny won’t find out. Not if you do this right.”
“But what if he refuses to leave me alone?” Bree asked.
“Oh, girl, you’re not doing this alone,” Jet said, her eyes blazing with fury. “I’ll be right by your side, and we’ll do this together.”
“This isn’t your war.” Bree sat up and wiped her eyes. “I shouldn’t be dragging you into this. It’s not fair to you.”
“Fuck that! I don’t care. You know how I am, Bree,” she replied. “I don’t scare easily. Besides, you need someone to kick your ass the moment he tries to sway you. Because he’s a manipulator, and you have to agree, right? A married man seducing his child’s best friend! There’s a word for that, and it ain’t pretty.”
&n
bsp; “I’m at fault, too,” Bree said, sounding as if she was defending Jack.
“Maybe, but you were an easy target. You were a mess. Remember?”
Bree sighed. She wasn’t stupid. She was responsible for her part in her affair. She knew what she’d been doing the moment she’d slept with Jack. There was no brushing her accountability to the side, regardless of Jet trying to make Jack out to be a monster.
The problem would always be there. She would never be able to stay at Jenny’s ever again. Guilt coursed through her, though it was unavoidable.
Bree got off the bed and picked up her phone. “Oh my God!” She sighed. “It’s nearly four p.m.”
“You were a mess.” Jet tried to smile and failed.
“Yeah,” Bree said. “Do I tell Logan?”
“That is entirely up to you.”
“He will break up with me. I know it.”
“How?” Jet sounded pissed. “Why would he? Is he that much of a prick that he’ll use your past transgressions against you?”
“No, he’s not like that. I don’t know. I’m overthinking things.”
“My honest opinion is this. Contact Jack, arrange to meet him. I’ll go along with you. We do this in a public setting. You tell him it’s over, to fuck off, or you’ll tell your parents everything. You walk away and carry on with life. You don’t need to tell Logan anything. You’ve not slept with Jack since getting involved with Logan, so don’t force it.”
Jet had it all planned down to the very last minute—that much was obvious to Bree. She knew she needed the push, even though the very idea of confronting Jack made her uncomfortable.
“Okay,” Bree replied. “I’ll call him today.”
“Good.”
“I’ll let you know, okay?”
“Sure, I won’t be doing anything exciting anyway, not unless some hot bitch wants me to fuck her,” Jet said, changing the subject.
“You never know your luck,” Bree replied, reaching for the door handle. “Thanks, Jet.” She smiled and stared at the raven-haired girl standing by the bed with her arms folded across her chest.
“Yeah, I suppose it’s what friends do. Go on, get outta here. I need my zone back.”
Bree winked at Jet and left her room. She crept down the hall and slipped inside her own room to find Jenny waiting for her.
A Cross to Bear Page 15
