The Only Exception

by Magan Vernon

  As soon as we got back to our apartment complex, Trey tipped the cab driver heavily and then led me into his apartment.

  “Are we going to talk about this, or sweep it under the rug?” I asked, slowly sitting on his plush leather couch.

  He shook his head, looking down and taking the seat next to me. “I’m sorry. That never happens. I never lose control. I just saw his hands on you and the tears in your eyes, and I lost it.”

  “It wasn’t just him,” I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

  Trey looked up, concern brimming in his eyes. “Please, don’t tell me you wanted him to do that.”

  “No, it’s not that.” I swallowed and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. It was time that Trey knew about my past, and if he wanted to break up with me then at least I was honest.

  “I used to go to Taylor, as you know, but there is a bigger reason that I transferred instead of just to be closer to my family.”

  Trey put his hand on mine. “I’m listening.”

  “I was a Kappa, and I loved it. I wore the short skirts and got wasted at fraternity houses every weekend, but there was one weekend that changed all that.”

  I bit down on my bottom lip, tears threatening to prick my eyes. Trey squeezed my hand and somehow that gave me the strength to continue.

  “It was one of the last weekends of school, so I went with a few of my sisters to a party at the Alpha Mu house. We had all pre-gamed before, and after another few shots and games of beer bong, I could barely even stand.”

  I swallowed, remembering the event as if it were yesterday.

  “We were all dancing in the basement when this guy, who I’d been friends with in the house, came up behind me. We started dancing and everything was blurry. His hands found their way up my skirt and down my shirt right there on the dance floor. I froze. None of my sisters stopped him, and I felt like I didn’t have the voice to stop him.”

  I looked down at my lap, not even glancing at Trey as I finished.

  “Someone yelled for us to get a room. He pulled me off the floor and into the basement bathroom. His hands were replaced by other things, and he raped me right there on the floor while the tears poured down my face.” I paused, unsure if I could go on, wiping a few tears from my cheeks. I’d never told anyone what really happened that night, not even my counselor. I had to get it out. I took a deep breath before I continued.

  “It only took a few minutes, but when he was done he pushed me off of him and onto the cement floor. He then whispered, ‘You were okay. Guess it’s good I didn’t use any of that latex shit, or it could have been even worse.’“

  “I laid there for what seemed like forever until I finally pulled myself out of the bathroom and back to the party. I asked the girls I was with if they wanted to leave. They all said no, and then one of them said, ‘just because Joey said you were a bad lay doesn’t mean you have to make it a bad night for the rest of us.”

  We sat there in silence for what seemed like forever, the only sound was my sniffling. Then Trey finally spoke.

  “What did you do? Did you report him?” Trey asked, his voice quiet.

  I shook my head, finally looking up at him as tears flowed down my face. “No, I was going to, but I got a call from the fraternity president the next day saying ‘If you try and report this no one is going to believe you because you’re such a slut.’ I went home soon after and finished off my last few weeks by correspondence and immediately put in for my transfer.” I let out a deep breath. “And I can understand now if you don’t want anything to do with me. I’m damaged goods.”

  Trey immediately wrapped his arms around me and pulled me onto his lap. “Of course I still want to be with you. I can’t believe that asshole would do something like that, and I promise that I would never do that to you or let anyone else. Even if they’re my fraternity brothers.”

  “But that’s not the worst part,” I said, gathering my courage. “I went to Student Health Services the next day to get the morning after pill. I couldn’t afford it. The nurse told me about the contraception bill and how it wouldn’t even be covered by insurance. I counted the days until my next period and jumped for joy that I wasn’t pregnant. That’s the reason why I’ve had a thing against your dad for so long. I may not have been pregnant, but I couldn’t even prevent it. That was taken away from me.”

  He put his thumb to my cheek wiping my tears away. “I don’t care that you don’t like my dad’s views on contraception. I love you, Monica, with every fiber of my being. I don’t care about your past, or how liberal you are. I just love you.”

  I couldn’t believe that he was saying the words. Even with his conservative views, he still loved me. All the broken parts of me.

  “I love you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

  I laid my head on his shoulder, and he kissed my hair. I didn’t expect anything that transpired that night to happen, but there was one thing I was for sure of. I was truly in love with Trey Chapman, the son of the governor I had a grudge against.

  “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

  I slowly lifted my head up. “With you?”

  He swallowed. “You can sleep in my bed, and I’ll take the couch. I can even grab a set of my gym clothes for you to sleep in if you don’t want to go back to your apartment.”

  I nodded, slowly. I didn’t want to leave him, and as great as it would be to sleep beside him, I respected him enough not to ask. And after spilling my story I wasn’t in the mood for what could come from sleeping in the same bed.

  “Okay.”

  ***

  Like a gentleman of his word, Trey slept on the couch and left me alone in his big four poster bed. I even got to see what cologne he wore, Clive Christian No 1, the most expensive cologne in the world. I guess I wouldn’t be buying a bottle for myself.

  I awoke early when I heard Trey pacing in the living room.

  Slowly, I crept from the bed and stood at the door, cracking it open just enough to see Trey running his hands through his hair with his phone to his ear.

  “I know, Dad, but you didn’t see the guy. Uh, huh. Yes sir. I know.”

  Oh shit. His dad.

  With another few ‘yes sirs’ he said goodbye and set the phone down.

  “Monica, I know you’re listening from the door, so you might as well come out now.”

  I opened the door to see that Trey was already showered and in his usual dress shirt and pants with his hair gelled, while I was still in one of his under shirts and gym shorts he let me borrow.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Trey looked down at the floor, slightly shaking his head with hands on his hips. “Someone had a camera phone and got a video of me hitting that guy last night. I guess it’s all over the Internet and Dad is pretty pissed.

  I swallowed, unsure of what to think or say. Trey was always careful of what he did. He always said that his actions reflected on his dad.

  “And he wants me to come up there to have a meeting. He said to bring you.”

  “Me?” I pointed to my chest, feeling like my heart literally stopped. It was one thing to deal with Trey’s views, but meeting the governor himself? Oh no.

  “Yeah.” He nodded, looking up at me. “And I’d like you to be there. We can leave whenever you’re ready and come back tomorrow.”

  I glanced at the clock over the stove. It was only seven and a Saturday.

  “I have to work on Sunday morning,” I said.

  Trey took a few long strides until he was right in front of me. He grabbed both my hands and then slowly brought them to his lips. “You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do. You can call in sick, or I can tell Dad that you can’t make it. But just so you know, I really want you there.”

  And that was all it took for me to run to my apartment to get ready to meet the parents.

  ***

  I spent an extra long time in the shower, shaving my legs and making sure I washed every inch of
myself. After I got out, I blow dried my hair and straightened it, smoothing it down repeatedly. I had dated a lot of other guys and met their parents, but the thought of meeting Governor Chapman shook me to the core. Not only that, but I was the reason there was a video of his son punching someone on the Internet.

  As I went through my closet searching for the perfect thing to wear and packing my overnight bag, I decided it was probably time to call Melanie.

  “Hey lady, how was the barn thing?”

  I groaned. “If you’re asking that then you probably haven’t seen the video of Trey punching a guy on the Internet.”

  Melanie laughed. “Oh, I totally have. I just didn’t want to bring it up.”

  “We’ll, speaking of that. I won’t be able to make my shift at work tomorrow. We’ll call it a family emergency.”

  “Emergency?” Her voice got higher with a hint of a squeak to it.

  I sighed. “Yeah, Governor Daddy saw the video and now Trey wants me to go with him up north to help with damage control.”

  “Whoa, Mon, you just started dating the guy, and now you’re already in on political rendezvous sessions?”

  I balanced the phone between my shoulder and ear as I dug through the back of my closet trying to find something presentable that wasn’t my normal jeans and t-shirts. “Look, are you going to let me off the hook for my shift, or do I have to call back tomorrow with a sudden case of food poisoning?”

  She let out a crackling breath into the phone. “Okay, I’ll put in that you had a family emergency, but just this one time. If there are any more government meetings you better hope they serve some bad shellfish so you have a better excuse.”

  I grinned, even though I knew she couldn’t see it. “Thanks, Mel, you’re the best!”

  “I know. So you better give me all the deets on Monday!”

  “I will. I promise. Talk to you then.”

  I disconnected the call and slid my phone down to the ground. Now that work was figured out, it was time to tackle my wardrobe. I couldn’t show up to meet the governor in some skinny jeans and a sweater; that just didn’t scream girlfriend worthy. The only thing I could find in my closet was the outfit I wore for my last job interview, which was a high-waisted, black pencil skirt and white blouse. I threw it on and slid into my only pair of heels, which were, luckily, black and looked myself over in the full-length mirror. I stopped when I caught the glint of my eyebrow ring. I reached up and unscrewed the balls from either side and placed it on my desk. The holes were still there from the piercing, but it was better than meeting the governor with a giant ring in my eyebrow.

  A knock came at my bedroom door, and I figured Sam had let Trey in since it had been almost two hours since I left his apartment.

  “Come in. I’m decent!”

  But instead of Trey, Sam’s dreadlocked head slowly crept in. “Whoa, do you and Trey have some sort of Young Republicans brunch or something?” She stared at me wide-eyed, wearing her makeup from the night before and her ratty pajamas.

  I shook my head, tossing my brush into my overnight bag. “I wish. I’m going with him to see his parents.”

  “Dude, that’s nuts. Is it because of that video of him sucker punching that dude?”

  I rolled my eyes with a groan. “Has everyone seen that video?”

  “Uh, yeah, it’s like all over Facebook. That’s nuts. I thought he was Mr. goody-two-shoes, but it looked like he has a killer right hook. That dude must have really done something to piss him off.”

  “You can say that again,” I replied, zipping up my bag.

  Sam crossed her arms over her giant chest, rocking from side to side. “That’s why I came in here. I noticed you didn’t come home last night and just wanted to make sure everything was ok. I hoped he didn’t have some sort of secret dark side and was keeping you locked up in his room.”

  I slid my bag over my shoulder. “As much as you’d like to think the opposite, Trey is actually a really good guy. One of his fraternity brothers put the moves on me, he took care of it, and I stayed at his place last night because I was pretty shook up about it.”

  “Oh...sorry...I didn’t know.” Sam kept her eyes on the floor as she followed me out of the bedroom and into the living room.

  “Not a big deal. Well, I mean it is a big deal, but you didn’t know.”

  She sighed, finally looking up at me. “Look, I came to your room to apologize for being a bitch these past few days about the Trey stuff. Yeah, he comes off as a douchebag, but my preconceived notions were no reason for me to take it all out on you.”

  If Sam could articulate herself better, she could possibly have a career in politics herself with her genuine apology that really wasn’t much of an apology.

  “Thanks, Sam, I appreciate it.”

  “So I’ll see you later?” she asked, but it was really more of a statement.

  “Yeah, I’ll see you later.” With that I was out the door and over to Trey’s apartment; ready for my first round of political crossfire.

  Chapter 18

  Trey’s door whooshed open, and he stood there with his hair disheveled, probably from raking his hands through it so many times. His face was flustered, but he smiled when he saw me.

  “Well, Miss Remy, you do clean up well.”

  I smirked. “Can we just get this over with?”

  He grabbed a small suitcase near him and closed the door, locking it behind him. With his free hand he took my hand and we walked to the elevator. “I see you even lost the eyebrow ring for the day.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think the governor would appreciate seeing your girlfriend with a facial piercing.”

  He squeezed my hand, watching the elevator doors open to the underground garage. “You don’t need to try and change yourself to impress my dad. You never did that for me, and that’s what I love about you. That you are your own person.”

  I put my hand to my chest in mock shock. “My, my, Mr. Chapman I do believe you just admitted that you love me for my liberal ways.”

  He shook his head and stopped at his Mustang, opening the trunk and tossing in our bags. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. I said that I love you for you, not for your politics.”

  ***

  Trey’s family lived in a wealthy suburb of Chicago. I tried to do a quick Internet search about where they lived before we left, but I got nothing more than a suburb with an average income that was over twice the amount of what my parent’s house cost.

  Trey was pretty silent for most of the ride; only making a few comments about the songs on the radio and keeping his hand on mine. We took the north suburbs exit off the highway and after a few more miles of driving, Trey pulled onto a long, tree-lined road full of perfectly manicured lawns and houses made of all brick and had large, white pillars in front of them. I was sure that one of them had to be his, but he kept driving. He finally turned down another road and pulled up to a large, wrought iron fence that stretched as far as the eye can see.

  “Do you all live on a golf course or country club community or something?”

  Trey stopped at the gate, rolling down his window and pressing a few numbers on the keypad. The gate slowly cranked open, and Trey rolled up his window. “No, this is just my house.” He didn’t have his normal, slightly cocky tone; more like he was defeated.

  “Is everything okay?” I squeezed his hand and watched his jaw clench. He always had a poker face, but I’d never seen him so tense.

  “It should be. After we talk to Dad.” He glanced at me and flashed a small smile. Not his usual big grin. Everything wasn’t okay.

  I turned and looked out the front window just when Trey’s house came into view. Let me rephrase that, it wasn’t a house but more like a McMansion that was probably bigger than the White House. A circular driveway curved around a large fountain that added to the house’s palatial feel. There were three floors of French windows, each with black shudders and even a balcony off of several of the windows on the second floor. My parent’s
house was white, but not like Trey’s house. This one was stark white and looked like someone power washed it every day.

  When Trey pulled around to the side it revealed an expansive six-car garage, and from the cobblestone driveway I could see the edges of an in-ground swimming pool and a yard that was the size of an eighteen hole golf course. It probably could have been one with how perfectly green and landscaped the yard was with a rainbow’s array of flowers.

  Trey pulled the car into park and stared out the front window. “Just please don’t make any smartass comments about the house.”

  My mouth gaped open. Was that what he thought of me? “I wasn’t. I think it’s beautiful,” I stammered.

  He turned off the ignition with a big sigh and then turned to me. The weight of the world looked like it was all reflected in his green eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a jerk. I’m just nervous. This has never happened before. I’ve never done anything to qualify a meeting with Dad.”

  I put my hand on his thigh and squeezed it lightly. “Look, whatever happens we will get through it. We can’t change what happened, but we will move forward. We can do this together.”

  Finally, his smile made an appearance. “Did anyone ever tell you that you would make a great politician?”

  I leaned in closer, inhaling the scent of his expensive cologne. “The Democratic Party has been calling me every day.”

  He nuzzled his nose against mine. “You had me until the D word.”

  I placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Then we better get inside before my phone starts buzzing off the hook from all my advisors.”

  He pushed his door open and climbed out, running over to the other side of the car and opening my door. I let him take my hand to help me out and followed him to get our bags out of the trunk.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Trey asked, slinging our bags over his shoulder and grabbing my hand with his free one.