“Something like that. I mean, he’s not here much, so I have no idea what’s going to happen.”
“Are you guys exclusive? I guess that’s really the only potential issue.”
“He says he wants us to be.”
“That’s cool. That would be what I worried about most. Maybe his being away is a good thing. You can focus on you and not a relationship.”
“Focus on me?”
“Are there any activities you wanted to do but couldn’t find time for?”
“Not really… but I wanted to start doing some more volunteering, maybe find a part time job. Oh, and I’m going to check out Jade’s radio show.”
“That’s a nice list. It’s a place to start at least.”
I finished off my latte. “All right, you about ready to head home?”
“Sure. I wouldn’t want to keep Chase Denton’s girl out too late.” He gave me a wry smile.
I pushed his arm. “Don’t start.”
“I won’t, but don’t forget your hat, cowgirl.”
A thought occurred to me, and I put the hat on. “Can you get a picture of me?” I held out my phone.
“Sure.” I posed as seductively as appropriate in a coffee house. I took my phone back from Kyle and laughed. “It looks like I can pull off a cowgirl.” I texted the picture to Chase.
He didn’t answer right away which didn’t surprise me. They were playing in Baltimore that night.
I took off my hat, and we headed back toward my house.
“Thanks again for coming tonight. I know it wasn’t the best way to spend a Saturday night.”
“It was nice. We’ve never talked outside of class. We should do it more often.” I’d never really had a male friend before. Neither of us were each other’s types, so there was zero sexual tension between us which made it even better.
“Definitely.”
My house came into view, and my stomach dropped. Aaron was waiting outside again.
“Is that who I think it is?” Kyle asked.
“Unfortunately.”
“I’m guessing he’s waiting for you.”
“Let’s hope not. I really don’t feel like dealing with another confrontation with him.”
“Another?” Kyle tensed beside me. “You had one before?”
“Yes. I’d spent the night with Chase, and he was sitting right there.”
“And now you’re being walked home by me. He’s going to assume I’m the same guy. Are you okay with that?” Kyle looked at me questioningly.
“He can think whatever he wants. He has no say in what I do. But if you don’t want to deal with him, I can take it from here.”
“You actually think I’m going to let you face an angry ex-boyfriend by yourself?” He patted my arm. “Let’s do this.”
Aaron started toward us. “Oh, this is fucking brilliant. An Omega? A fucking Omega?”
“Keep your voice down and leave us alone. I already told you I want nothing to do with you.” I tried to step around him.
“Bullshit. This is absolutely bullshit. I’m not going to sit back and put up with this.” His eyes were partially blood shot. He was plastered. Aaron wasn’t a nice drunk.
Kyle stepped in front of me. “Calm down, man. She’s not your girlfriend anymore. She can hang out with anyone she wants.”
“In other words, Cara can become a whore now?”
A whore? He was calling me a whore. My mouth was dry. Why wasn’t I saying anything back?
“What did you just call her?” Kyle stepped toward Aaron. I touched his arm to pull him back, but he shrugged me off.
“A whore. We’ve been broken up a few weeks and she’s already moved on? And my bet is you’re not the first guy. Was she with you last time? Or was she fucking someone else?”
“Don’t talk about her that way. She’s a nice girl who never should have wasted her time on you anyway.” He shoved Aaron in the chest.
Before I could even process what was happening, Aaron’s fist made contact with Kyle’s face and he was on the ground with blood splattered across the sidewalk.
“You asshole!” I yelled at Aaron, doing my best to pull him away.
He stumbled back and just stood there like he couldn’t believe he’d just done it. I couldn’t either. “You are such a jerk.” I knelt down next to Kyle. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”
Kyle sat up, covering his bleeding nose with his hand. “You weren’t the one who punched me.” He glared at Aaron who was still standing there with a frozen expression on his face.
A group of girls from my house spilled out onto the sidewalk, mingling with a growing group of onlookers.
As soon as the crowd moved in, Kyle stood up. “I’m fine. It’s just blood.”
“You really need to get that checked out.” A guy looked nervously at Kyle. “Want us to call someone?”
The wail of a siren made me jump.
“Campus PD is here,” another guy said.
“Fuck.” Aaron uttered his first word since shedding Kyle’s blood.
“What’s going on here?” an officer asked. He came right over to me. Maybe his bias was trust the girl.
“He—”
Aaron interrupted. “Nothing. Nothing is going on. Just a little misunderstanding.”
“Is that so?” The officer turned to Kyle and me.
“Technically, I pushed him.” Kyle adjusted his hand over his nose. “Can I go clean this up?”
“Yes, but we need to know, do you want to file a report?”
“No,” Kyle answered quickly.
“Want me to take you to the hospital?” I asked. I didn’t know much about a broken nose, but there was definitely a lot of blood.
Kyle shook his head while still covering his nose. The words came out mumbled. “No. I can handle it.”
“What about you, miss. Is there anything you want to tell us?”
I took one glance at Kyle. I needed to handle him first. “No. Thank you.”
They moved to Aaron next.
“Let’s get you inside and clean you up.” I put a hand on Kyle’s back and led him toward my house.
“To Delta Mu? I’m going into Delta Mu like this?” His words were garbled.
“Uh huh.”
My sisters were ready for him before we got inside. He was met by several sets of hands offering ice, towels, and consolation. My guess was that Kyle almost didn’t mind the bloody nose after an hour of being pampered. My big sister Lacy seemed particularly interested in seeing that Kyle was comfortable.
I felt so incredibly guilty. He was only hurt because of me. I gave a statement to campus police and gave them all my contact info. I wasn’t sure what kind of trouble Aaron was going to be in, but I couldn’t worry about that. He’d hurt my friend. A stray thought of what would have happened if Kyle hadn’t been there went through me. There’s no chance he would have hurt me, was there?
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I wasn’t surprised to see Chase’s message. Hey cowgirl, I wish you were getting ready to lasso me up.
I wish I could laugh at that pathetic joke.
Why can’t you?
Aaron punched my friend and now his nose is probably broken. It’s all my fault.
What? Are you serious? And it’s not your fault. Can I call?
No I feel terrible.
“Are you texting with Chase?” Kyle asked while holding a compress to his nose.
“Yes.”
“Ask him if I can get free tickets to his next show for defending his girlfriend’s honor.”
I laughed, before texting him exactly that.
“He says he’ll give you exclusive access Sinister Summer Tour tickets.”
“Nice.” Kyle sighed. “This is embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing?” Lacy asked. “Why? You’re kind of a hero. Aaron’s a tank and you stood up to him to defend Cara.”
He smiled. “Kind of a hero. I’ll take that.”
“Do you live nearby? When you’re ready, I can
drive you home.” Lacy handed him a new compress.
I turned away so I could smile. Lacy was a junior. I wondered if Kyle liked older girls.
“I’m only a few blocks from here, but sure. I feel pretty dumb walking around this way.”
“I can drive you.” I decided to give him the out if he wanted it.
“No. Aaron might still be out there with campus police. You shouldn’t have to go near him. Plus, they might want to talk to you more—and you should want to talk to them.”
“I’m really sorry about this.” I touched his shoulder gently. “And to think you thought you were going to owe me.”
“We’re even now.” He gave me a half hug. “But don’t be stupid about this. Aaron’s harassed you twice now. Worry about yourself and not him.”
“I’m worried about you right now.”
“Don’t be. I’m kind of a hero.” His smirk emphasized the sarcasm in his remark.
I laughed. “Make sure Kyle gets home all right, Lacy.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him.” She winked.
“Not too good of care.” I knew she was just playing around, but she seemed interested in him. I’d have to pump her for info when she got home. Maybe something good could come from Aaron’s jerk move.
“Lacy can take as good care of me as she wants, Cara.”
I laughed again. “All right.”
Less than a minute after Lacy and Kyle left, my roommates arrived.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Mallory pulled me into a hug. “We came as soon as we heard.” She pulled back so she could look at me.
Juliet put a hand on my arm.
“I’m fine, but Kyle got hit hard.”
“We saw him.” Juliet hugged me next. “I can’t believe Aaron did that.”
“He’s such a jerk.”
“I know. Reed’s with him now trying to sober him up. I guess Kyle has to decide whether he’s pressing charges. Have you decided whether you want to get the police involved more?”
“Why would I be the one to do anything? He didn’t hurt me.”
“He’s threatening you.”
“I just want him to leave me and everyone else alone.”
My phone buzzed again. I assumed it was Chase, but it wasn’t. It was Rachel. I heard what happened. Do you want to stay with us tonight?
Mallory read the message over my shoulder. “We’ll stay at the house with you tonight. Don’t worry.”
“I’m fine. It’s not like Aaron is coming in here.”
“But you have to be shaken up.” Juliet eyed me warily. “I expected you to be hysterical.”
“I’m more numb than anything.” I slumped down on the couch. “I can’t believe how crazy my life’s become.”
I wrote a quick reply back to Rachel. Thanks, but I’m fine. Thanks for checking in on me though.
Ok. Let’s do coffee tomorrow then? Eleven? And Riley wanted me to tell you he can walk you through the restraining order process if you want his help.
“Restraining order?” I showed the phone to my friends. “Riley is Chase’s brother, and he’s a lawyer.”
“Wow. I can’t even imagine.” Mallory sat down next to me. “It’s so dumb because Aaron’s the one who messed up. It’s not like you broke up with him for no reason.”
“He called me a whore. Kyle defended me, and well, you know the rest.”
“You a whore? That asshole.” Juliet balled her hands into fists.
I took a seat on the arm of the couch. “This must be so awkward for Reed.”
“Awkward?” Juliet sat down on the couch next to me. “He’s more angry than you can imagine. Reed doesn’t take this stuff lightly. I wouldn’t want to be in on the conversation I’m sure they’re having tonight.”
I couldn’t understand why Reed would side with me so easily. I was Juliet’s friend, but Aaron was his best friend. “He’s just really protective of women?”
“His sister was in an abusive relationship.” Juliet looked off at some unidentifiable spot in the distance. “And she ended up taking her life.”
“Oh my gosh. That’s horrible.”
“It is. So trust me, Reed’s not letting Aaron near you.”
“I feel so bad for Kyle.” I stared at my hands.
Juliet tried to reassure me. “He knew what he was doing when he shoved Aaron. He’s not stupid.”
“But he didn’t deserve a broken nose.”
“I think his nurse for the evening will more than make up for it.” Juliet laughed.
“Oh, Lacy? She’s a little bit all over him, isn’t she?”
“A little?” Mallory laughed. “But he definitely doesn’t mind.”
“I want to drive to Baltimore.” I wanted to be with Chase more than I’d admit. It wasn’t about sex. It was about the way I felt when we were together. I needed to get lost in his arms.
“Uh, Baltimore?”
“To see Chase, but I can’t. I know that.”
“No, you can’t, but maybe you can call him? Talking could help.”
“Aren’t you girls staying with me?” I didn’t need them for protection, but I needed them around. The sting of Aaron’s words and anger started setting in. Being alone sounded unappealing.
“Text Chase’s sister-in-law back, and then let’s go put on some Gilmore Girls upstairs.”
“Yes!” My roommates always knew how to put me in a good mood.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked Kyle over the phone the next morning.
“I’m fine. You really don’t need to worry.” His voice sounded a little off, and I hoped it wasn’t from a broken nose.
“Did you go to the doctor in the end?”
“It’s not as bad as it looked last night. I promise I’m okay. I’m more concerned about you.”
“Why? I’m fine.”
“Fine? Your ex-boyfriend is a psycho. That would scare most people.”
“He’s going to get over it. He was a jerk to me, and I just want him out of my life.”
“Are you taking steps to protect yourself?”
“Reed came by last night and assured me Aaron would be keeping his distance. Reed isn’t the kind of guy who makes promises he doesn’t plan to keep.”
“Have you talked to Chase?”
I set aside my phone and hit speaker so I could finish getting ready. I was running late to meet Rachel for coffee. “Yeah, he sounds a lot like you.”
“Meaning he’s normal.”
I sighed. “Listen, if you want to press charges, I am completely behind you. You shoved him, that didn’t mean he had any reason to punch you. I’ll back you up completely if you decide to do that. But I can’t do it for myself. He didn’t hit me, he didn’t even attempt to. All he did was call me a bad name. I just want him to move on, and I think he will.”
“I can’t tell you what to do, but just be careful. Anger can do funny things to people.”
“What’s happening here? I’m the one who’s supposed to be fussing over you.”
“I’m fine. I’ve told you ten times now.”
“Do you want me to stop by? I can bring you anything you need.”
He laughed. “You sound like Lacy now.”
“Okay, not those kind of needs.”
“You know nothing happened last night, right? I mean, I was bleeding profusely, and I don’t know the girl.”
“Are you real?”
“Uh, I think so.”
“You would actually pass up on hooking up with a beautiful girl because you don’t know her well?”
“Just focus on the nose thing. It’s less complicated.”
“At least let me pay you back somehow. I can get you dinner, do your laundry. Just let me know.”
“Chase is already getting me free tickets. We’re good.”
I tossed my keys and wallet into a purse. “You’re awesome.”
“Yeah, so are you. By the way, Abby called four times already, and showed u
p at my apartment last night.”
“What?”
“I guess she regrets dumping the hero.”
“And what happened?” I turned off the speaker phone.
“I told her thanks for the concern and politely asked her to leave.”
“Nicely done.” I grabbed my purse and walked out of my room.
“It also helped that Lacy was still there. Two Delta Mu’s in one night? Impressive, huh?”
I smiled at a few sisters on my way out the door. “Let’s do lunch at the student center one day this week. My treat.”
“Only if you answer my question. Why?”
I knew what he needed to hear. I only gave him half the answer. “Because I like the idea of having a guy friend, and having lunch seems like it would build on that friendship without blurring the lines.”
“Great. Tuesday at noon work for you?”
“It’s perfect.”
“Nice. See you then.”
***
Rachel was already sitting at a table when I showed up at the coffee shop. She glanced up from typing something into her phone when she saw me.
“Hey!” She stood up and met me right by the table. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. I’m not the one who got hurt.”
“But you were the one it was about. And it’s perfectly normal to be frazzled or scared or anything really.”
I took a seat at the table before ordering something. “Is it normal to feel numb?”
“As in you don’t feel anything?”
“About Aaron and the situation. I just want to move on. I spent over a year with Aaron, but I can already see the relationship slipping away into my memories. Does that make sense?” I don’t know why I was being so honest with her, but sometimes it’s easier to admit things to someone you don’t know well. At the same time, I felt like I could trust her.
“It’s completely normal, especially since we both know you don’t feel numb about Chase.” She smiled, revealing rows of perfectly straight white teeth.
“I’m going to get something to drink. Need a refill?” After the night of tossing and turning I had, I needed as much caffeine as I could get.
She held up her coffee. “Nope, I’m set, but thanks. See you in a second.”
I ordered a skinny vanilla latte and headed back to the table. Rachel pocketed her phone. “Chase just texted me to check up on you.”
The Hazards of Sex on the Beach Page 11
