Fate, page 18
“I’m sorry, Pat.” Except I wasn’t surprised. Sean didn’t seem the one-woman type, though Patty didn’t seem the one-man type either.
“Yeah, he’s a pig. But he said Brad was away for the weekend as well, so I thought maybe the two of you were together. Didn’t seem like you, though.”
“It wasn’t really like me, but I never gave it a second thought. As soon as Brad asked me, I knew I’d go. His ranch is gorgeous, and the little town is so quaint and lovely. I met his dad and one of his old friends. I saw another side to him, and I loved it.”
“So are the two of you…”
“What? Dating?”
“Well…yeah. And…”
My cheeks warmed, and though what had occurred between Brad and me was private and I didn’t especially want to confide in a girl I’d only known for a week, I couldn’t help a small smile.
“You did!” Patty exclaimed.
I nodded shyly.
“No longer a virgin. That’s great! And for Brad Steel to be the one. Yum!”
“It was amazing,” I said.
“It’s great, isn’t it? Once you get past that initial pain.”
“I didn’t have any pain.”
“Really? I didn’t have huge pain. Some of my high school friends said it was the worst, though.”
“Is it normal to not have pain?” I asked.
“Oh, probably. Did you ride a bike a lot?”
“When I was younger I did.”
“You probably broke your hymen on a bicycle seat a long time ago. No biggie. Plus, you use tampons, right?”
I nodded.
“Just consider yourself lucky. Brad Steel and no pain. I’d say that’s a winner!”
“I don’t have any complaints. It’s happening so fast, though. I never imagined it this way.”
“It is fast, but go with it, Daph. Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Do you think it won’t last?”
“He’s young.”
“He’s twenty-two. That’s older than we are.”
“It’s still young, especially for a guy. Don’t get me wrong. It’s obvious he adores you. I wish a guy would look at me the way Brad looks at you.”
I smiled.
“I don’t mean to get too personal, but…”
Too personal? I’d already shared the most personal thing that had ever happened to me with her. “Go ahead.”
“What did you use for birth control?”
“He used a condom.”
“We need to get you to the university health center. You should go on the pill.”
Chills erupted on my skin. The health center? Patty had no idea how I felt about hospitals or doctors or health centers. “Why?”
“So he doesn’t have to use a rubber anymore. Men hate them.”
“Oh.” I didn’t want Brad hating our time together. “Okay. I’ll go over sometime next week.”
“The sooner the better. I’ll go with you if you don’t want to go alone.”
I was tempted to take her up on it. I hated the idea of going alone. But if I was mature enough to have a sexual relationship, I had to be mature enough to take care of birth control on my own. “I’ll be fine.”
For the first night since I’d been at school, I didn’t see Brad. He called and told me he was taking care of some business for the ranch, so I went with Patty and two of the other girls on the floor to dinner at the cafeteria and then to a movie on campus. Afterward, we went to the Cage for a drink.
After a round of Cokes, Flo, one of the girls, said, “How about something better, ladies? I have two sixers in my mini fridge.”
Sixers? I had no idea what a sixer was, though I assumed it was alcohol. Classes began the next morning, so I didn’t want to stay up too late. I went along, though. I needed to stretch my wings and make friends other than Brad, Patty, and Ennis.
A sixer turned out to be a six-pack of beer. I wasn’t crazy about beer, but I took a can, determined to drink only one.
“What do you guys want to do?” Flo asked.
“Truth or dare!” her roommate, Stacey, offered.
“Yeah, let’s do that!” Patty agreed.
I’d never played truth or dare before. My social life had been nonexistent the past two years. At least I’d heard of it. I wasn’t that much out of the loop.
“You go first, Stacey,” Flo said.
Stacey took a long swallow of beer and eyed each of us. “I choose…Patty. Here’s your question. Did you fuck your first nighter?”
Patty nearly spewed her mouthful of beer on me but luckily caught herself in time. “What kind of question is that?”
Funny. I was the most inexperienced girl on campus—well, maybe not anymore—and even I saw that one coming.
“Truth or dare,” Stacey said teasingly.
“Geez, all right.” Patty took another drink. “Yeah, I did.”
Really? She slept with that asshole, Rex? I liked Patty, but she needed to be a little more selective.
“Patty…” I said.
“I know. I know. You don’t like Rex. He wasn’t very nice to you that night, but he was really sweet to me after you and Jason left.”
“Why didn’t you like him, Daphne?”
“He seemed like a pig to me is all,” I said.
“He’s one hot-looking pig, though.” Patty laughed. “I guess it’s my turn. Flo, you’re the one. Truth or dare. Have you ever done drugs?”
Flo reddened. “I’ve smoked pot, and once I did a line of coke.”
Who were these women? I must have had that written on my face, because Stacey said, “What’s the matter, Daphne?”
“Nothing. I just wouldn’t even know where to get pot or coke.”
“Such a sheltered babe,” Patty said.
“Yeah? What drugs have you done?” I asked.
She giggled. “Actually, none, unless you count alcohol.”
“Such a sheltered babe,” I mocked.
Flo laughed. “Okay, okay. My turn. Daphne, you’re the one.”
I went rigid. No reason to be nervous. Just go with it.
“Where were you over the weekend?”
I wasn’t ashamed of what I’d done or where I’d gone, but I hardly knew Flo and Stacey. My weekend with Brad had been so special, and I didn’t want to taint it. If I told them, they’d make a big deal out of it, tease me for spending the weekend with a guy I hardly knew.
It was too beautiful to share just yet.
“I… I’ll take the dare, I guess.”
Flo’s eyebrows shot up. Clearly she wasn’t expecting that. “Okay, a dare. Hmm… I know.” She smiled mischievously. “You have to go downstairs to the guys’ floor and take off your shirt for one minute.”
Was she kidding? No way. Except I’d taken the dare. I thought quickly.
“One minute. Anywhere on the guys’ floor?”
“Yup. And you’ll need a witness. Patty, you go with her and time her.”
I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Brad
I hadn’t lied to Daphne. I was attending to business tonight, just not ranch business.
I had to tell Murph what was coming. My father had made arrangements with a licensed psychotherapist to have Wendy committed. The psychotherapist would be calling Murph about the assault.
I threw Murph a bottle of beer. “Let’s talk, dude,” I said.
“What about?”
“First of all, are you okay? After the incident with Wendy?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“You sure? Getting threatened like that is kind of a big deal.”
“I know, but it was Wendy. I know her.”
“Wendy can be pretty scary, Murph.”
“No shit. It’s got me thinking about stuff. But I’m good. I’m good.”
I nodded. “All right. Then I need you to talk to a guy. He’ll be calling you.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why? Did she threaten you?”
“No.”
“Then let’s do this. A psychotherapist is going to call you about what happened. Just tell him the truth. He’s on my dad’s payroll. We’re going to get Wendy committed.”
“No shit?”
“No shit. It’s been a long time coming. She’ll be gone for good, and neither one of us will have to deal with her anymore.”
He didn’t say anything.
“This is good news, Murph.”
“Yeah. Yeah it is.” He hedged a little. “Like I said, though, I’ve been thinking… I found a new place. I’m moving out.”
Brick to gut. I hadn’t seen that coming.
“Wendy’s a part of your life,” he went on. “I love you, man, and we’ll always be brothers, but I can’t live with you anymore.”
“Murph, you’re safe here. Wendy’s days as a free woman are numbered.”
“My safety’s not the issue. You’ve got baggage, Steel. Major baggage, and I can’t be around it anymore.”
“Look, I’m taking care of the Wendy situation.”
“It’s not just Wendy. Your friend Theo, well…”
“Well, what?”
“He strikes me as kind of psycho. He creeps me out.”
“He’s just…different.”
But who was I kidding? Wendy, Theo, all of them. They’d changed since high school.
Maybe Murph was right to want to get away from all of it. Who could blame him? If I could get away from it, I’d go running myself.
“When are you leaving?”
“I’ll be out by the end of the week,” he said. “My new place isn’t nearly as nice as this, but I can’t deal with the nutcases that come around.”
“You don’t think I’m a nutcase too, do you?”
He laughed at that one. “Of course not. Except so far as you hang around those other nutcases.”
I let out a laugh as well. “You can still come around. Have a beer.”
“I know that, and you’re welcome at my new digs anytime. I’ll get you the address. And Brad?”
“Yeah?”
“I hope things work out with you and Daphne. She’s gorgeous and hot, but I think she’s genuine as well. I think she’ll be good for you.”
I nodded. “I hope things work out with you and Patty. Or Sloane. Or whoever.”
He laughed again. “I’m not even close to wanting a relationship. Patty and Sloane are both great. Why should I choose?”
“I suppose you don’t have to, until one of them forces you to.”
“I don’t like ultimatums. I’m young. I’m still sowing my oats. Maybe you should do the same.”
I shook my head. “I’m going to see how things go with Daphne. I’ve never met anyone like her.”
“Good luck with it.”
“I’m not seeing her tonight, though. You want to get a drink?”
“Sorry.” He polished off his beer. “I have plans.”
“Patty?”
“No.”
“Sloane?”
He smirked. “No.”
“Dude, you’re going to hell. You know that, right?”
He laughed. “What a way to go, though.”
Murph was a heck of a guy. He and I had been roommates all last year. He’d put up with a lot of Wendy bullshit, but he’d never left. Of course, she hadn’t pulled a gun on him last year.
Daphne was out with the girls tonight, and now Murph was gone, so I was free.
I could do anything.
I checked my watch. Nearly eleven.
It was the last evening before classes began, and there was only one person I wanted to see.
She might be back at the dorm by now, and if she wasn’t? I’d wait.
Chapter Forty-Five
Daphne
“I can’t believe you agreed to this,” Patty said as we walked down to the guys’ floor. “Why didn’t you just answer the question?”
“I didn’t want to. If I’d told them I was at Brad’s ranch, they’d have pounced on me with a million questions, and I didn’t feel like talking about it to two people I hardly know.”
“Okay, I can understand that, but Daph, you have to take off your shirt on the guys’ floor!”
“I don’t have to. You can just say I did.”
“Daph…”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you to lie.”
“Then how are you going to pull this off?”
“Remember when I got Flo to agree to anywhere on the guys’ floor?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll find a closet, and you can stand watch and time me.”
Patty laughed. “You’re devious!”
“Not devious. I just pay attention to wording.” I paid attention to everything these days because I didn’t want to forget anything that happened to me ever again. I’d grown very observant.
“What if we can’t find a closet?”
“The laundry room.”
“Good call. Guys don’t do laundry. But what if they do? Plus, it’s the night before classes begin. Someone will probably be doing a load.”
“Then we’ll knock on Ennis’s door. He’ll let me do it in his room. Then I take off my shirt for sixty seconds, you time me, and we’re done. No lies.”
“You’re such a schemer!” Patty said. “I love it.”
“It’s not a scheme, Pat. I’m following the rules.” I smiled.
“You’re one smart cookie.”
We walked onto the guys’ floor. A few guys passed us and said hi.
“Where do you suppose a closet is?” Patty whispered.
“I have no idea. Let’s try the laundry room.”
We walked to the end of the hallway where the washers and dryers sat. Crap. Someone was using them. The little room was vacant at the moment, but a guy could walk in at any time and check on his laundry.
“I guess it’s Ennis’s,” I said.
“I hope he’s there,” Patty said.
We arrived at Ennis’s room and knocked. No one answered.
“How can he and his roommate both be out?” Patty said. “It’s eleven.”
I looked around. The room to the left of his said Dirk and Gene on the front. Dirk the jerk—the one who thought life wasn’t worth living without bacon. I hadn’t been a fan when I met him, but at least I knew him. “Let’s try Dirk and Gene,” I said to Patty.
“Okay.” Patty knocked on the door.
Dirk opened it, dressed in a T-shirt and boxers.
“Sorry,” Patty said, “did we wake you?”
“Nah. What’s up?”
“Is your roommate here?”
Dirk shook his head. “He should be back soon, though. You want to leave a message for him?”
“No,” Patty said. “We’re actually here to see you. Daphne needs a favor.”
Dirk smirked. “Sure thing. What do you need?”
“We need you to leave your room for one minute so we can do something.”
“Say what?”
“It’s silly, really,” I said. “We’re playing truth or dare, and Flo dared me to come down here to the guys’ floor and take my shirt off for one minute. Technically, the inside of your room is on the guys’ floor, so if you’ll step out for a minute, I can take my shirt off inside your room and make good on the dare.”
Dirk’s lips curved upward in a sly smile. “Sure. You can use my room.”
“Great,” Patty said. “We’ll just be a minute. Literally.”
“One condition.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I stay.”
I lifted my eyebrows as Patty said, “Sure, you can stay.”
“Pat—”
“You just have to turn around so you don’t see Daphne.”
“Sorry. I get to look. Either that or no room.”
“You’re a perv. We’ll find someone else,” Patty said. “Or we take our chances in the laundry room. Come on, Daph.”
I sighed. “No, let’s just get it done. I don’t have to take off my bra.”
“You want this guy ogling you?”
“No, I don’t, but if we don’t get back up there soon, Flo and Stacey are going to come looking for us. Ennis isn’t home, so what other choice do I have?”
“Good thinking,” Dirk said.
“You shut up,” Patty said.
“Come on. Let’s get it done.” I entered Dirk’s room. “Close the door, Dirk. And for God’s sake, put some pants on.”
He pulled on a pair of jeans and smirked again. “Satisfied?”
“Let’s get this over with. Patty, start timing.” I pulled off my shirt.
Dirk sucked in a breath. “Nice.”
I still had a bra on, but it was a lacey black one. I should have changed first.
I closed my eyes. If I didn’t have to see Dirk seeing me, I could deal with it better. “For God’s sake, Pat, how much longer?”
“Forty-seven seconds.”
A minute was supposed to be short. I opened my eyes. Dirk was still looking at me, but at least he wasn’t salivating. I zeroed in on his crotch. If he was hard, I couldn’t tell. That made me squeak out a giggle.
“Thirty more seconds,” Patty said.
Only halfway there? This was the longest minute in history. I crossed my arms over my chest. No rule against that. I wished I’d thought of it at the beginning.
Dear Lord, how long could a minute take?
“Fifteen seconds,” Patty said.
I closed my eyes again and inhaled. Almost done. Almost done.
“Ten,” Patty said. “Nine, eight, seven, six, five, f—”
“Daphne!”
I dropped my arms to my side. “That’s Brad!”
“What’s he doing here?” Patty said. “Three, two, one. Get your shirt on. Quick.”
I threw my shirt back over my head and tucked it into place.
“Thanks for the peep show,” Dirk said.
“This isn’t for public broadcast,” Patty said. “You keep your trap zipped.”
“Maybe I will and maybe I—”
“Daphne! Where are you?”
I opened the door to Dirk’s room and stepped out. “I’m right here, Brad. What are you doing here?”
“Your friends upstairs told me where to find you. What are you doing down here?”
