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“Well, it’s too late now, anyway,” Julie mumbled. “There’s only one semester left. Besides, he’s never done anything like this before, and I knew better than to talk to him that way. I just have to stick with him for a few more months.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from commenting on all the problems in her statement, but I didn’t miss the glance Nora and Frank exchanged. Hopefully they could talk some sense into her. Though I was starting to get the impression that beneath Julie’s generally tough and somewhat bitchy exterior was a girl who may be smart, but was definitely insecure. I understood she had a plan for power through marriage, and dating Drew was a means to an end, but I had to wonder who in her life had convinced her that having a man was a requirement for success.
“There,” I said, removing the towel from her face and pushing the damp tendrils of her hair out of the way. She was right, now that she’d been cleaned up it wasn’t as bad as it had first appeared, just a swollen eye and a cut that would probably heal quickly and not leave a scar.
Nora peered at my handiwork. “You should be able to cover most of that bruising with makeup,” she said, “once the swelling goes down. Let me get some ice for you to hold over it.”
She stood and crossed to the fridge in the corner, rummaging through the freezer before heading to the bathroom. I grabbed the blood-stained paper towels and followed her, throwing them in the trash while Nora wrapped the ice in a hand towel. I glanced over my shoulder, then closed the door behind us.
“You didn’t seem surprised that Drew hit her,” I commented quietly.
She glanced up at me, hesitated, then shrugged. “I’ve known Drew for years. He’s always had a bit of a temper, especially when he drinks. I believe that he’s never hit her before, but I guess I’m not shocked that it finally happened.”
I paused, thinking this over. “Do you think it’ll happen again? Should we do anything?”
“I’m not sure what we can do,” she said frankly. “It’s Julie’s choice. But honestly, I don’t know if it’ll happen again. Probably not if she doesn’t piss him off.”
That wasn’t exactly the response I’d hoped for, but I didn’t want to push it.
“So, Drew’s dad works at Princeton?” I said, feigning nonchalance. I remembered what he’d said to me about how I should know who he was, but assuming I wasn’t applying to college at Princeton—which I had absolutely no intention of—I couldn’t see how his threat to me held much weight.
“Well, I don’t know about works there, but he’s on their board of trustees. I think his ‘work’ takes other forms, if you know what I mean.”
She shot me a sly glance, but must have realized from my confused expression that I actually had no idea what she meant.
“Oh.” She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you knew. I mean, it’s not exactly public knowledge or anything, but I think most people here know Drew’s family has mafia ties.”
My mouth opened, then closed again. “Oh,” I said faintly. “No, I didn’t know.”
Holy shit. Mafia?
Nora crossed to the door and opened it, carrying the ice pack out to Julie, but I didn’t move for a long moment, my mind churning over her words.
My only knowledge of the mafia was what I’d gained from bad television shows and the odd romance novel, but it was enough to know that if what Nora said was true, then Drew was right, and I probably didn’t want to get on his bad side. Unfortunately, it seemed that it was already a little too late for that.
17
I had been so sidetracked, first with Drew, then Micah, and finally with Julie’s drama, that I’d pushed all thought of our English lit project to the back of my mind. I’d nearly forgotten about it entirely when I received a text message the following morning after breakfast.
Devan: Meet us outside Fairchild after your last class.
I was running late after European history, and the guys were already standing outside the science building when I arrived, seeming totally unaffected by the chilly late September breeze. The temperature had dropped over the last few days, and I tried not to think about how warm it would still be in California at this time of year as I pulled my jacket tighter around my shoulders.
When they made no move to go inside, however, and instead headed toward a bench situated under a small grove of trees, I pulled up short.
“We’re not sitting outside, are we? Are you guys from the Arctic or something? You don’t think it’s cold out here?”
Though judging by their lack of jackets over thin long-sleeved shirts, apparently they didn’t. Maybe all those muscles kept them warm.
Devan glanced over his shoulder at me. “It’s in the sixties. It’s not that bad.”
“I’m from Southern California,” I objected. “The sixties to me is like the twenties to you.”
He shrugged. “Where do you want to go then?”
“Well, my roommates are probably all back by now, so not my dorm. We could go to yours?” It seemed like a logical suggestion to me, since they lived together and it wouldn’t matter if Micah was there, but Garrett—who hadn’t even glanced in my direction, let alone spoken to me—shut that down fast.
“Absolutely not.”
