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I wasn’t naïve enough to think I could keep every guy from her, but it still stung, irrational or not.
Jordan said something to me, but it sounded far away. Light years away from my acknowledgment. Going was stupid, but I wanted to, I needed to go home and shower and then go to this stupid party.
Because I neededto what? Watch out for Josie. I’d been the reason she went straight home after school for four years, and now I need towatch out for her.It sounded stupid when I let it roam through my brain, but my heart screamed for me to go.
I ground my teeth on my walk to my pickup. The imagery of Josie being taken out by King to some godforsaken fraternity party burned its way into my mind. Would she wear a dress? Something that showed off her slender figure?
I slammed my truck door, started the engine, and slung rocks on the way to my apartment. I parked, took the steps two at a time, and found the apartment door locked and her room empty. He’d already picked her up.
Fisting my hair, I tried to calm my anger. Deep down I knew my emotions were out of line, but it didn’t change the little boy’s feelings inside of me. The one that dug up these memories and reminded me day in and day out.
After a boiling hot shower, I drug on some jeans, and the first t-shirt I found in my chest of drawers. Jordan plowed in as I reached for the front door. “Dang, Booker, you already heading out?” He tossed his duffel. “You don’t want to wait on me?”
“No.”
Jordan gave me a sheepish grin. “You’re trying to go and see them aren’t you?”
Swinging my keys around my finger, I swallowed the hardened truth that Jordan always knew. “See who?”
Jordan huffed, kicking his dirty cleats onto the living room floor. “Whatever, man. You need to ease up on her.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, squaring my shoulders. “What did she tell you?”
Jordan craned his head, eyeing me as if I needed medical attention that resulted in white-walled rooms.
“Nothing, to be honest, I think she’s scared of you. Doesn’t that eat at you?”
Yes!I fought the urge to scream at him. Instead, I let my anger win, and I shoved a finger at him. “Don’t talk about things you don’t know about, Jordan.”
Jordan pushed his fingers through his sweaty hair. “Whatever. I’ll see you at the party.”
He left me in the living room, feeling worse than I already did, but I didn’t expect him to understand. I didn’t expect anyone to understand.
Phi Kappa Psi hosted the first party every year according to Jordan. They were the epitome of a stereotypical frat boy. You wouldn’t find them without a Polo, Sperrys, or Daddy’s pocketbook.
Date rape, anyone?
The music spilled into the street from the house and a crowd gathered in the front yard. I felt myself lose ten I.Q. points just walking through the front door. Cardinal red and hunter green letters hung from the old walls. The TV played some sports channel and some of the football players sat around on the ancient couch watching.
Someone handed me a red solo cup that I tossed into the soil of a standing plant in the corner. “Good game, Booker!” someone else yelled, slapping my back. I shoved my way through the crowd to the kitchen, pouring my cup of beer that I planned to nurse the rest of the night.
A popularCardi Bsong blasted over the speakers, which made everyone howl and turn toward the living room where they’d pushed recliners and tables out of the way to dance.
“Hey Maverick!” a blonde that looked somewhat familiar said.
I glanced down at her. She was pretty, her tits pushed up to her cleavage and a midriff showing her abs.
“Hey—uh—,”
“Waverly,” she said, twirling a piece of hair. “We have History together.”
Oh yeah.She sat in front of me and found reasons to turn around every two seconds. “What’s up,” I said, taking a sip of my cup.
I tried to focus on what she said, but my eyes scanned the array of students, pressed together, forher. Where was she? Part of me wanted to go upstairs and check the bedrooms to make sure that King didn’t have her doing ... God knew what.
“Maverick!”
Waverly glared at me with an annoyed look. “Huh?”
