I look away, down the brightly lit hall fighting the stinging in my eyes. “Because it’s just not that important.”
“Vanessa—”
“Thank you, again,” I hurry to say, “but I’m going to be late to class.”
He calls after me, but it’s too late. I’m already out the door.
I don’t go to class.
21
Teddy
Walking into the off-campus bar, it’s surprisingly subdued for a Wednesday evening. Occasionally the guys and I frequent the out of the way bar, so we can catch up and shoot the shit without everyone breathing down our necks at Harvey’s.
Mascen, Cole, Cree, and Jude are already seated at the bar, and I walk over to join them.
“Hey.” Sliding out the stool, I sit down, my body nearly folding in on itself. I’m fucking exhausted after a simple phone call from my dad—I say simple, because it was his typical B.S. and nothing out of the ordinary. “Thanks for this.”
There’s already a Zombie Dust waiting for me, and I take a couple of gulps letting the alcohol hit my system.
“Saw your girl today,” Jude starts, and I look over at my friend questioning the tone in his voice. “Some girl threw coffee at her.”
“What?” I instantly bristle, ready to go on the defensive.
He sips at a Fat Tire, then rubs his lips together. “She didn’t want me to tell you.”
“Why the hell not?” I demand, ready to get the fuck out of there and find her.
Fuck, I wish I’d known. I would’ve been there in a heartbeat. Vanessa doesn’t deserve to have to deal with this shit because of me.
“Maybe it has something to do with her not being your real girlfriend.”
My mouth falls open and I struggle to find words. Jude sounds pissed, which he has every right to be since I’ve been lying, but I’m angry too.
“You told them?” I swing a hand at Cole.
“We’re your friends.” Mascen glares at me. “You’ve been running with me practically every morning and haven’t said one fucking word about this scam you’re living.”
I slam a hand down on the shiny wood countertop. The bartender glances over in concern and goes back to polishing a glass.
“Did you also tell them that I want my fake-girlfriend to be my real-girlfriend?” I’m ready to jump across the guys to punch Cole on the end.
“No.” Cole grins proudly. “I knew they wouldn’t believe me. They had to hear it from you.”
Beside me, some of the fight goes out of Jude. “You really like her?”
“I do.” My voice is steady, sure.
“Good. She’s a great girl.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “You’re not interested in my girl, are you?”
He chuckles. “Come on, Teddy. You know I’m not ready to be shackled.” He angles his stool closer in my direction. “I am curious, what were you guys doing in your room that night? Did you actually have sex because it sure as hell sounded like it.”
“No.” And if he thinks I’m going to give any more detail than that, he’s wrong.
“You’re awfully quiet.” My words are directed at Cree who hasn’t said one word since I showed up.
“I’m just here for the free beer. Mascen said you were paying.” I growl at that, giving Mascen the finger. “Seriously, dude, I can’t believe you felt you had to get a fake-girlfriend to deal with your dad and lie to us about it. We would’ve never judged you for it, as long as you didn’t use her.” He narrows his eyes on me, his normally easy-going smile dropping. Cree has a younger sister and a protective streak a mile long because of it.
“I would never use Vanessa.” The thought alone makes me sick.
Something in my voice must convince him, because he nods, “Good,” and turns his attention back to his beer.
“Why did you think you couldn’t tell us this was fake?” Mascen’s the one that voices the question, but with the way all the guys turn to me I know they want the answer too.
Sipping my beer, I weigh my words before I speak. “Because that requires telling the whole truth.”
Jude gives me a funny look, brows furrowed. “What the fuck does that mean?”
I rub my jaw, not sure where to even begin.
I guess the best place is to start at the beginning, so that’s what I do.
By the time I finish telling my friends all about my father and the abuse, they all look horrified. Which is a reasonable reaction, but it’s part of the reason I’ve always kept my mouth shut—to avoid those looks, the pity.
“Listen, don’t say anything, okay?” I practically beg, feeling like a pathetic fuck. “It’s just … part of my life. One, I want to put permanently in my past after graduation like so many other things.” I’m rambling now, but I don’t care.
“Fuck, man.” Jude claps me on the shoulder. “You don’t think we’d judge you for something like this, do you?”
I wrap my hands around my beer, staring at the bottle instead of my friends. “Look,” I begin, clearing my throat, “I know I haven’t always been the best guy or made the best choices—”
“Whoa, whoa. I’m going to stop you right there.” This time it’s Cree who pipes in. “So what if you’ve had a little too much fun at times? That doesn’t justify anything your father has ever done to you.” I peel at the label on the bottle. “You know that, right?”
Fuck. I feel the telltale burning of tears behind my eyes. “I don’t know what I know anymore,” I admit, wetting my lips with my tongue. “I do know my father’s a royal prick, and I also know I care about Vanessa.”
“So, what are you going to do about it?” There’s a challenge in Mascen’s eyes.
“Yeah,” Cole begins, “I’ve never known you to be one to sit back. You always take what you want.”
The problem is I can’t take Vanessa. I have to show her I’m serious, that I want her, that I care.
Standing, I slap a hundred-dollar bill on the table. It’s more than enough to cover this first round. If they want more, it’s on them.
“I have to prove it to her.” Pointing at each of them, I warn, “Don’t let her know that you guys know. I don’t want her to feel embarrassed or some shit.”
I don’t wait for their reply, I’m already headed out.
Danika opens the door giving me a disgusted look. I have no idea what’s crawled up her ass or why she seems to despise me.
“I assume you’re the reason she’s been crying off and on tonight.”
It’s not a question, but I treat it as one anyway. “No, but I know why.”
I bristle just thinking about what Jude told me. Vanessa is too good, too kind, to deal with petty ass bullshit from girls who think they’re better than her when in reality they’re nowhere close to the kind of woman she is.
Danika sucks her cheeks in and seems to be debating about whether or not to let me inside.