“It’s not about Asher, is it?”
She shakes her head almost violently. “Not at all. He was very sweet, and no, it’s not him. It’s nothing reall—”
But then her words cut off, and her eyes widen. I glance in the direction she is staring, and behind me is Taco in the doorway. He’s wearing a nice pair of slacks and a button-down. His hair is brushed back, and he’s got a wide smile. He moves his eyes from me to Angie, and something flashes in his gaze before he looks back to me. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
Angie is up and out of the bed before I can even look back at her. “Hey, um, Nicolette, can I borrow your notes from psych class?”
Nicolette is confused, looking between Angie and me before she nods. “Of course.”
She gets up too, and I watch as they head to the door. Taco moves out of the way, and Angie basically hugs the wall to get out of the room. My brows come together as my heart pounds in my chest.
She’s terrified of him.
He shuts the door and flashes me a grin. “Hey—”
“What happened?”
His grin falters a bit. “Huh?”
“What happened with Angie?”
His grin is gone, and slowly, he shrugs. “She didn’t tell you?”
My heart is pounding so fast and hard, it’s difficult to focus on him. “Tell me what?”
He leans into the wall and clears his throat. “That night at the lacrosse party, we hooked up.”
My eyes narrow. “I’m sorry?”
“Yeah, we made out. No big deal, you and I aren’t together. Just dating, and we both know you’re sleeping with that faggot Asher.”
“Don’t use that word to describe anyone, especially not my best friend. You’re already ignorant enough. And also, what the fuck? I have not had sex with Asher ever—or anyone else lately, for that matter—because I thought we were trying to make this work.”
He gives me a bored look. “Blah, blah, blah. Why don’t you just suck the dude’s dick and get it over with?”
Oh God. Please give me the strength not to kick this dude in the dick. “I’m not even going to answer that because I can’t believe you made out with my cousin. What is wrong with you? She is family. Why would you put her between us?”
“It’s not a big deal. It wasn’t even that great. I wasn’t into it, which is why I ended it. She wanted it, but I didn’t.”
I just blink. I’m having a hard time believing what he is saying. “I am disgusted.”
“Oh Jesus, who cares? It’s over with. We’re gonna miss the movie.”
“How can you be so blasé about it? Like it’s not a big deal!”
“The same way I turn my head when you and Asher are together—”
“We aren’t together! He is my best friend. That’s it. But Angie, she’s my cousin, and you made out with her!”
My skin is crawling, and the words leaving my mouth can’t be true. Angie isn’t like that. She wasn’t drunk that night, and she’s been acting so weird around me. Add in the fact that she basically ran when he came into the room, and I’m having a tough time being in the same space as him. “She wouldn’t do that to me,” I say softly, my eyes burning into his. “Angie loves me.”
He shrugs. “Maybe she was drunk.”
I start for the door, but he grabs me by the back of my arm, stopping me. “Let it go. Who cares? We need to head out.” I pull my arm from his grip and reach for the door.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Fuck this. I’m leaving. I don’t need this drama.”
I ignore him as I open the door and head across the hall to Nicolette’s room. I push the door open to find Nicolette on the bed with Angie, her arms around her. Angie is crying, and Nicolette’s face is filled with apprehension. They both look up at me, and I meet Angie’s gaze.
“Did you make out with Taco?”
Angie blinks, big wet tears falling from her eyes. “No! I wouldn’t.”
“He’s saying you did.”
She shakes her head violently, her tears streaming down her face as she looks away. “I didn’t want to, Ally. I’m so sorry.”
I narrow my gaze. I know I’m missing something. “What happened?”
She lets out a sob, keeping her gaze averted, and then in a very low and terrified voice, she says, “We were just talking, and then he moved in on me, pressing me into the wall, trying to get his tongue into my mouth.” Her voice breaks as she looks down. “He grabbed me. Everywhere.” She squeezes her eyes shut as she guards her chest with her legs. “I tried to push him away, but then he grabbed me between my legs, and it shocked me. I didn’t know what to do, so I kicked him hard in the groin.” When her eyes meet mine again, she is hazy through my own tears. “I couldn’t tell you because he’s your boyfriend, and I’m so sorry that it happen—”
“Angela Lynn Paxton, don’t you dare say another word!” I yell louder than I intend. “This is not your fault. It’s that piece of shit’s fault,” I say, pointing in the direction he went. More tears roll down her face, and I shake my head. “I’m going to fix this.”
I leave Nicolette’s room, only seeing red. I rush downstairs, hoping I can catch Taco before he leaves. It’s a long shot; he knows he did wrong and ran out of here like a bat out of hell. And for his safety, he better hope I don’t find him. I am shaking, I’m so mad. When I reach the front of the building, he’s on the sidewalk with a friend of his from the lacrosse team. I stomp down the steps and I can hear Angie calling me, but I don’t stop. Even Nicolette is yelling for me, but no one will stop me. Taco can hurt me all he wants, but he will not lay a hand on my cousin.
“You are a disgusting piece of shit, Trey,” I seethe. “How dare you touch her without her permission!”
Taco turns, his eyes dark as he looks from me to Angie. He cuts his eyes back to me, and he has such a guilty expression on his face. “She’s a liar. She wanted me.”
I stop in front of him, shaking with anger. “What’s she lying about, Trey? How do you know she’s lying?”
He looks from me, unsettled, to his buddy, who is gawking at me. “She’s accusing me of touching her, when I only touched what she offered up. She was dancing like a porn star. She wanted to be touched.”
“Did she give you consent?” I scream, and his eyes widen as they fill with darkness. “She can wear nothing in the middle of the commons, twerk, and pop ping-pong balls out of her pussy, and you still have no right to touch her.”
“Ally, stop. It’s over.” I hear Angie say, but I’m already going.
“Whatever. She wanted it,” he says, so unconcerned for her well-being and disrespectful of me. I knew he was shit. I knew it, yet I let him around my cousin and myself. My anger shakes me to my core as the tears start to fall.
“You don’t get to decide that!”
“Get the fuck out of my face. You ain’t shit.”
I can’t even think straight, to be honest. I don’t think—I just shove him, hard, catching him off-balance, and he tumbles to the ground. He starts to get up as I scream, “I am calling the police on you, and—”