Chapter 48
I KNEW I was in a heep of fucking trouble when I walked through the doors of that Delta party. It was doomed from the start, but I was already strapped in. There was no turning back. Not when Serafina Rossi was here.
Those chestnut eyes were the first thing I saw. They burned into me like she wanted me dead. Outta the hundreds of people in and around this house, she was the last person I expected to see and the only one that mattered.
I walk toward her and don’t dare blink; not when there”s all this loveliness to look at. She’s all of five foot nothing, and full of hills and valleys, and fuck it all, do I wanna get lost in her curves. Don’t bother sending out a search party, I’ll be just fine.
She rolls her eyes the closer I get and I see her trying not to smile. She’s got a sweater on that says, Ciao, Bella!, and Hello, Beautiful is right.
She’s got this smooth olive skin, brown curly hair, and sass. So much sass. It makes my dick hard just thinking about it. It’s my favorite thing about this girl.
Her and I are paired up in a Psychology Ethics class with an additional once a week debate lab. Needless to say, pressing her buttons is my new favorite game to play.
I’m about to see if she’ll play with me now, when I’m intercepted mid-stride. Blondie curls her claws around my arm and digs in. I instinctively flex under her nails and she hot glues herself to me. I can’t shake her. And for the life of me, I can’t remember her real name. Not when Sloaney wouldn’t stop calling her Blondie to start with.
She paraded me around her sorority house like I was a first place trophy and I lost sight of Serafina. Blondie didn’t leave my side, going as far as to stand outside the bathroom while I took a piss. She even held my water bottle for me. If I had to guess, I’d say that’s when she messed with it.
I had texted Stevens from the bathroom and asked him to help me before walking out. This girl was a giant red flag and I remember taking a few sips of water, to keep my hands busy before I heard my boy shout my name.
I took the out and told her Stevens needed a partner, grabbed a beer downstairs, and happily ditched her. I ended up passing out on a couch after losing some drinking game. I don’t remember anything else from the night.
However, I do remember how nutty Blondie was acting. She was telling anyone who’d listen that we were dating when I met her the day before.
She’d been pointed out as a cleat chaser as soon as I got to HU and I just figured she knew the deal. The women of Havenwood have been warm and welcoming, and I thought she was just the same. My mistake and honestly, I”m grateful to have dodged that bullet.
I had no idea what was going on when I was woken up by cops and medics. I had a skull splitting headache as soon as I cracked my eyes open. It was instant and I was groggy as fuck. I was barely able to keep my head up.
All the jostling around and lights in my face had my gut churning. I puked all over the floor and I shouldn’t have been so sick after a few beers but I was.
I felt like my arms were heavy and my feet were too big for my body when I first stood up. I fell right back onto the couch. That”s when the medics took over.
When the cops mentioned their suspicions and started putting everything together I felt real fucking dumb. Embarrassed mostly. It’s why I played it off and refused to go to the hospital. It’s the last thing I need.
Sorority sister drugs D1 QB1 at party. The headline would have me ruck marching at boot camp by tomorrow if something like that ever got out. My father is giving me one shot to make it. If I don’t, it’s the Army for me.
I’m pissed off hearing that my phone was taken and used to hurt my sister. That frat boy took it to text her and tricked her into thinking it was me.
The cops bagged it for evidence, and later discovered that Will changed both my password and facial recognition to text Sloaney. He also used the find my friends app to track her location.
Hearing how Skates heard my sister screaming and raced down the street to find her has me thanking someone above for putting this man in my sister’s path.
I think I would’ve snapped Will’s neck if I saw him trying to pry open my sister”s mouth while trying to drug her. I can’t stomach the rest. Thinking about him hurting my twin has me in physical distress.
Those fucks who held her down would have been sent straight to hell for the part they played in hurting her. I’m fucking grateful that Chase and his boys knocked them all out and got their licks in.
I’m indebted to him for getting there when he did. He saved her from anything else happening.
The next day, I walked across the street to see them both when he was released. He’s not gonna be able to walk for a while; His feet were injured and need to heal,and his season is definitely over too.
My sister looked relieved and hugged me just as hard as she did yesterday when I first saw them. As much as I needed to sleep yesterday, I needed to see my sister more.
I’m angry when the General and Mama call her, but ask to talk to me. We huddle around her phone and listen to their questions about the rumblings they heard.
They know she’s there but talk as if she’s not in the room. Our mother is accusatory when talking about Sloaney and Will’s attempt to force himself on her. As if she had any idea that he was not only targeting her but also plotting to violate her to get what he wanted.
Our father”s primary concern isn”t his children’s well-being after a traumatic night, but instead it’s focused on my throwing arm and if the drugs found in my system will impact my eligibility to play.
They only hear what they want to hear and are really only interested in figuring out how the good people of Georgia will interpret this if the story gets out. They completely devalue the crimes that took place against both of us.
I’m seeing my sister’s pain through a fresh lens and I feel like I’m really seeing her after all she has been through in our family home. I think I get it now about her cutting and why she does it. Our parents are triggering, traumatic, and toxic as fuck.
Thank fuck she’s been back in therapy and getting the help she needs. It’s clearer than the sky after a summer storm that our parents would only chastise her if they knew.
I’m not shocked when Mama asks me if Sloaney’s still seeing her hockey player boyfriend. Neither of them brought up his efforts to save her from what had almost happened.
They’ll probably just ignore him from here on out to be honest. Ya see, Chase Wilton doesn’t fit the mold of the man either of them have picked out for my sister.
They’ve always talked about marrying her off young, and this’ll probably be one expectation she’ll be happy to meet. And at this point, it’s gonna happen with or without their approval.
Well, for whatever it is worth, Chase Wilton has my fucking blessing. I’m man enough to admit that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by him. He’s grown on me. Even if he does play a sport on skates.