Silk Sheets

ONE

DAKOTA

“The two of you are going to give Professor Tyler a heart attack with the amount of times you’re late,” Asher shook his head as we hopped out of his off white BMW, slamming the doors.

“And quit slamming my doors,” he reprimanded, dark eyes softening when he looked back at the car.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he cooed, running a smooth hand over the roof of the vehicle. Men and their cars.

Solace blatantly ignored him, already speed walking towards the building and he jogged up to her side. “We’re twenty minutes late because of you, you know that, right?” she glared at him, picking up the pace. Okay, I guess we’re running.

With my laptop clutched underneath my arm, and my hand trembling as I applied lip gloss, I tried matching their pace to keep up.

“You’re constantly blaming me for everything that goes wrong in your life,” he murmured, and she forced a smile.

“Maybe because whenever you show up, things go wrong,” she spat back, her long brown curls bouncing down her back. Oh—

“Did you feel like that last night, too?” he grabbed her arm to stop her. “Because to me it sounded like—”

“Shut. Up,” she seethed through clenched teeth.

My eyebrows pinched together. “What happened last night, guys—”

“Nothing, D,” they cut me off in unison, taking me aback. Asher and Solace…? No way. They’re best friends, practically siblings. They couldn’t possibly be… ‘getting together’.

“Don’t you have some other girls to follow around?” Solace made a dramatic halt, and I almost bumped into her while digging for the mascara in my purse.

“You know I don’t like my women jealous,” he grinned, towering over her, and I could see the steam practically shooting from her ears.

“Dakota and I are late for class,” she said, yanking me with her by my hand. We hurried down the narrow hall, and I followed her in confusion.

“Solace, what was that all about?” I asked, grabbing her arm to stop her.

She sighed, pulled out her compact mirror, and allowed me to do my mascara as she spoke. “Nothing, I’m sorry. I just don’t like being late,” she lied straight through her teeth.

Solace and I had been best friends since kindergarten. We’ve been through life together, which meant that catching her in an attempted lie was the easiest thing to do.

She was always keen on sharing anything and everything with me, so when she didn’t, I respected that she wasn’t ready yet.

After I finished up with my mascara, I slipped it back into my bag, grabbing my next make-up product. “Uh,” she stopped me. “Honey, your cheeks are pink enough as it is. We don’t need you looking like Ronald McDonald.”

With slight confusion, I looked down at the item in my hand and groaned. I thought I grabbed my bronzer.

She laughed at me before we continued walking.

With one final glance at each other, we tiptoed into class and a few students chuckled, utterly unfazed with us being late again.

As soon as we reached our row of seats, Professor Tyler’s deep voice sliced through the air. “Late again, Miss Allard and Miss King.”

Our bodies went rigid.

Slowly, we turned, offering our best smiles. “Sorry, professor,” she and I said in unison before slipping into our seats.

“Third time this week,” he casually announced with a nod, and Solace rolled her eyes at me, making me smile. “And it’s only Wednesday,” he added, his words coated in defeat.

“We’ll do better, Professor,” my lips pressed into a thin line but it was evident he didn’t believe me.

Thankfully though, before I knew it class was over. This was my biological psychology class, and though I loved the subject, I hated the lectures. It was an absolute bore, and with professor Tyler it most certainly dragged.

I wasn’t the best student in his class, sitting at a D average, but today was one of those days that I didn’t care to listen to anything he had to say. I barely understood him anyway. I’d simply self-study later.

Eventually the sound of students closing their laptops, grabbing their books, and talking filled the room.

“We’re going Saturday,” Solace nodded as she stood up and I lazily reached for my pen across my desk.

“I don’t know…” I trailed off, pretending to be uninterested as I twirled my black pen between my fingers.

“Excuse me?” she scoffed, and I fought back a smile.

A strained cry filtered through the air, making my spine straighten. “Oh my God!”

My head snapped to Daisy—one of my closest friends—as a panicked expression lingered on her face. She pointed a trembling finger toward the front of our class and everyone followed her gaze.

Professor Tyler clutched his chest, his face turning pale. My eyes widened as he gasped for air, leaning against his desk. What the…

A few guys rushed down to him, holding him up and a few students grabbed their cell phones. I watched Camille and two other female students surround our Professor in a panic.

The guys lowered him to the ground and Camille tied back her hair. She checked his pulse, looking at her wrist watch and one of the students entered with another Professor.

“Give him some space!” the Professor demanded and Solace grabbed my arm in shock.

“D…” she whispered, tears filling her eyes and I wrapped my arms around her as she stared down at our Professor.

“His pulse is— is too slow,” Camille stammered.

“What happened?” he questioned, looking around at all of us.

Still being in shock, neither of us were able to speak.

“We don’t know,” Darnell answered, and Solace rested her face in the crease of my neck. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling the tremble in her body.

Soon, the paramedics rushed in, and we watched them carry Professor Tyler’s unconscious body out on a stretcher.

“I suggest you all head home for the day,” the Professor announced, looking around the room, and I could still feel Solace clutching to me. “I’ll inform the rest of the school, and we’ll move forward from there.”

Frantically, the students—including Solace and I—rushed out the door.

It wasn’t the first time that something triggered Solace’s panic attacks on campus, so when she curled up on the bathroom floor I was right there beside her. Holding her. Consoling her.

When her breathing steadied and her tears dried up, we found Asher who had already heard the news and was eager to drive us back home.

I sat in the backseat with Solace, and he stole a few worried glances at her through the rearview mirror, making my heart sink.

We stopped to grab a bite to eat and I knew she felt much better the minute she suggested drunk studying. And of course, we couldn’t say no to her.

* * *

“How was school?” mom asked as I entered my parents bedroom. “And you’re home so late, I was worried sick!” she reprimanded, dropping her cell phone on her nightstand.

Her frustrated eyes landed on me and I sighed, dragging my legs toward my parents bed.

Both of them sat up against the headboard, except my dad was reading the newspaper.

He simply glanced at me over the top of his glasses with his neutral expression in place. Not a slither of emotion behind those eyes.

Mom’s frustration morphed into concern, then into pity. “Rough day?” she asked, and I nodded, climbing onto their bed.

I slid in between my parents, staring up at the ceiling with my hands on my chest. “What happened?” she ran her hand down my head, her voice laced with concern.

“My professor had a heart attack and we’re afraid he might die.”

“That’s awful,” she cooed, her brows pinching together.

I waited for dads comment, but when it didn’t come, I sat up on my knees and placed my hand down on his leg.

“And you, daddy? Cat got your tongue?” I teased.

His answer was vague as he turned the page, not meeting my eyes. “Long day.”

Daddy was one of the best, if not the best defense attorney in the country, and because of that, he had attracted the attention of various important people.

The only time I saw him doing anything other than work was, well, when he was asleep, and even then I was certain he dreamed about work.

“Long day of missing me, I’d assume,” an arrogant smile danced on my lips, but he only spared me a glance before continuing to read. “Oh, come on,” my head fell back. “You know you missed me,” my shoulders slumped as I inched closer and my mom chuckled.

A beat passed and he released an exasperated sigh, slightly angling his cheek in my direction and I broke out in a broad smile, leaning over to smack a kiss to his cheek. “Knew it.”

“I filled your car with gas, fixed your bedside lamp and transferred your monthly allowance,” he kept his voice flat, flipping the page as though it was nothing.

Jutting out my bottom lip, I glanced at my mom and she winked in response. Snatching the newspaper from my dad I tossed it on his nightstand before leaping forward. “Thank you!” I shrieked, squeezing him in my arms but he didn’t move.

I knew he glanced at my mother before gently tapping the side of my arm as though affection was a foreign concept to him. “You’re welcome, princess.”

Pulling back I swelled with pride. “Good news though,” I sat upright. “I got ninety-five percent on my last exam.”

“Oh, that’s amazing!” my mother’s eyes lit up. “We’re so proud of you, sweetheart,” she squeezed my hand in hers and my bright smile wavered when I looked over at my dad. He was already back to reading his newspaper.

Daddy never acknowledged my straight A’s, much less my other honorable achievements. What he did notice though, was the B I received once in the eleventh grade. Needless to say, he was pissed.

All I wanted was his approval. To hear him say that he was proud of me, of my hard work and outstanding results. But… he never did, so I had come to terms with the fact that he never will.