Chapter 56 – Kat
FIFTY-SIX
KAT
As much as I long to cling to my college years, spring semester flies by faster than I could have imagined. After returning from winter break, every week was packed with exams, projects, and social events. And now, standing in a hotel room forty-five minutes away from campus, just three weeks away from graduation, my throat tightens with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and fear for the future.
When Tanner first mentioned the formal for his fraternity last month, I imagined a dingy, run-of-the-mill frat house. But as we step inside the beautiful hotel in Cleveland, I’m in awe. A grand chandelier hangs over the entryway, casting a golden glow on the marble floors. The walls are decorated with elegant paintings, and mahogany desks line the left side of the room. As I walk across the sparkling tiles, I can’t help but wonder if they’re made of actual glitter.
Tanner strides up to the front desk, introducing himself and handing over his ID and credit card. The receptionist hands him a room key. As we make our way to our designated room, I can sense the potential for chaos brewing in the air.
Tanner reaches for the door, but before he can insert his keycard, Elijah comes into view with a petite blonde on his arm, heading toward the room next to ours. My heart sinks as I realize the cosmic joke in store for us: sharing a wall with Elijah Hanas.
“I didn’t expect it to be this…fancy,” I laugh as I set down my bag inside the door and Tanner closes the door behind him.
“Yeah, well, we have Governor Hanas to thank for that,” Tanner replies with a wince, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. He explains how Elijah’s father donated money specifically for this event, wanting to make his son’s senior year unforgettable.
“Of course he did,” I mumble as I move my suitcase to the stand in the corner of the room before sifting through its contents.
Tanner sits on the edge of his bed, already half-dressed and casually sipping a beer. He said we have an hour and a half to get ready before we need to head downstairs, and I’d bet money he only needs ten minutes of that.
After over an hour of primping, I emerge from the bathroom in a cloud of hairspray. My freshly ironed curls cascade down my back, and my makeup is elegant yet understated, thanks to countless YouTube tutorials Jenna has been sending me for the past couple weeks. I step into the room in my bra and underwear in pursuit of my off-the-shoulder cobalt cocktail dress, which I bought especially for this event last week .
“Sweetheart.” Tanner’s voice is husky and inviting and I know without looking at him what he’s insinuating.
I playfully dodge his reaching hands as I dart forward to grab the dress from on top of my suitcase and pull it on. I know we have to hurry if we want to make it downstairs on time. But damn, that bed looks awfully tempting as I pass him sitting on it.
He takes the hint in stride, keeping his attention on the television and the cold beer in his hand, but I don’t miss the way his eyes keep drifting over to me as I pull the stretchy fabric over my frame. Once it’s on and I’m almost ready, I sit down on the bed next to him to fasten my heels.
“Let me,” he says and sets his beer on the bedside table to kneel in front of me, his button-down shirt open to reveal his toned chest peeking out from the neckline of his undershirt. His eyes scan my body appreciatively before he reaches for my black stiletto heel, running his fingers along the delicate ankle strap. I can feel the heat of his breath against my skin as he leans closer and firmly grasps my ankle in his hand.
“Is this a foot thing?” I crinkle my nose.
A chuckle rolls past his lips before he presses a gentle kiss to my inner ankle, causing goosebumps to erupt over my entire body. “No, it’s a you thing.”
It takes him no time to fasten the straps around both of my ankles, but he holds my foot in his hand as his eyes meet mine in earnest.
I tense under his scrutiny, despite his intentions never having been nefarious. “What?” I ask.
“I—” He clears his throat, clearly searching for the right words to convey his thoughts. “If you don’t want to go down there, be around him, I would understand. We can hang out here and meet up with our friends in Marcus and Jenna’s room later.”
While the prospect of doing that sounds preferable to dealing with Elijah, this is Tanner’s senior year. I might not understand Greek life, not outside of what I’ve seen over the past two years, but I know that this is a night he’ll never get back if I take him up on his offer.
“I love you for that, but no. We should go—I want to go. Seeing Elijah doesn’t matter. It hasn’t mattered for a while.”
My fingers reach up to brush a stray chestnut-colored strand of hair off Tanner’s forehead, and he releases a small sigh of relief. I can see the worry lines on his face relax.
“If you’re sure?—”
“I’m sure.” I smile down at him in an attempt to give him a shred of the comfort he’s given me over the past couple years.
With a gentle hand on my calf, he leans forward and presses three soft kisses along my inner thigh, sending shivers down my spine. Then he stops, causing me to groan in frustration, and releases his hold on my leg. He stands up, discreetly adjusting the slight bulge growing in his dress slacks.
“Mean,” I huff out.
“Hey, you’re the one who doesn’t want to stay in the room. Besides, you’ve been walking around in your underwear for the past twenty minutes—you’re lucky I didn’t go higher.”
“‘Lucky’ isn’t the word I’d use.”
Tanner just laughs as he pulls me to my feet and encourages me toward the door.
Once we’re downstairs, all my anxiety melts away as Jenna comes barreling toward me. Despite living together, we haven’t seen each other much over the last week due to Marcus’s parents being in town and taking up most of Jenna’s time. The two seem to be getting very serious and, while I once might have worried about losing my best friend, I’m confident now in the fact that that won’t happen.
“Oh my God, you look amazing!” Jenna squeals as she steps back to admire my outfit, the very one she helped me pick out.
“Thanks,” I laugh. “So do you!”
“I know!” she says with confidence, flipping her long golden curls over her shoulder before looping her arm through mine and pushing us into the ballroom.
The ballroom is decorated with mismatched streamers and balloons, a clear indication that the planning committee consisted of inexperienced fraternity brothers. Despite their efforts, the space still lacks the elegance and grandeur of other events I’ve attended, but it’s a steep ask to compare a fraternity formal to any of the weddings I’ve photographed. Their effort is clear, even if it doesn’t quite land in the way they were hoping.
“Is your skin crawling?” I laugh as I turn to Jenna. As an interior design major, she is rather meticulous with design of any sort, so the underwhelming decorations must be causing her distress.
“Very much so. I tried to help, but they insisted.” She gives a quick shrug, her arm brushing against mine as she pulls me toward the bar.
I immediately notice Tanner, a drink in hand, leaning against the counter. We had discussed my decision to cut back on drinking and what that meant for this formal at length. Tonight, I’ve made the choice to indulge a bit, but not too much—no tequila shots or standing on bars for me. However, a few glasses of champagne are more than welcome.
I eagerly grab the flute of bubbly from the bartender’s hand and tug on Tanner’s sleeve, giddy with excitement to get the night moving. We weave through the throngs of people toward the center of the ballroom, where the music beckons us to dance.
His deep laugh rumbles as he presses his hand against my lower back, guiding me closer to him. “What’s got you so excited all of a sudden?” His other hand holds the frosted beer bottle, and the confident way he balances it shows years of partying and dancing at college parties.
To be honest, I feel relieved. I didn’t think I would be so indifferent toward Elijah’s presence tonight, and the fact that I can finally say that he no longer holds a place in my heart is freeing. I am truly in love with Tanner, but the lingering fear in the back of my mind over how things ended with my ex has been gnawing at me, making me worry that I will never fully move on from it.
“Can’t I just be happy to be here with you?”
“Of course you can.” Tanner’s warm breath tickles my cheek as he bends down to kiss me, his hand gently cupping the back of my neck.
A rush of tingles spreads through my body as I lean in and savor the softness of his lips against mine. With a blissful sigh, I melt into him, feeling completely at ease as we sway to the music.
After a few hours, I’m very much feeling the effects of the alcohol. Tanner seems to notice and asks, “Do you need to get some air?”
“No, I’m good. I just need to use the restroom.” I’ve been fighting the urge to break the seal all night and it’s finally caught up with me.
“Sounds good, sweetheart. I’ll be right here,” he says, backing toward a group of brothers, and I step off the dance floor.
As I emerge from the cramped bathroom stall, my nose is assaulted by the cloying scent of artificial roses and harsh chemicals. Exiting the restroom, I inhale deeply, grateful to be back in the relatively fresh air of the hallway.
“Hey,” whispers an unnervingly gentle, familiar voice, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.
I know who it is without even looking, so when I turn and meet Elijah’s eyes, I’m instantly filled with dread.
“What?” My voice comes out snippy and short, but I no longer care how he may perceive me.
“C’mon, Kat. It’s just me.” He stumbles closer, his words slurring and his breath reeking of alcohol.
I look around and notice that we are alone in this empty hallway. My heart rate starts to quicken in my chest as he reaches out for me.
Panic sets in and, while I don’t think Elijah would ever cross the line from asshole to predator, it’s hard to say with the amount of alcohol he’s had. As his fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling me toward him, I find myself scanning the area. His grip tightens as I try to pull away.
“Elijah, that hurts,” I grit out through my teeth, trying to pull my arm free.
“You’re being dramatic as usual; I’m barely touching you.”
“Please, let go of me. You’re drunk and?—”
“You used to love the way I’d touch you when we were drunk,” he says with an uneven cadence. “The way I’d make you come with your inhibitions down—you used to love it.”
I struggle against his grasp, to no avail. “Well, I don’t anymore. Let me go,” I snarl, but it falls on deaf ears. Reasoning with Elijah sober is one thing, but when drunk, he’s impossible to sway.
He says calmly, “Not until you hear me out.”
Brendan’s voice booms from the doorway of the ballroom, and I feel a surge of relief. His tall frame fills the hallway as he glares at Elijah. Approaching us, his presence is both comforting and intimidating. “Is everything all right out here, Kat?” he asks sternly.
“She’s fine. Besides, this doesn’t concern you, Wallace.” Elijah doesn’t pull his gaze away from me as he talks to Brendan.
“Actually, it does.” Brendan wraps his fingers around Elijah’s hand and squeezes tightly, causing him to release his grasp on my wrist with a wince. “You see, this is my best friend’s girl, and you appear to have been touching her without her consent.”
Elijah scoffs. “You’re just as bad as she is. I was just trying to talk to her.”
“Well,” Brendan sighs, “looks like you talked. She doesn’t care. So I will be taking Kat back into the ballroom now.”
Elijah clenches his jaw, his dark eyes flashing with anger before he lets out a string of curses under his breath and storms off to the men’s restroom.
Brendan turns to me, gently takes my hand, and drapes it over his arm, leading me away from the tense situation. Back in the ballroom, I let out a relieved sigh as he squeezes my hand and asks, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”