here for an overnight stay anyway, so it was easy to beg off when she offered to introduce us.
The whole campus is a buzz about the serial beatings. Every few weeks or so, some new waitress is beaten when she leaves work, all with the same footprint on the back. Jenna, the waitress who waited on us at the Hole in the Wall, was assaulted the next night after she got off work. The police advise all women in the area to walk to their cars in pairs late at night or have a security guard walk them out. The only pattern that emerges is the footprint, that and all the victims are waitresses and strippers. Other than that, the police have nothing else to go on.
My advisor requests a meeting shortly before midterms to review all my grades. Professor Stewart is actually quite pleased with my progress. That’s about the only good thing over the last few weeks. My grades rock. I’m sliding up on a four point grade average.
Sally stays at home most nights. I think she’s concerned about me. The beatings have her worried. She’s talked to the police a few times, but they think it’s a coincidence that she knows some of the victims. Apparently, quite a few girls from campus are friends with more than one of the victims. It still gnaws at her.
I don’t care what her reasons are. I’m just glad she’s around.
I can’t look at my phone anymore these days. It’s a painful reminder I’ve lost Tommy. I used to check it every day, hell, every hour, for the first few days. But after the first week slipped by without a text or a call, and then the second week, the message sinks in. It’s over. I’ve lost him. I wasn’t honest, and he let me go.
It’s ironic. The thing I hold most dear is what cost me. I demand honesty from everyone and that’s what undid our relationship. I let him in for a mere moment and ran back into the shadows too scared to let him really see me. I kept everything hidden, kept important events to myself, tried to handle things on my own. I showed him yet again I didn’t need anybody. That I didn’t trust him.
I still cry myself to sleep every night, even after two months. I still dream about him. I wake up and for a moment, I think he’s still there. I feel his touch, his kiss, his strong arms around me, and then I realize, again…I’m alone.
***
“Amber, how are you? I haven’t seen you around campus lately.” Lily gives me a strange smile. What’s that look for?
I have no idea why she is in our room. They are seated at the kitchen table, and there are glasses of wine on the table. Sally gives me awkward glance, and I shake my head. Please God, do not tell me she is sleeping with that chick again.
“Lily.” I turn to Sally and say, “I didn’t know we were having company tonight. Don’t let me interrupt, honey.” I glide my hand across her shoulders, kiss her lightly on the cheek, and flash a wicked grin at Lily. I walk to the bathroom door mustering up as much sex kitten bravado as I can and close the door.
The walls are thin so I put my ear to the bathroom door to listen as Lily blows a gasket. This will be fun!
“You know, we were fine until Amber came into the picture.” She snaps, “You’re really sleeping with her, aren’t you? That wasn’t just a joke. You are, aren’t you? You couldn’t keep your hands off me when we were rooming together, why should she be any different?”
Sally sounds desperate, but she’s still firm. “We weren’t fine. I told you weeks ago I couldn’t do this, hell…wouldn’t do this. You chose not to listen. You chose to ignore everything I said. Hell, everything Maria Gonzalez said. I told you I was moving out before Amber even showed up. Don’t bring her into this.” Sally’s voice rises, and her tone is clear but very loud. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. You will never be out. EVER. I am DONE. I can’t do this anymore. If you leave me alone, I’ll have to go to Chadwick to talk to her about harassment charges. Don’t make me do that. In fact, I think you should go to Maria in the morning and have her move you to another dorm. I