in some other girl’s face. Only, it doesn’t work. Not for my heart and not for my dick.
I miss her. I miss only her.
“You should try talking to her again,” Hunter says gruffly. “It’s been a few days. Maybe she’s ready to come around.”
“I’ve texted her. She won’t text me back.” Probably blocked my number by now.
“Look, I can’t begin to understand what went wrong there. But when she’s ready I know you two can work it out. I don’t know Taylor well or anything, but anyone could see you were both happy together. She’s going through something. Like you were before.” He shrugs. “Maybe it’s her turn to figure stuff out.”
She already has. She finally figured out that she’s too damn good for me. I might be making strides to better my life, but I’m not there yet and Taylor knew it and she didn’t want to wait around, I guess. I almost don’t even blame her. What the fuck have I ever done for her aside from giving her some orgasms and standing her up at a dance?
I choke down the rush of bitterness that fills my throat. Hey, at least it’s not puke anymore.
“Anyway, whatever you need, man. You know I’m here for you.” Hunter pats me on the back then gives me a shove. “Now get the hell off my car. I’ve gotta go wash the piss out of the backseat.”
“Fuck off. There’s no piss there.” I pause. “Just some vomit maybe.”
“Asshole.”
“Thanks for the ride,” I say, laughing as I back away. “See ya later.”
I head into the house, where I take a ragging from the roommates about last night. Won’t be living this one down for a long time. They invite me to brunch at the diner, but I’m exhausted and I’ve got a shit ton of packing to do before I head back to Cali in a few days. So I go take a shower, and they go out and bring me back some waffles and bacon.
About an hour into laundry and packing boxes, our doorbell rings. The guys are deep into a video game, so I wander over to the front door and answer it.
On the other side I find half a dozen of Taylor’s Kappa sisters, led by the infamous Abigail.
Before I can get a word out, she says, “Truce. We’re on the same side.”
I blink. “Huh?”
I don’t invite her in so much as she invites herself. Plus the six other girls trailing behind. They march into the house and take a stance like a troupe of angry townsfolk in the middle of the living room.
Foster gives me a wary look from the couch. “Hunter said no more parties.”
“Shut up, dumbass.” I focus on Abigail, who’s clearly the leader of this invasion. If it has something to do with Taylor, I want to hear it. “Why are you here?”
“Listen up.” She steps forward, hands on her hips. “Taylor didn’t dump you because she doesn’t love you anymore.”
“Oh snap!” Foster exclaims then buttons his lips when I shoot a warning glare at him.
“She dumped you because there’s a video going around of her from pledge week freshman year. It was never supposed to be public, but someone uploaded it to embarrass her. Now she’s humiliated and scared and she didn’t want you to know about it so she broke up with you first.”
“What kind of video?” I demand, confused with the vagueness of it. “And if she didn’t want me to know, why are you here?”
“Because,” Abigail says, “if I rip the Band-Aid off for her, maybe she’ll stop being afraid and fight back.”
If she means what she’s saying, I guess she isn’t quite the enemy anymore. No telling what brought on this sudden change of heart, but that’s another conversation entirely, and one I’m not sure is mine to have. I’m not ready to trust her completely, but this would be a hell of a long way to go to pull a prank.
“Fight back against what?” Matt asks from his spot in the recliner.
Good question. The other guys sit up, anxious and interested. The controllers and game are all but forgotten.
Abigail looks around awkwardly. “On the last night of pledge week, they had us in tank tops and underwear, and the seniors hosed us down while ordering Taylor and another girl to make out. They recorded it. Last week someone stole the video and posted it on a porn site. It’s…graphic. As in, you can see, you know, stuff.”
“Oh hell no.” Foster