to that first night when I was with him. SHE had knocked on the door and he had told her that he was busy; I had known then that something was up, but I ignored it.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
I bet he cheated on me with Alexis too, after he told me there was nothing going on with her.
I sat there for a while, throwing myself a pity party. I knew I needed to pull my big girl panties up and face the music. I just hoped I have the strength to keep up my brave face for everyone. Times like this, I wish I were home, in my own room, where I could block out the rest of the world.
When I got back into Mason’s car, I lost it. Who did I think I was kidding? There was crushed, and then there was ground into a fine dust. I had thought things would work out with Dominic in the long run. I had really wanted things to work out between us.
I took a few deep breaths, wiped the tears from my face, and drove back to my dorm. Everyone was there. I knew they would be. Hailey curled up with Mason on her bed. Cooper sat with his head in his hands. Hunter paced back and forth.
“I’m fine.”
That is all I said, all I could say as I tried to hold back the tears. I would let myself cry again when I was in the shower.
Hunter stopped pacing. He motioned to me. I nodded my head. He was waiting for me to give him permission to comfort me. He came over, wrapped me in his arms and rocked me slightly back and forth, just as he had done all those times before.
“You ok?” He whispered.
“I will be.”
I dropped my arms from around him. Cooper pulled me over to the bed and slung an arm around me with a kiss to my forehead.
We sat there for a little while, no one talking, everyone in their own world. This was not helping me; I needed to do something to keep myself busy.
I needed a shower. I needed to wash this whole night away. I got up from the bed, grabbed my things from my dresser but stopped when I looked in the mirror and saw Cooper’s face. A thin gash marred the skin above his eyebrow.
He looked at me when I asked, “What happened?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
His answer didn’t surprise me. He had been protecting me.
“Tell me, please.” I finally said, breaking the eye contact in the mirror.
“Nothing happened, Kenzie.” Mason spoke up for the first time since I walked in the door.
I looked over at him. He hadn’t fared any better. His shirt was torn and stained red.
“Whose blood is that?”
Hailey untangled herself from Mason only to wrap her arms around me. I didn’t hug her back. I was pissed off that she didn’t try to warn me about what was about to happen with my brothers and Dominic. She may not have known exactly what was going on, but she knew it involved me.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“You could have warned me that something was going down with Dominic.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I was trying to look out for you. You would have gone after them if you knew.”
She was right, but still, it hurt.
I walked into the bathroom to take a shower, and I hoped when I was finished, everyone would be gone.
I turned the shower on as hot as I could stand it and got in. I stood there, letting the water run over my body. I finally cried all the tears that I had tried so hard to hold inside me. I curled up into the fetal position on the shower floor and stayed that way until the water ran cold. I got up, quickly washed myself, got out of the shower and threw on my sweat pants and hoodie.
When I finally worked up the courage to walk out of the bathroom and face everybody, I was surprised that no one was in the room but Hunter. I didn’t say anything to him as I walked over to my bed and climbed in. I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head, and snuggled into my pillow. I just wanted to go to sleep and forget today even happened.
Hunter walked over and turned the lights off. I waited to hear the door open but it didn’t. He