A smile consumes my face as I walk up the stairs, thinking about finally seeing Grant after only a few short hours. I miss him already. What this guy has done to me in such a brief amount of time is unheard of. He’s stolen my heart and is holding it captive. Although we evidently have some issues to discuss, namely about the caveman personality he portrayed earlier, I can’t wait for the make-up sex.
I’m about five steps away from his door when it cracks opens and automatically my lips turn up with the thought of his beautiful face. My heart sinks and my smile freezes when I see it’s not him.
“Jessa?” Emily questions me, and for the first time, this girl has me at a disadvantage. “What are you doing here?” she asks. It takes everything in me not to hit her.
“Maybe I should ask you the same thing,” I croak out loudly. As much as I might feel like I’ve just been knocked to the ground, I’m not going to let her kick me while I’m down.
“You might want to lower your voice, he’s sleeping.” She shuts the door, walking toward me and gives me her sly smile.
“Well, you can tell him to go to hell!” I scream and her mouth falls open. I so wish I had a better comeback, but the sudden shock has made my usual sharp-witted sassiness vanish.
“It’s cute that you thought he was into you. I mean, come on Jessa. Did you really think he wasn’t using you?” she sneers. That’s it. My heart might be shattering like a glass when it crashes to the floor, but I’ll be damned if this whore is going to make me think I’m not deserving of someone’s love and commitment.
“I may have been wrong about him, but let’s be clear on one thing. You are the stereotypical slutty sorority chick, and it’s girls like you that give them the bad name. Go find yourself your own man and stay the hell away from mine,” I yell and then move to push my way past her. If he’s going to fuck someone else, I’m sure as hell not going to lie down and take it.
She stumbles to the right and hits her shoulder on the wall before steadying herself. My blood is boiling just imagining him asleep in his bed, naked.
“I’m sorry, did you call me a slut? I don’t think I’m the one that has pictures spread across the internet of me fucking some guy.” At these words, my whole body shuts down. The water begins to form in my eyes and my skin goes cold. The blood in my veins feels like it has stopped moving. Not knowing what to do, I cock my fist back and knock it across her jaw.
“Fuck you, Emily!” That’s my best comeback at this point because I’m pretty sure my brain has quit working as well. She leans against the wall and holds her mouth, and I see that a trickle of blood flows down her chin. Shit, I’ve never hit a woman before but that felt good.
“Doesn’t change the fact that I fucked both your men,” she shouts to me and I pause at the top of the stairs briefly before I descend down them. I remain silent, absorbing my volatile mix of emotions.
Rushing out of the house, I hear Matt holler my way but I continue without acknowledging him. Although I do feel a certain satisfaction thinking of Emily’s shocked expression after I hit her, my heart is still breaking. How could Grant do this to me? Was he that out of it that he didn’t hear the commotion outside his door? Or worse, did he stay inside his room because he couldn’t face me after what he’d done?
Grant
After rushing over to the house and throwing my stuff in my room, I grab my backpack and head out. The last place I want to be is the library doing some fucking group project. The image of Jessa in bed with Rob won’t leave my head. I fear that I’ve pissed her off so badly, she’ll see how damaged I still am and decide Rob was the better pick all along.
Getting to the library, I park my truck and walk up the steps. Sitting down at a table to wait for the others, I grab my phone. She hasn’t text or called, telling me that she’s more than pissed right now. I debate with myself whether I should call her and apologize for being a possessive asshole, but when one of the guys from the group arrives, I put my cell back in my pocket.
Everyone slowly starts arriving and the memory of when we first formed this group crosses my mind. I recall how much I wanted Hillary at the beginning of the year. She still gives me those fuck-me eyes, and it almost happened one time, but Jessa had already started claiming my heart by then. Since Hillary’s just as career-oriented as I’ve always been, we were a good fit. Neither of us wanted more, so it would have been perfect.
My pen teeter-totters back and forth as I stare at my paper, thinking maybe I should’ve gone that route. Getting involved with Jessa has complicated my life beyond recognition. It’s made me second-guess all of my goals, and I’ve become willing to change everything I’ve been working toward just to make sure she’s the one by my side. I’ve done a complete one-eighty in a very short time.
Finally after five agony-filled hours, we all start packing up. I feel like an ass, knowing I haven’t contributed much this session. Another reason falling in love sucks; it distracts you from everything else you’re doing and usually at the most inopportune times.
“Hey Grant,” Hillary says to me as I’m standing by the elevator.
“Hi Hillary,” I respond back, focusing my eyes on the silver doors in front of me.
“Did you have a nice spring break?” she asks. I know her body is turned my way but I keep mine facing forward.
“Yeah,” I answer, and then I shift my head around to see where everyone else has disappeared to. Relief hits me when the elevator doors open, but it’s quickly replaced by discomfort when I realize we’re going to be by ourselves in the confined space. I walk in, chastising myself for sweating it. It’s not like she’s going to bite.
She follows behind and before the doors even close, she starts talking again. “I worked at my dad’s law firm for the week. Kind of boring but great experience,” she divulges and I nod my head. I feel like a dick, but this funk that has come over me since I left Jessa won’t go away. “So, you want to get a bite to eat?” she asks. Fortunately, the doors open then and I practically sprint out.
“Sorry, Hillary. I have to be somewhere.” I give her a curt smile before walking away.
The nice, spring weather feels good but does nothing to improve my mood. The walk across the parking lot to get to my truck is filled with agony over what to do. Should I go to Jessa’s or just go home? The thought of seeing that douchebag there infuriates me. Taking the phone out of my pocket, I check to find that there’s still nothing. Why the fuck hasn’t she tried to get ahold of me? Does she not give a shit anymore? Have I finally crossed over that line where she can’t handle all my fucking baggage?
“Grant!” I hear a female yell, pulling me away from my thoughts. I glance up and release a heavy sigh.
“Emily,” I say with an exasperated breath.
“Oh, I’m glad you’re here. Can you give me a ride? I was supposed to be meeting Katie here, but she ditched me for some guy. I don’t want to walk home in these heels or I’ll get blisters…”
Not wanting to hear anymore from her, I instruct her to get in the truck, and a wide smile spreads across her lips. Regret consumes me immediately when I notice her reaction, and I hope to God she knows this is just a ride and nothing more.
She scrambles in and I’m thankful when she stays on her side. Starting the truck, I begin to reverse, and when I place my hand on the back of the seat to check behind me, she places her neatly manicured hand on my thigh. My body abruptly tenses and I jerk the truck to a stop. “Remove it, Emily,” I seethe through my teeth.