Distraction (26 page)

When my other classes were over, I headed to the library
instead of going home for lunch. On my way, I called Eric to ask if he wanted
meet up.

I set my bag at a table near the back, dug out my notebook,
and began writing. Eric found me not long after I started writing questions to
ask Tristan.

"So what's the big news?" Eric pulled out a chair
across from me.

I rushed through most of the details but left out whom I was
interviewing. I wasn't ready to fill in that last bit of information.

"Isn't that great?"

"Cool, who does he want you to interview?"

I shifted in my seat nervously. "He wants me to
interview Tristan. Since I know everything there is to know, I figured I could
do most of the assignment without him." I watched his expression,
wondering if he was upset.

"That gives you the inside edge." He smiled.

"So you're okay with me interviewing him? I mean, I
haven't talked to Tristan yet so I could adlib if I needed to." I hadn't
realized I was holding my breath until he said not to worry. "Thanks,"
I replied.

"I've got to get to class, but I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, sounds good."

Eric left and I sent Tristan my good news in a text. I really
wanted to tell Tristan first, but I wanted this thing with Eric to work.

My phone chimed and I opened Tristan's text.
That's great. Let me
know when and where. I'm all yours.

"You seem happy." A girl's voice came over my
shoulder. Of all people, I hadn't expected to find Kellie. Might as well skip
the formalities.

"What do you want, Kellie?"

"I know you like Tristan," she started, "and
it's pathetic. I mean the way you look at him when you think nobody's watching.
It's a good thing Tristan is so nice." The bitch pulled out a chair beside
me, crossing her legs when she sat down.

"He feels sorry for you because he knows about your
little crush on him." Kellie leaned in closer. Her perfume wasn't the only
thing making me sick. I kept my expression neutral.

"We've laughed at the display, but he doesn't want to
hurt your feelings. He said your sister being," she paused, and sighed
dramatically, "well, you know, all into..." She covered her mouth as
if she'd said too much.

I grabbed my things. "Kellie, you know what? You're
pathetic." I turned her words back at her. "Attempting to ruin my
friendship with Tristan to ease your insecurities is sad."

I leaned over, coming close to her face. "Sweetie, you
don't scare me, and if you think this thing between you and Tristan will last,
you're delusional. I haven't interfered because I love watching stupid bitches
like you fall on your face." I stood and walked the hell away.

I didn't go to my next class. Instead, I went home to clear
my head, though doing so didn't help. Kellie's words kept streaming through my
mind like poison. They had apparently talked about me, just how much I didn't
know. The way she spoke, teasingly evading what she really knew, stung.

I trusted Tristan as much, if not more, than Alyssa at times.
We've confided in each other since we were kids. All the nights he stayed up
late with me on the phone so I could drown out the fighting down the hall or
vice versa. When my sister took a turn for the worse, Tristan had been there.

Maybe I'd been a fool thinking he cared, even as a friend. I
didn't want to believe that, but my brain and my heart weren't seeing eye to
eye on the issue.

A text came across my phone.
I have some free time. You wanna meet?

It was now or never.
Sure, I'm at my house. Can you come
now? Everyone is gone so we have the house to ourselves.

On
my way.
He sent back.

I came up with different ways to bring up what Kellie had
said, but as soon as Tristan came over, my mind drew a blank.

“Hey, I'm starving. You got anything I can eat?" He
turned back around when he reached the kitchen. "And none of that diet
shit girls like to eat." He winked.

"Look around. Get whatever you want." I quietly
watched him. When he finished, he balanced two sandwiches in one hand, held a
glass of milk in the other, and sported that grin I loved as he sauntered in my
direction. The man had skills; I’d give him that.

"Shoot me your first question," he mumbled around a
mouthful of food. I blurted the first thing that popped in my head. "Did
you talk to Kellie about me? About my sister?"

Tristan frowned, setting his plate on the coffee table.
"Where is this coming from?"

"I just want to know. Answer the question."

Tristan leaned back against the couch. His jaw tensed when he
turned his face to the side. "I've mentioned that your parents were crazy,
but nothing else." He turned back to me.

My heart pounded. Was that all?

"Why even say that, Tristan? My life is none of her
business." My words came out louder than intended, but hurt hid beneath
the question.

"What the hell is going on? Did Kellie say something,
because if she did then spit it out already. I don't fucking read minds, you
know."

Tristan rose from the couch and walked back and forth in
front of the window. I looked up when his movements stopped. The muscles in his
biceps bulged when he folded his arms over his chest. His arms moved up and
down with each breath he took. His dark brown hair fell near his eyes. Heat
flared in his eyes, the pain brewing behind the anger scorched my heart.

"I saw her in the library today. She said you only felt
sorry for me because my family was screwed up. Is that all I am to you? Someone
to feel sorry for?"

My hands shook as I watched him mask his surprise. I didn't
need to bring up her speculation of my feelings for him.

Tristan threw his hands up in the air. "Elle, you should
know me better than that." His tone stayed even, clueing me to the pent up
anger he tried to contain. His face turned deep red. He hadn't moved away from
the window.

I heard a car pull into the driveway, and then laughter as
Alyssa and Bret opened the front door. All humor stopped when they took in the
strained silence in the room. Tristan looked ready to hit something or someone.
As for me, well, I stayed on the couch, desperately holding back the emotions
that were ready to slip away at any second.

"I'm out of here." Tristan grabbed his keys on his
way out. When the door slammed behind him, the emotions I held back gushed out
in a tidal wave of tears.

Alyssa left me alone in our room. My relationship with
Tristan had been violated in a sense. What made the situation worse was Kellie
had gotten what she'd wanted. She had Tristan, and she'd managed to put a wedge
between us.

Tristan's words filtered through my mind.
I'll always want
you in my life, Elle, forever.

Sometimes forever wasn’t long enough.

* * *

When I finished the interview with Tristan, Mr. Edwards said
he'd print the article in the next paper, but when the paper came out, I didn't
bother reading the sports section.

Over the last two weeks, I kept myself busy. If not at work,
school, or studying, I spent my time with Eric. We doubled with Alyssa and Bret
a time or two. I tried, but I couldn't let go of the hurt I felt after Tristan
left that day.

Alyssa had sat beside me on my bed after Bret left. She'd
told me not to worry about Kellie, and something about her being mad. I nodded
against my tear-soaked pillow. She'd attempted to say more, but stopped. Thank
goodness, because I hadn't wanted to listen to anymore. She ended up leaving me
alone with my misery.

Being with Eric helped me forget the pain, until he'd do
something that reminded me of Tristan, especially when his hair fell near his
eyes.

* * *

Halloween crept up on me. I volunteered to hand out candy at
the Kappa house with some of the new pledges. Eric asked if I wanted to meet
him at a club when I was finished, but I declined.

"Are you sure you don't want to go with us?" Alyssa
refused to leave me alone. She and Bret were going to a Halloween party, but I
had turned her offer down, too.

"I've already agreed to hand out candy, but thanks for
the invite." Alyssa had been super nice and kept giving me a damn pity
look ever since my fight with Tristan. Her gesture grated on my nerves.
"Alyssa, I'm fine, okay? Go out and have fun. Don't worry about me."

"I do worry."

I ignored her. "So, what do you think?" I fixed the
big red clown nose.

"You look like a clown," she said dryly.

"Great, that's the idea. I've got to get before I'm
late."

"Fine, but if you change your mind, give me a call."

"Okay, I promise."

Chapter 16

Tristan

I sat on my couch, ignoring the movie. My mind replayed the
day I left Elle’s place. Even now, the pain reflected in her eyes made my pulse
race with anger.

"Kellie, what the fuck did you say to Elle?"

She laughed. "Elle should know how pathetic she is. She's
going to end up like her sister. A fucked up shell of a person."

I gripped the steering wheel as I sped down the street,
holding my phone in the other hand. "Your dad was right about them.
They're nothing, and you'll end up the same if you don't walk away."

I breathed deep through clenched teeth. Her words enraged me,
causing my vision to blur. “Being with you was the worst mistake I ever made."
I took another breath before going on. "Stay away from Elle."

"Whatever," she said, ending the call.

Coming out of the past, I realized my hands were shaking, and
beer sloshed out of the bottle. I used the edge of my shirt to sop up the
alcohol drenching my fingers.

I'd never told Elle that Kellie and I broke up. I wanted to
tell her, many times, but we seemed to miss each other's phone calls, so I
never got the chance. Not hearing from her in over two weeks felt like hell.
School, practices, games, my early morning jogs, none of it helped me forget
the hurt in her eyes. I'd called Alyssa the next day, knowing Elle needed time
to herself.

Alyssa told me Elle needed to be alone, but followed up by
saying the next time she ran into Kellie, she planned to kick her ass. I
smiled. Knowing Alyssa, she'd do so without thinking twice. I didn't blame her.

I'd admitted to Alyssa that Kellie and I had split up and how
she'd apparently taken her shit out on Elle. I asked her to keep me informed if
Kellie tried to contact her again. Alyssa agreed, much to my surprise, and told
me she'd let me know how Elle was doing. She also said she was glad I'd come to
my senses. Alyssa confused the hell out of me.

The reminder only made me wish I'd come to my senses a long
time ago. I took a sip of beer, and winced. Getting up, I walked to the kitchen
and poured a full, perfectly good beer down the drain. Yeah, maybe it was time
to call it a night. My shit with Elle would be there waiting when I woke up–unfortunately.

Just as I kicked off my shoes in my bedroom, my phone rang. I
figured one of the guys was calling to ask if I'd changed my mind about going
out. When I answered, I hadn't expected it to be Heather.

"Tristan," she said in a broken whisper.

"Heather, what's wrong?" I heard her take in a
shaky breath. "Where are you?" My voice rose, and my stomach knotted
with tension. "Heather," I said, calmer now.

"I'm here. D-do you think you could meet me?"

I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "Yes. When
and where?" I waited as she softly whimpered on the other end of the line.

"I'm at a coffee shop. But come alone. Promise not to
bring Elle with you and I'll give you the address."

I shook my head and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah, all
right, I promise."

"O-okay." Her words faltered. She gave me the
address to meet her and made me promise again not to tell Elle.

When I hung up, I sat on my bed and stared at the wall. I
didn't know what to expect, but I had to go. I promised I'd help her
regardless. I just didn't know how I'd planned to do it.

I wasn't too familiar with the particular part of town she
was in, but Heather gave me specific directions. The place wasn't far from
where Elle worked.

It didn't take me long to find. Two old timers smoking near
the door nodded as I walked past them and opened the door. The smell of coffee
and doughnuts assaulted my senses, creating an instant growl in my stomach. My
stomach had a mind of its own, regardless of the nervous energy dancing around.

The walls were painted a dingy yellow and had old pictures of
sprinkled doughnuts, bear claws, and muffins hung crookedly against the chipped
paint. I scanned the small area. Sitting near the back, I found Heather in a
two-seated booth, alone.