The Pledge (3 page)

“Jesus, Amanda. Why don’t you just hump his leg and get it over with?” Jon took the phone out of her hand while shaking his head. “I got twenty bucks on Caz. Sorry, Hart. He’s a sure thing.”

“And so is Amanda!” Caz slung his arm over her shoulder. She shoved his chest and squealed in protest, but it was half-hearted. In the end, she laughed as he pulled her into a friendly headlock.

“What about you, Maureen?” Jon asked.

Maureen was built like a body builder. She wore a serious expression that made it clear she wasn’t interested in flirting or bets. She pushed past Caz and clipped her carabiner onto the safety cable of the first obstacle. “I’m here to climb, not stroke your egos.” She slid her fingers over one of the holds and tucked her toes into another one.

“I’ve got something you can stroke.” Caz grabbed his crotch.

Maureen rolled her eyes and flipped him the bird. Soon she was shimmying up the side of the tree without hesitation. Less than a minute later she pulled herself up onto the platform. She leaned over the edge. “Are you gonna talk or you gonna climb, boys?”

“Well, Hart? You ready?” Caz nodded toward the tree.

I stepped back and motioned for him to go ahead. “You’re the veteran. You go first. I’ll let you enjoy success before I crush your time.”

Caz huffed out a laugh. “You’re awfully cocky for a virgin, my friend. I’m going to have to teach you how to respect your elders.” He clipped into the safety cable and placed his hands and feet in the ready position. “Count me down, Jon.”

“Three...Two...One...Go!” Jon shouted.

If I had blinked, I would have missed the first half of Caz’s ascent. He scaled the tree as if he was born to climb. Maureen was quick, but Caz was faster—much faster than I’d expected. Each foot placement and handhold was confident and purposeful. He was like a goddamn squirrel.

“Seventeen seconds.” Jon whistled before turning to me. “Think you can beat that, Hart?”

My smile was confident. “I got twenty bucks that says I can.” I stood at the bottom of the tree mapping out my route before I clipped into the safety cable. My blood was surging through my veins, and my heart beat wildly. I’d always thrived on challenge. I was addicted to the sweet thrill of competition. That’s what I loved most about lacrosse—the battle. This wasn’t any different.

“Go!” Jon said.

I pushed off the ground, my arm muscles straining as I pulled myself up the side of the tree. Caz and Maureen had made it look easy, but Amanda’s cheers were proof that I was holding my own.

“Eleven...Twelve...” Jon counted from below.

I was a little over halfway up, but if I wanted to win, I needed to hurry. Skipping over the closest grip, I reached for one higher up knowing I could use my arm strength to make up some time. My fingers curled around the edge of the plastic and I pushed off with my legs. My foot slipped and I ended up dangling by one arm, swinging around until my back hit the tree.

My breath caught in my throat as I glanced down at the ground twenty feet below. If I fell from this height, I could kiss my lacrosse scholarship goodbye. I knew the safety cable wouldn’t let me fall, but knowing that and trusting it were two different things.

“Thirteen...”

“Hurry.” Amanda had her hands cupped around her mouth. “You can still win.”

She had no idea I’d been envisioning fractured bones and broken dreams. Sweat trickled down my neck as I swung myself around to face the tree. I reached up with my other arm and grabbed a handhold. I gritted my teeth as I yanked myself up the remaining part of the climb and over the edge of the platform.

When I finally pulled myself to a standing position, Caz was smiling. He held his fist out and I bumped it with mine as I breathed heavily.

“That was pretty awesome, dude, but you owe me twenty bucks.”

“Double or nothing next obstacle?” I bounced on my feet, energy and life surging through my body.

He grinned. “You’re on.” Flipping his pulley over the zip line in front of him, he threw himself off the platform. He flew down the cable, howling like an animal.

I looked down to see Amanda climbing onto the platform behind me. I reached down to help her stand, and she sucked on her bottom lip before smiling.

“Sorry you lost,” she said. “But it was still a worthy climb for a first timer. I think that deserves a little something.” She ran her finger along my chest.

“Is that so?” I grinned back, my hand resting on her hip as we stood close to each other on the small platform. “What did you have in mind?”

Amanda reached up and wrapped her hand around my neck, pulling my face down to hers. When our lips touched, her tongue was immediately in my mouth.
Christ.
She certainly wasn’t shy. I gripped the cable above me to steady myself as I kissed her back. With my other hand, I grabbed the harness at her waist and pulled her against me. She moaned into my mouth and I was so turned on I wanted to press her up against the tree and devour her.

I should lose more often.

“There’s no kissing on the obstacle course!” Caz yelled.

I pulled back from Amanda and looked across the way to my roommate. “Jealous?”

“Let’s go, Hart. You’re not getting out of this by sucking face, you pansy ass. It’s trapeze time. I’m ready to make another twenty,” he yelled back.

I smiled at Amanda as I unhooked the pulley from my harness and attached it to the zip line cable. “Thanks for the reward.”

“That wasn’t a reward.” Amanda tucked her tongue in her cheek. “That was a preview.”

Fuck. Yes.

Without a thought to what I was about to do, I gripped the pulley and launched my body off the platform. I hurtled down the cable, suspended thirty feet in the air, the wind tearing at my clothes. My heart was crashing against my rib cage, as adrenaline surged through me.

I had no fear.

I felt alive.

For the first time in my life, I was free.

Chapter Three

TAREN

Music blared out of each and every house on the row, their conflicting beats confusing my alcohol-muddled brain. Confused or not, my anticipation was on overdrive. The houses on Fraternity Row sat in a horseshoe. People stumbled in and out of the front doors. Strobe lights flashed from inside one house, while spotlights blazed on the front of another.

I looked down at the picture of the flyer I’d taken with my phone and pointed to the next house in line. “That one!” I shouted.

Julie clutched my right hand, and I held Alexis’ hand in my left. Butterflies danced a mosh pit in my stomach. I was so scared and excited and nervous and ready—ready to break free and let loose. I took a deep breath and led my friends up the wooden stairs and through the open door. Inside I was hit by the overwhelming stench of beer. We squeezed by the worn leather couches. The walls were decorated with huge, glass-encased, composite pictures of the brothers of Delta Epsilon. Row after row, picture after picture, they all looked the same—handsome, smiling guys in blue blazers and matching ties. Only the hairstyles gave any indication of what year the pictures were taken.

We edged past a folding table and the wannabe DJ who was busy taking song requests from a line of scantily dressed, giggling girls. Julie tried to pull us into the middle of the room where a group was dancing, but I shook my head no. I had no ability to dance, whatsoever.

“Catch!” A clean-cut guy wearing a polo, collar popped up, yelled as a ping-pong ball headed right for Alexis.

“Got it!” Her reflexes were fast and she snagged the ball out of the air before it hit her. The guy who yelled out the warning waved us over and we walked to the other side of the room, where he stood next to another folding table that was set up with cups.

“Know how to play?” The preppy polo dude smiled at Alexis and nodded toward the cups.

“I’ve seen it done before.” Alexis walked to the edge of the table and bounced a ping-pong ball across the table. The ball landed right into one of the beer-filled red Solos. The guy at that end of the table muttered a curse and chugged the beer, much of it sliding down his shirt on the process. Preppy polo cheered and wrapped an arm around Alexis’ shoulders.

“I’m Asher. You’ve got to be my partner.” He squeezed her closer and I noticed her body stiffen.

“No…I can’t…I’m with friends…Bye,” Alexis stammered, shrugging out of Asher’s grip.

Tweeeeettttt!

“Oh snap. Here comes whistle boy,” Julie said two notches too loud in my ear, and I turned in time to bump right into whistling Doug.

“You came! Denton girl came!” Doug picked me up and twirled me around before placing me back on my feet. “Let’s get you ladies something to drink!”

Doug ushered us over to a large black trashcan filed with ice and beer. Another pearl of wisdom from Aunt Claire hit me.
If you remember anything I’ve taught you, remember this. Never drink anything that is served from a garbage can.

The height of gentility, Doug pulled out three cans, popped the tabs, and handed each of us a National Bohemian. I studied the can and giggled. I was going to break Claire’s rule my first night out. Then again, she did tell me to get into trouble.

“Natty Boh?” Julie took a sip. “Eh. Even after all that rum, this shit still tastes like piss water.” She wrinkled her nose as she chugged her beer. “But it’s free, and it’s beer. So thank you whistle dude.”

Doug saluted her and then tilted his head back and downed his entire beer in one shot. He belched and crushed the can on his forehead.

Julie rolled her eyes. “I think he just crushed his last remaining brain cells with that brilliant move. Time to get our groove on girls.” She grabbed our hands to lead us to the dance floor.

“Wait! Denton, don’t go!” Doug begged. I turned back around to see him on his knees, shuffling toward me with his hands pressed together in a gesture of prayer. “I wanted to get to know you better.” I smiled, hoping that would keep my jaw from dropping open. This was a first. I looked between Julie and Alexis and threw caution to the wind. “You guys dance. No regrets, right?

“Fine,” Alexis stated with a look of disapproval. “But just so you know, we won’t be going home without you. I’ll check back in an hour. If you’re not here, we’ll come find you.” She gave me a quick hug while Julie squealed and hurried out onto the dance floor. Without a second thought, she joined the sweating bodies and pulsing rhythms.

Doug stood up, leaning into me so I could hear him over the music. “Want to go somewhere quiet and talk?”

In the back of my mind, a small voice told me this wasn’t a smart decision. I chose to ignore that voice and nodded.

“Come on, Denton.” Doug took my hand and led me around the corner to a closed door covered in graffiti. “This is my room. No one will bother us here.”

I followed Doug into the dark room, and my knee bumped into something.
Dang, that hurt.
My eyes took a minute to adjust. Doug had guided me around a pole. The pole was one of several used to hold up a high platform, like the top of a bunk bed. Doug ducked underneath and switched on a desk lamp. Instead of a bottom bunk, a desk, dresser, and a chair were in the space. An identical structure was set up across the room. I was assuming the areas on top were for beds, but they were hidden, covered in draped sheets and blankets to look like tents. What were they hiding in there?

Doug placed his hand on my back and walked me over to a small sofa. I stopped walking when realization hit me.

Oh...right.

Doug sat down, but I stood in front of him, a bit unsure what I should do next. This was so new to me, and I hadn’t the slightest idea how to handle myself. I didn’t want him to know I was inexperienced, but I didn’t want him to think I was easy either.

Doug took my hands and pulled me down next to him. “Whaddya think of your first college party?”

My pulse raced, and I wanted to shake my head to clear the fog from my brain. “Um, it’s great. Nice. I...”

My voice trailed off. I didn’t know how to do this. What should I say? I couldn’t even manage a coherent sentence right now. No, I could do this.
Fresh start. New beginning. No one knows me here.
“It was really nice of your frat to invite us.” I smiled, proud of myself for not only putting more than two words together, but also speaking them aloud.

“Fraternity.” Doug’s voice sounded irritated, and my stomach plummeted to the floor.

“Excuse me?” I stuttered and tucked my hair behind my ear. I knew I would say something wrong.

“It’s not a
frat—
it’s a fraternity. You wouldn’t call your country a cunt, now would ya, Denton?” He winked at me, and I relaxed. A little. Whistleblower Doug took this Greek stuff very seriously.

“No. And I wouldn’t call a cocktail a cock,” I said, eager to play along.

His head tilted to the side, and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me. “Right.”

Oh crap.
Did I seriously just say
cock
? How awkward could I possibly be? First night out and I said
cock
to the only guy interested in talking to me.
Abort. Abort.