The Pledge (32 page)

“Is that your way of kindly telling me to get lost?” I grinned at her and pulled her hand up between us so I could kiss the backs of her fingers.

Her eyes opened wide. “No! You know I’d really rather spend time with you.” Her thumb ran across the back of my hand, and her bottom lip pouted out. I wanted to suck on that lip. I wanted to push her up against the fancy ass wallpaper and kiss her until she forgot all about her meeting and studying.

“Time with me, huh?” I slid the back of her hands across my lips, and her eyes drifted shut. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I took off work Friday night so I can take my girl on an actual date. Jon told me about this great restaurant in National Harbor.”

Taren’s eyes flew open. “Friday night?” The words were almost panicked.

I nipped her thumb between my teeth. “You can wait that long can’t you?”

Her expression fell, and she bit the corner of her lip. “I can’t on Friday. I’m so sorry.” She shifted and took a deep breath, and her eyes couldn’t meet mine. “I already committed to going to a happy hour that night with my sisters.” She looked over her shoulder toward the room she’d come from.

My arm dropped, and our hands hung between us as our fingers barely linked together. I felt like she’d punched me in the chest. She turned back to face me and I stared at the wall behind her.

“Oh.” My voice caught in my throat, and my lungs burned with the need to take another breath. My response hung in the air between us, icy and distant. I knew that she attended social events with her sisters when I was working. Did I expect her to change her plans just because I didn’t have any?

Yes.
That’s exactly what I expected, and that irritated me.

She tightened her grip on my fingers. “Can you get off another night? I’d love to go to the National Harbor with you. Having Alec Hart all to myself for a romantic date would be just the way to celebrate acing my test.” Her eyes begged me to forgive her, and my chest loosened.

I forced myself to smile. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow at class, and we’ll pick another night.”

I leaned in to give her a light kiss, and her hand wrapped around my neck. The heat of her mouth and the sweep of her tongue teased me. I almost threw her over my shoulder so I could go find the first empty room.

Instead, I pulled back and ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “I better let you go so you can finish your meeting and get back to studying.” She pouted, and I gave her one more kiss. “Good luck on your test, babe.”

Her smile was sad, and I turned to leave her house with the pizza box still in hand. “Alec.” The desperation in Taren’s voice forced me to turn. She was standing in the doorway with her arms hanging at her side like she wanted to reach out and beg me to stay. All she had to do was say so and I would. “Thank you for coming to surprise me. I...” She paused as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

I nodded and flashed her a smile. I descended the steps and then as I made my way up the sidewalk, I heard the door close. I huffed out a breath and opened the box to pull out a slice of pizza.

What a shitty way to end the night. On the bright side, though, I had an entire pizza to myself. That is, if I could finish it before I got back to my place and Caz found it. I followed the sidewalk away from the Graham Cracker, where Taren’s house was located, and made my way past Frat Row.

I hadn’t gone far when a familiar voice yelled to me. “Yo! Bouncer boy. Where you heading?”

Hell, this night just got better and better.
I looked up to see Pickles and a few of his friends heading toward me, likely on their way to a party. I ignored him and moved to the side to walk around him.

“I haven’t seen you at The Shell,” he taunted. “Are you a delivery boy now? Talk about a downgrade.” He laughed, and his friends joined in.

“Fuck you, Pickles.” I said the words with indifference, but I wanted a fight.

“No thanks. I’ll leave that to Taren.”

Every muscle in my body tensed and the edge of the pizza box flattened where I crushed it in my fist. I turned around slowly to glare at him. “Shut up, asshole.” I took a step toward him. “Don’t talk to her. Don’t think about her. Don’t even look at her. She’s off limits to you.” My heart pounded against my ribs, begging my fists to shut him up permanently.

Pickles chuckled and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Off limits? Pretty hard to do that when we’ll be partying together Friday. It’s always a happy hour when Taren’s around.”

My head tilted against my will, and I knew the moment when he realized he’d gotten to me. She was going to happy hour with this bag of dicks instead of going out with me? I didn’t care if she made a promise to her sisters. I wasn’t okay with the idea of her hanging out with Pickles.

“Aw. Didn’t she tell you?” His forehead creased in mock sadness. “I guess she didn’t want you to know. I’m her dirty little secret.” My eyes squinted, and his face lit up when he noticed. “Don’t worry, buddy.” He reached out and clapped me on the shoulder, and I fisted my hand to keep from reaching out and ripping his fucking arm out of its socket. “I’ll keep my eye on her for you.” He winked and then turned around to walk away with his friends.

When he looked back over his shoulder at me, the grin he gave me said, “I win, fucker.” My body was so rigid with fury I was afraid that if I moved, I would go on a rampage and destroy everything I touched.

I watched him until he disappeared, and then I threw the entire pizza into the nearest trash can. Jogging across the road, I headed for the stadium steps where I knew I could get some release.

I needed to chase my demons away before I did something I’d regret.

Chapter Twenty-Three

TAREN

I slid into the seat next to Alec’s. “Hey, you.” I kissed him on the cheek and his jaw tensed under my lips.
What the hell?
We looked forward to Tuesday morning seminar all week. This was our only class together this semester, and probably the last one we would share. For our final two years of college, every other course we took would be required for our majors.

“What’s wrong?” I looked around the room. The teaching assistant was passing out papers, and neighboring students were focused on their phones or completing the daily crossword in the campus newspaper. What could possibly have pissed him off?

Alec turned to face me with a stony expression. My stomach fell to my feet. Had I done something wrong? He seemed fine when he left last night.

“You never mentioned spending happy hour with Pickles.” A muscle twitched in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

Crap.
Until he mentioned Pickles’ name, I’d forgotten that he’d be at the happy hour with my sisters. I bounced my knee, nervous energy coursing through me. “I’m sorry. I knew we had a happy hour with Delta Epsilon, but I didn’t even think about Pickles. I avoid him like the plague.” I reached over and rubbed Alec’s forearm.

He scowled and squeezed his hand into a fist. “Why would you want to go anywhere Pickles will be? He cheated on you. He’s a dick. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

I placed my hand on his fist and pulled his fingers apart so that I could slide mine in between his. “He is a dick. That’s why I hadn’t given him a second thought. I promised my sisters I would go to happy hour, and I don’t want to ditch them. I’ll just have a few drinks and talk with the girls. There’ll be no interaction with Pickles at all.” His shoulders relaxed, but he looked up at the ceiling. “Alec, look at me. Please.”

His eyes met mine, and his mouth twisted to the side.

“You don’t have to worry about him. He never crosses my mind. You’re the only guy on my mind. You’re the only one I want to kiss or touch.” I took a deep breath. “Or taste.” My body tingled from the memories my words conjured. Alec’s pupils enlarged, and his lips parted. “Now that I have you”—I shook my head and grinned—“There’s no room for anyone else in my head or my heart. Believe me.”

Alec stared at me for a long minute and then leaned forward to press his lips to mine. His tongue darted out, sweeping into my mouth for a brief second. I groaned and felt him smile in return. He pressed his forehead to mine and whispered, “I believe you, babe. It just makes me crazy to have to share any part of you with him. I can’t get enough of you.”

Just like that the two hour seminar that had been one of my favorites became a very painful exercise in restraint.

***

“What do you mean you’re only going for an hour?” Julie stomped her foot. Her clunky heel made a surprisingly loud sound on the hardwood floor of our room.

Alexis rolled her eyes. “I have to study. I always have to study. I sound like a damn broken record.” She leaned closer to the mirror and dabbed on a light pink lip gloss. “Organic Chemistry is meant to weed out all the lazy asses who won’t hack it in med school.” She smacked her lips together and stood up straight. “I refuse to be weeded out.”

I winked at her and then sobered my face for Julie. “I might not stay the whole time either. Alec has off tonight. I think I might leave early to spend some time with him.”

Alexis sat on the chair and fixed the strap on her sandal. “Is Alec okay with you going to a party with Pickles?”

No. No he’s not
. “Well…”

“Don’t even tell me you are going to be one of
those
girls. Everything is fine and dandy until you meet some guy and then you ditch us to hang out with him all the time.” Julie shook her head and pressed her lips into a tight line.

I rubbed lotion on my hands and arms. “I’m not ditching you. I’m going to happy hour, just like I promised, but Alec is important to me, too. I can understand why he doesn’t like the idea of me hanging out or drinking where Pickles is going to be.”

“Taren, you’re in a sorority. You’re going to be drinking with guys. This is what I’m talking about. Alec doesn’t understand Greek life.” Julie placed her hands on her hips. Alexis stood up, looking between the two of us with a frown.

Irritation crawled under my skin, but I tried to remember that Julie had always been on my side. “No, he doesn’t understand why Tri-Gam is so important to me, but the Acroletes are a mystery to me, too. The important thing is that we’re trying to understand one another and learn to live with our differences.”

“Your lives are completely opposite. Don’t you think that lack of understanding is a pretty big deal?”

“We understand each other in the ways that matter. He’s so good to me, Jules.” I slung my arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “Maybe you just need a little time to get to know him better.”

Julie looked at Alexis who nodded encouragingly. Julie rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. But only if you promise there will be no juggling.”

I burst out laughing and hugged her. “No juggling, but I do have to warn you about his friend, Caz.”

***

“Hit me!” Pickles bellowed and slammed his glass on the bar. The group of rowdy fraternity brothers surrounding him cheered, egging him on.

Alexis sighed and glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry, Taren. I’m going to head out. I have a lot to do, and I’ve had about as much of
that
as I can take.” She hooked her thumb behind her to where I could hear Pickles harassing the bartender to hurry.

I looked toward Pickles to find he was already staring at me with a sloppy smile on his face. He’d reached the level of drunk where he would think it was appropriate to paw at me. Time to go. I stood up from my barstool. “I’m out, too.”

She frowned. “Jules is going to be pissed we’re leaving at the same time.”

“Nah, she’s lip-deep in a new flirtationship. Her happy hour is getting happier by the minute.” Alexis giggled, and I grabbed her hand. We wove our way through the crowd to hug our friend goodbye.

We left the bar, and Alexis was shaking her head as the door swung closed behind us. “I wonder how long that one will last?”

I snorted. “If he lasts longer than two weeks it’ll be a record.” I hooked my arm through Alexis’. “What about you? Are you and Asher serious?”

She looked up at me with a sad smile. “The only thing I’m serious about is school. I don’t have time for a love life.”

We walked along the sidewalk, but I stopped when Alexis turned to go toward our house. “I’m going to see Alec. I’ll be back later.” I couldn’t keep the grin off my face, and I felt bad because Alexis deserved to have the kind of happiness I had with Alec.

Alexis pinched her eyebrows together. “How do you know he doesn’t already have plans?”

“He said he was studying. He always studies at his place.” I waved and headed for the apartment complex where Alec lived. The walk was short, and I got lucky enough to be able to follow a group of people into the lobby so I didn’t have to buzz in. I rode the elevator up to his floor, and excitement grew in my chest as I imagined the look on his face when he answered the door.

The television was loud coming from inside the apartment, and I had to knock a few times before the door finally swung open. When Caz saw me, the goofy smile he was wearing fell, and he frowned at me.

“Donuts?” He opened the door wider and looked around me to find only empty hallway. “What are you doing here? I thought you and Alec were going to the National Harbor.”