I took a deep breath, fury burning my chest. It took everything I had not to march outside and beat the piss out of that motherfucker.
“He’s being a dick. If he starts talking shit, then you come tell me, OK? I’ll handle his ass.”
She bit down on her bottom lip and nodded before wiping quickly at her cheeks. The tears fell quicker than she could keep up with.
I went to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
“Not all guys are dicks like that. I promise. Let this one go. He doesn’t deserve you.”
She nodded against my chest, her fingers twisted in my shirt.
“H-He didn’t touch me… there,” she whispered. “I was too scared. He kissed me and tried to squeeze my-my boobs. He said I was too small, and that Angie Reynolds was bigger.”
Prick. Fucking novice.
“I-I never want to talk to guys again.”
I sighed, pulled away, and stared down at her. She was growing up too fast.
“Don’t let one asshole ruin it for the good guy,” I said gently, swiping away her tears. “OK? I promise you’ll meet a decent one, and he’ll show you how you deserve to be treated. Promise.”
“Yo, Elliot. The douchebag is gone. Come on. The girls will be getting here any minute,” Gabe yelled from the patio door.
Eve looked up at me, tears still clinging to her long lashes.
“Are you a good guy, Elliot?”
I frowned at her question. I’d had countless women beneath me. Was I a good guy? I certainly wasn’t making girls kiss me and groping them in the front seat of an ’03 Buick while telling them their tits were too small.
“I’m a good guy, so I have it on good authority we’re out there.”
She gave me a smile and wiped at her eyes again. “Thank you. For this. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re a good guy too. I believe that all the way to my soul, Eli.”
“Of course,” I murmured as she stepped away from me before going upstairs and leaving me alone.
I dropped the pictures into the box before closing the lid. She seemed bound and determined that I was a good guy when she was a kid.
She’d listened to me, too. She’d not seen that guy again. When I’d asked her why she really decided not to after he begged her to go out with him again, she told me I’d set the bar high. That she was going to save herself for the good guy.
I couldn’t believe that she actually listened to me. And here I was, doing the same shit I told her was wrong all those years ago.
I’m not the good guy,” I whispered thickly into the silence, hating myself a little bit more.
EVELYN
Iwanted to pack my shit and leave school. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about the dean finding out about my cheating, and I wouldn’t have to deal with Professor West anymore. I couldn’t do that, though. Even though my dad was gone, I couldn’t let him down. So I had to rewrite that paper, and I had to get my shit together to go to class.
After receiving that text from Elliot, I grabbed myself some dinner before I went back to my apartment. I ate a chicken strip basket while arranging my thoughts for the paper. Professor West said that it was a mess, and he thought my thoughts were scattered about, so I focused on cleaning things up and organizing them a little better. Once I did that, I realized that I didn’t really have to rewrite it at all.
I stayed up until midnight working on the paper and other homework that was due. I had to work the rest of the week, so it was really the only time I had to get stuff done. Before I had to support myself, I was a firm believer in going to bed early and getting plenty of rest on school nights. Since I started college, I have never gotten enough rest. I was starting to get used to it.
Once I had finished my work, I decided to take a long, hot shower. I was still running just fine, but I knew that I’d be lagging behind in the morning, so I wanted to take one thing off my plate. I had to stay up even later to take a shower, but it meant I got to sleep in a little longer.
One advantage of living in an apartment was the consistent hot water, unlike the house I grew up in. When you lived with a family of four, you got in and got out to save some hot water for someone else in the family. Showers were always my way to recharge, so I planned on staying in there for as long as I possibly could. I shaved and washed my hair and body before sitting in the tub and letting the water cascade over me. I brought my knees up and wrapped my arms around them.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The more I relaxed, the less I thought about all my troubles. Yet, somehow, thoughts ofhimstill swirled about. Whoever said there was a fine line between love and hate was right. I hated Professor West with a fiery passion. Yet, I also loved the way I felt when he touched me. Most of all, I hated to admit that, even to myself.
He’d been kind to me when I was a kid. Even talked me through some of the worst times of my life. Encouraged me when I felt like I was failing. He was there for me and Gabe when Mom and Dad died.
