Thank fuck.
If he had said her name was Haven Hale, then I didn’t stand a chance of passing any of my classes.
16
Haven
The sound from the TV droned in the background as I finished up an English paper that was due the next day.
Vicki was over at Delta Sigma Pi, and I was dying to know if she’d been accepted into the sorority. There had been some drama at the sorority house. So Beverly and her team were late in picking the new recruits. I didn’t want Vicki to get in, yet I did. I wanted her to be happy, but I didn’t want to lose her as a roomie. I’d come to the conclusion that my idea of Vicki and Beverly in cahoots with my father wasn’t true on Vicki’s part. Vicki was realizing that Beverly wasn’t such a nice person after all.
“She’s too darn bossy,” Vicki had complained. “And she doesn’t listen.”
Still, the idea of the dorm room all to myself was enticing. I could have dates over and have wild sex without worrying about a roommate. I laughed out loud as my gaze drifted from my spot on the couch to the TV screen across from me. The news was on, and the male reporter was talking about the upcoming election. I grabbed the remote off the small coffee table and turned up the volume.
“Early polls show that Senator Hale is slipping. He’s lost several points against his opponent.”
I could feel the space between my eyebrows creasing. My father’s standing had been good last I knew, but that was several months ago.
The reporter continued. “Ned Lambert has been campaigning hard with his new policy that could cut emissions in Texas by half.”
In order to do that, Ned Lambert would have to shut down most of the refineries in the state, and I didn’t see that happening, although I didn’t know what his plan entailed. What I did know was that my father was probably pacing his office, yelling at his aides, and throwing things at the wall.
The good news was I wasn’t the problem—his opponent was. For that, I became giddy. Father Dearest wouldn’t be in my face. Then again, he had no reason to be. I’d been a good girl, staying out of trouble and away from Ryker James. After our last encounter at Woodcreek High over a week ago, I’d had no reason to seek out the hunky quarterback.
News around campus was that he’d been hiding in the gym and practicing every morning and every night, getting ready for the home game that upcoming Saturday, which was in three days. The football team’s record was dismal with three losses to start the season. The media had been making all kinds of speculations about the game and Ryker’s return.
I was sure the stadium would be packed on Saturday. Vicki and I were going. When I’d bought tickets for Zack Cleary, I’d purchased two for Vicki and me right beside him.
The door opened, and Vicki came in with a smile on her face. I tracked her movements as she set down her purse on the small counter where we had a dorm-room-size fridge and hot plate.
I muted the volume on the TV. “Well? What’s the verdict?”
She pulled out her clip, and her hair fell to her shoulders. Then she plopped down next to me. “I got in.”
I raised my hand to high-five her. “That’s great.”
She gave my palm a weak tap. “Yeah, but I said no thank you.”
“What! Why? You were dying to join a sorority.”
Turning to face me, she tucked one leg underneath her and let the other dangle off the couch. “After the meetings, the parties, listening to Beverly, meeting the other women, I don’t know. I just didn’t feel it. I think for my freshman year, I want to explore. I don’t want rules. I had enough of them at home.” She picked at something on her bare leg. “I want to hang out with you. We have it made here.”
We did. We didn’t have to answer to anyone. We could come and go as we pleased. We didn’t have chores except that we had agreed to keep things neat in the common room.
“You don’t seem happy,” I said.
“I am. I’m just…” She trailed off, glancing at the TV.
I waited, watching her bite her lip. “Just?”
“I saw Lucas kissing a girl earlier near Braden Hall.”
I didn’t know what to say without sounding like her mother or saying something cliché and stereotypical. But some guys liked to play the field. They liked a different girl in their bed, much like Ryker, who was known for sleeping with lots of women.
I gently placed a hand on her leg. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “I’ll get over it. There are plenty of guys out there. Right?”
