Obligation, page 7
“So, how are things with Danny?” Cayla asked as she shifted in the lounge chair to get more comfortable.
Carissa groaned. “We got into a huge fight last night and haven’t spoken since.”
“A fight about what?”
Even though Cayla was almost five years older than Carissa, they’d always had a close relationship, and Carissa never had any issues sharing secrets and girl talk with her sister. But this was one thing she couldn’t confide in her about.
“I don’t even know.” Carissa huffed, playing up her lie. “It was stupid. We were having fun. Drinking. He wanted to have sex, and I didn’t. Everything blew up after that.”
Cayla turned her head to look at Carissa. “He got mad because you wouldn’t have sex with him?”
“Yeah. Stupid, right?”
“I’m not sure stupid is how I’d describe it.” Cayla turned her head so she was staring up at the sky. If she hadn’t been fully dressed, Carissa would’ve thought her sister was sunbathing with the way she was laid out in the chair.
Carissa wanted to ask how Cayla would describe it, but doing so would open up a can of worms Carissa didn’t want to open. Other than Cory, who really only tolerated Danny for her sake, no one in Carissa’s family liked her boyfriend. Granted, Danny hadn’t made the best first impression, but so what? Didn’t he deserve a second chance? Couldn’t her family at least do that for her?
“How’re classes going?” Cayla asked, and Carissa sighed with relief at the change of topic.
“Good. Tiff and I got bids to pledge Theta Omega Pi.” Excitement filled her voice.
“That’s great.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Mom called from the back door.
Carissa’s stomach rumbled again, and she was quick to get up and walk inside. Cayla wasn’t too far behind. Carissa’s father emerged from his den and smiled at her.
“Hi, Daddy.” She gave him a hug.
“Hi, pumpkin. How’s school?” he asked and led the way into the dining room.
“Good.” Carissa didn’t tell him about the sorority—he’d freak out and lecture her about how he wasn’t paying thousands of dollars per semester for her to party.
Dad took his seat at the head of the table, and Cayla sat to his right. Carissa sat beside Cayla. The chair to Dad’s left was reserved for Mom, and the seat beside her was for Cory.
Ruckus near the back patio filtered into the dining room, then dissipated before the guys entered the room several minutes later. They’d all changed and wiped away the sweat that had been clinging to them.
Carissa tensed when Bradley walked in. He hesitated until Cory told him to sit wherever he’d like. Of course, he had to claim the seat next to Carissa. Not that she minded all that much, but having him so close rattled her.
“Who won?” Dad asked.
“Me and Bradley,” Cory said with a proud grin.
“Yeah, by two points.” Garrett laughed.
Mom carried the food into the dining room and set the bowls and platters in the center of the table. Once she was seated, Dad helped himself to a generous piece of lasagna before passing the dish around the table.
Conversation stopped as everyone filled their plates, the only sound that of silverware on Mom’s nice China. When Carissa handed the breadbasket to Bradley, his fingers grazed hers, and he held on longer than necessary. She sucked in a sharp breath and pulled her hand away.
“Carissa, are you free Thursday evening?” Dad turned his full attention to her.
“I think so. Why?” She poured dressing over her salad.
“I’m having dinner with a business associate, and I thought you might like to go with me.” He looked at her expectantly.
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The only time her father invited her to a business dinner was when someone her age would also be in attendance—usually a guy. Single and worthy in her father’s eyes.
“So?” Dad asked, a single brow arched.
“Is this another attempt to set me up?”
Beside her, Bradley choked on his food. He coughed and reached for his drink.
She ignored his reaction, not wanting him to see how horrified she was that her father would choose now to do something like this. Why couldn’t he ever ask her in private, without putting her on the spot in front of everyone?
“Jack’s son is a respectable young man.” Dad took a bite of his lasagna.
Carissa clenched her jaw, then exhaled slowly in an effort to keep her temper in check. “Dad, you know I’m with Danny.”
No one else at the table bothered to look up, all of them suddenly very interested in their food. Maybe that was better. The less people involved in this trainwreck, the better.
Dad huffed and pointed his fork at her. “And you know that boy is nothing but trouble. You can do better.”
How many times had her father told her that? How many other worse things had he said about Danny? Normally, she’d bite her tongue and endure the Danny-bashing portion of dinner, but today, something inside of her snapped.
She stood, threw her napkin onto her plate of uneaten food, and stormed outside. Kicking off her shoes, she sat on the edge of the pool and dipped her feet into the cool water. Sitting out here usually calmed her, but she continued to seethe with anger.
She knew her father hated Danny, and that was fine. She could deal with that, but she couldn’t handle her dad constantly trying to replace her boyfriend. Didn’t he realize she was legally an adult and could make her own choices? She was almost twenty-one for crying out loud. She didn’t need her father to dictate her life.
“You alright?”
She glanced over her shoulder to find Bradley standing a few feet away, hands tucked into his pockets. “You must think I’m a spoiled rotten brat.”
“No, I don’t think that at all.” He toed off his shoes and sat beside her, his feet dangling in the water, too.
“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes. Twice now he’d been witness to her getting angry and storming off. Toddlers behaved that way, not grown women.
“I don’t. Promise.” He gently nudged her shoulder with his. “I think you’re dealing with a lot of stuff, and people keep piling more on you.” He shrugged. “Anyone would crack eventually.”
Well, she hadn’t expected that. She swirled her feet beneath the water, momentarily mesmerized by the ripples. “My dad thinks Danny’s dangerous.”
Bradley was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation. “I know he’d never hurt me. Not in the way my father seems to think he will.” She leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes, letting the midday sun warm her face.
“Then it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks, right?”
Carissa straightened, dusted off her palms, and shifted so she was facing him. “I guess not.” She tilted her head. “But it’s hard to be with someone when everyone close to you can’t stand the person you’re with.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe everyone is right. Maybe Danny isn’t the right guy for me.”
“Is that how you feel?”
She scrunched up her face. “You sound like a shrink, you know that?” Carissa laughed. “Let me guess… you’re a psychology major?”
“Business, actually.”
“Oh.” She chewed on her bottom lip and concentrated on picking at her cuticles—a nasty habit she had when she was nervous or in a situation she wasn’t sure how to handle.
“Want to know what I really think?” he asked.
“Yes please.”
He graced her with a breathtaking smile, and she had no idea how she didn’t fall backward with how hard that simple gesture hit her. She held her breath, waiting for whatever he might say next.
“I don’t know you or Danny all that well, but from the moment I met Danny, something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I have no idea what happened last night, but the specifics don’t matter. He made you cry, and in my book, that makes him a jerk.” Bradley eased his feet from the water and angled his body toward her. “I keep wondering how in the hell a guy like him got a girl like you.”
A whoosh of breath rushed out of Carissa, and then she sucked it right back in. Eyes wide, she blinked, attempting to process his words and to stave off the impending tears that were threatening to spill free.
“From what little I’ve seen so far, I don’t think he treats you the way you deserve to be treated,” he said with a shrug.
No one had ever said anything so sweet before, and she was at a loss for what to say in response. Somehow, “thank you” didn’t seem like enough. So, rather than say anything, she leaned closer, her gaze dipping to his mouth.
But to her utter horror, Bradley moved away from her. She jerked back, heart thundering, the tips of her ears burning with embarrassment. What the hell? He’d been more than willing to kiss her the other night. Why wasn’t he now?
Scrambling to her feet, she scooped her shoes from the ground. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Bradley stood. “Carissa, wait.” He gently clutched her arm to stop her from running away.
His hand was warm and soft, his touch caring and so unlike Danny’s. She swallowed the lump in her throat and faced him, even though every instinct she had was screaming at her to run.
“I need you to know something.” He licked his lips.
“What?” Her tone was cool.
“I really do want to kiss you again. Hell, it’s all I’ve been able to think about.” He dropped his hold on her arm and raked his fingers through his hair. “But I’m not this guy, Carissa.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t steal another man’s girlfriend, and I don’t sneak around behind anyone’s back, either.”
She pursed her lips and gave a single, curt nod. “Good to know.” Without another word, she walked away, head held high and back ramrod straight.
Chapter Ten
Despite her best efforts, Carissa couldn’t keep her tears at bay, and the second she was alone in her car, the dam broke. Between her fight with Danny last night, her father pulling his usual crap, and then being flat-out rejected by Bradley, she’d had enough. How had her life become such a mess?
When she’d moved into the residence hall as a freshman, she was so hopeful and excited. She was finally out of her parents’ house and had some independence. She was rooming with her best friend. The world had been at her fingertips. And then she’d met Danny, and for a while, life had been perfect.
But then she got pregnant, and her world crumbled around her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to rebuild her life. Every time she tried, something else would come along and knock it all back down.
She pulled into a designated parking lot and found an empty spot, but she didn’t rush to get out of the car. Instead, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel and focused on her breathing. Eventually, her tears stopped.
Yanking the keys from the ignition, she dropped them into her purse and grabbed the door handle. Before she could get the door open, though, her phone dinged with a message. For a brief second, she contemplated ignoring it, but she wasn’t quite ready to face Tiffany just yet. Her friend would demand to know what was wrong, and Carissa didn’t want to relive the events of the past twenty-four hours.
She swiped her thumb across the screen and opened her messages.
Bradley: I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.
Carissa rolled her eyes. Don’t be mad? Was he for real? How would he react if he’d tried to kiss her, and she’d pulled away in disgust? Okay, so maybe he hadn’t been disgusted, but he’d still rejected her in a vulnerable moment.
Bradley: You left before I could finish what I was saying…
Bradley: When you end things with Danny, I’ll be here.
Wait… what? She re-read his message before the meaning finally sunk in. Should she be happy about this? The idea of being with Bradley was certainly intriguing, and she’d be a liar if she tried to deny having thought about it, but she loved Danny. They’d been together for almost a year. Could she really risk throwing that away for a guy she barely knew? What if Bradley turned out to be a freak? Or a bigger jerk than Danny on his worst day?
Dropping her phone into her purse, she shoved open the car door and climbed out. She’d barely taken half a dozen steps when footsteps sounded behind her.
“Carissa!”
She stopped and turned.
Danny jogged toward her. “Hey.” He came to a stop in front of her. “Can we talk?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she shifted on her feet and averted her gaze. She didn’t have the emotional strength for this right now, but she knew Danny, and he wouldn’t give up until she talked to him.
“Things got out of hand last night,” he said.
“You think?”
Danny sighed, but he didn’t immediately snap back at her like she thought he would. “I’m sorry I said the things I did.” He gingerly reached for her hands and held them in his. “I love you, Carissa, and the only thing I want in this entire world is to be with you.”
Her throat burned with the sting of fresh tears, and she bit the inside of her cheek to hold them back.
“I royally fucked up, and I know that, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” He squeezed her hands and moved a little closer. “We made so many plans for our future, and I still want all of that. Can you forgive me?”
All the fight seeped from her bones, and she let out a heavy breath, her shoulders slumping with the effort of releasing all the pent-up anger that had been brewing inside of her.
“I’m sorry, too,” she whispered.
Danny enveloped her in a hug, and she rested her head on his shoulder, taking comfort in the familiarity of his embrace. They stood there for a few moments, neither of them speaking, and she was transported back to when they’d first gotten together, when things were easy and fun. She longed for those days.
“I did a lot of thinking last night,” he said, holding her out at arm’s length. “And you were absolutely right. We’re not in any position to have a baby right now. I promise I won’t bring it up again.”
“Thank you.”
“But make no mistake, Carissa. I still want a future with you, no matter what that looks like.” He moved his hands up to cradle her face, and then he brushed his lips softly over hers.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into him, welcoming his kiss.
“I love you so much,” he whispered against her mouth. “Thank you for giving me another chance.”
She nodded, her mind spinning from the rollercoaster of emotions she’d been on the past few days.
“How did Sunday dinner go?” he asked.
“About the same as always. Dad is being Dad again. Today, though, I actually stood up for myself, and I left early without bothering to say goodbye to anyone.” She stopped short of spilling the truth about Bradley and her humiliating encounter with him.
Danny laughed. “Good for you.”
She grinned. “It did feel good to tell him to knock it off.” She laughed, too, and even more of the weight and sadness lifted from her shoulders. “Though, I do regret not getting a chance to eat.”
“C’mon.” He wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll take you out to eat. Anywhere you want to go.”
“You might regret saying that.” She playfully nudged his hip with hers. “I’m starving, so I’m going to eat a lot.”
“Bring it on,” he said, leading her toward his SUV.
Carissa stood in line with the rest of her pledge class and yawned. She’d spent all day—and most of last night—with Danny, and she’d had a great time. Even though they didn’t talk about any of their issues or work anything out, being with him had felt so much like old times. For a while, she’d been able to forget all of their problems. When she finally dragged herself into her room at 11:57 p.m., she’d collapsed into bed.
And then was promptly woken up at 5:15 a.m. by a text from Mallory. Pledges were required to be present at TOP at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Lateness wouldn’t be tolerated. Why Mallory had to send the announcement so damn early was a mystery to Carissa, but once she was awake, she hadn’t been able to fall back asleep. Now, she was about as functional as a zombie on downers, and she had no idea how she was going to make it through all her classes.
“Good morning, ladies.” Mallory walked the length of the line, pivoted on her heel, and walked back.
“Good morning,” they all mumbled in unison.
Carissa yawned again.
“I’m sorry.” Mallory stopped and tilted her head. “Did you ladies say something?”
“Good morning,” they all said louder and with slightly more enthusiasm.
Mallory smiled. “Better.” She held her hand out, and Amber placed a large manilla envelope in her palm. Amber set a tote bag on the floor near Mallory’s feet, then stepped back, out of the way.
The same sense of unease from their first pledge meeting returned, and Carissa’s stomach twisted. She was suddenly wide awake, though, and alert to whatever task they’d have to complete today.
“Core trait number four. What is it?” Mallory tapped her chin, then pointed the envelope at a girl standing near the end of the line. “Ella?”
“Um…” She hesitated. “Always own your choices.” Ella phrased the answer as more of a question, and Carissa held her breath, wondering if there’d be consequences for not knowing what core trait number four was. Admittedly, she didn’t know, either.
“Yes.” Mallory smiled again. “As a TOP sister, we always own every choice we make. We don’t blame others for what we do, nor do we deny a choice we’ve made, even if it happens to be a bad one.”
Carissa shifted on her feet and sliced a look at Tiffany, who was giving her undivided attention to Mallory. Tiffany hung on the president’s every word, her face lit up with excitement. Of course her friend would be excited—she didn’t have to worry about upsetting a boyfriend with silly sorority tasks.
“Friday night, you all made a choice,” Mallory said as she resumed pacing. “We gave you a task, and you all chose to complete it. You chose which of our lucky gentlemen you’d kiss. And you chose how to make that happen.”
Carissa groaned. “We got into a huge fight last night and haven’t spoken since.”
“A fight about what?”
Even though Cayla was almost five years older than Carissa, they’d always had a close relationship, and Carissa never had any issues sharing secrets and girl talk with her sister. But this was one thing she couldn’t confide in her about.
“I don’t even know.” Carissa huffed, playing up her lie. “It was stupid. We were having fun. Drinking. He wanted to have sex, and I didn’t. Everything blew up after that.”
Cayla turned her head to look at Carissa. “He got mad because you wouldn’t have sex with him?”
“Yeah. Stupid, right?”
“I’m not sure stupid is how I’d describe it.” Cayla turned her head so she was staring up at the sky. If she hadn’t been fully dressed, Carissa would’ve thought her sister was sunbathing with the way she was laid out in the chair.
Carissa wanted to ask how Cayla would describe it, but doing so would open up a can of worms Carissa didn’t want to open. Other than Cory, who really only tolerated Danny for her sake, no one in Carissa’s family liked her boyfriend. Granted, Danny hadn’t made the best first impression, but so what? Didn’t he deserve a second chance? Couldn’t her family at least do that for her?
“How’re classes going?” Cayla asked, and Carissa sighed with relief at the change of topic.
“Good. Tiff and I got bids to pledge Theta Omega Pi.” Excitement filled her voice.
“That’s great.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Mom called from the back door.
Carissa’s stomach rumbled again, and she was quick to get up and walk inside. Cayla wasn’t too far behind. Carissa’s father emerged from his den and smiled at her.
“Hi, Daddy.” She gave him a hug.
“Hi, pumpkin. How’s school?” he asked and led the way into the dining room.
“Good.” Carissa didn’t tell him about the sorority—he’d freak out and lecture her about how he wasn’t paying thousands of dollars per semester for her to party.
Dad took his seat at the head of the table, and Cayla sat to his right. Carissa sat beside Cayla. The chair to Dad’s left was reserved for Mom, and the seat beside her was for Cory.
Ruckus near the back patio filtered into the dining room, then dissipated before the guys entered the room several minutes later. They’d all changed and wiped away the sweat that had been clinging to them.
Carissa tensed when Bradley walked in. He hesitated until Cory told him to sit wherever he’d like. Of course, he had to claim the seat next to Carissa. Not that she minded all that much, but having him so close rattled her.
“Who won?” Dad asked.
“Me and Bradley,” Cory said with a proud grin.
“Yeah, by two points.” Garrett laughed.
Mom carried the food into the dining room and set the bowls and platters in the center of the table. Once she was seated, Dad helped himself to a generous piece of lasagna before passing the dish around the table.
Conversation stopped as everyone filled their plates, the only sound that of silverware on Mom’s nice China. When Carissa handed the breadbasket to Bradley, his fingers grazed hers, and he held on longer than necessary. She sucked in a sharp breath and pulled her hand away.
“Carissa, are you free Thursday evening?” Dad turned his full attention to her.
“I think so. Why?” She poured dressing over her salad.
“I’m having dinner with a business associate, and I thought you might like to go with me.” He looked at her expectantly.
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The only time her father invited her to a business dinner was when someone her age would also be in attendance—usually a guy. Single and worthy in her father’s eyes.
“So?” Dad asked, a single brow arched.
“Is this another attempt to set me up?”
Beside her, Bradley choked on his food. He coughed and reached for his drink.
She ignored his reaction, not wanting him to see how horrified she was that her father would choose now to do something like this. Why couldn’t he ever ask her in private, without putting her on the spot in front of everyone?
“Jack’s son is a respectable young man.” Dad took a bite of his lasagna.
Carissa clenched her jaw, then exhaled slowly in an effort to keep her temper in check. “Dad, you know I’m with Danny.”
No one else at the table bothered to look up, all of them suddenly very interested in their food. Maybe that was better. The less people involved in this trainwreck, the better.
Dad huffed and pointed his fork at her. “And you know that boy is nothing but trouble. You can do better.”
How many times had her father told her that? How many other worse things had he said about Danny? Normally, she’d bite her tongue and endure the Danny-bashing portion of dinner, but today, something inside of her snapped.
She stood, threw her napkin onto her plate of uneaten food, and stormed outside. Kicking off her shoes, she sat on the edge of the pool and dipped her feet into the cool water. Sitting out here usually calmed her, but she continued to seethe with anger.
She knew her father hated Danny, and that was fine. She could deal with that, but she couldn’t handle her dad constantly trying to replace her boyfriend. Didn’t he realize she was legally an adult and could make her own choices? She was almost twenty-one for crying out loud. She didn’t need her father to dictate her life.
“You alright?”
She glanced over her shoulder to find Bradley standing a few feet away, hands tucked into his pockets. “You must think I’m a spoiled rotten brat.”
“No, I don’t think that at all.” He toed off his shoes and sat beside her, his feet dangling in the water, too.
“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes. Twice now he’d been witness to her getting angry and storming off. Toddlers behaved that way, not grown women.
“I don’t. Promise.” He gently nudged her shoulder with his. “I think you’re dealing with a lot of stuff, and people keep piling more on you.” He shrugged. “Anyone would crack eventually.”
Well, she hadn’t expected that. She swirled her feet beneath the water, momentarily mesmerized by the ripples. “My dad thinks Danny’s dangerous.”
Bradley was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation. “I know he’d never hurt me. Not in the way my father seems to think he will.” She leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes, letting the midday sun warm her face.
“Then it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks, right?”
Carissa straightened, dusted off her palms, and shifted so she was facing him. “I guess not.” She tilted her head. “But it’s hard to be with someone when everyone close to you can’t stand the person you’re with.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe everyone is right. Maybe Danny isn’t the right guy for me.”
“Is that how you feel?”
She scrunched up her face. “You sound like a shrink, you know that?” Carissa laughed. “Let me guess… you’re a psychology major?”
“Business, actually.”
“Oh.” She chewed on her bottom lip and concentrated on picking at her cuticles—a nasty habit she had when she was nervous or in a situation she wasn’t sure how to handle.
“Want to know what I really think?” he asked.
“Yes please.”
He graced her with a breathtaking smile, and she had no idea how she didn’t fall backward with how hard that simple gesture hit her. She held her breath, waiting for whatever he might say next.
“I don’t know you or Danny all that well, but from the moment I met Danny, something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I have no idea what happened last night, but the specifics don’t matter. He made you cry, and in my book, that makes him a jerk.” Bradley eased his feet from the water and angled his body toward her. “I keep wondering how in the hell a guy like him got a girl like you.”
A whoosh of breath rushed out of Carissa, and then she sucked it right back in. Eyes wide, she blinked, attempting to process his words and to stave off the impending tears that were threatening to spill free.
“From what little I’ve seen so far, I don’t think he treats you the way you deserve to be treated,” he said with a shrug.
No one had ever said anything so sweet before, and she was at a loss for what to say in response. Somehow, “thank you” didn’t seem like enough. So, rather than say anything, she leaned closer, her gaze dipping to his mouth.
But to her utter horror, Bradley moved away from her. She jerked back, heart thundering, the tips of her ears burning with embarrassment. What the hell? He’d been more than willing to kiss her the other night. Why wasn’t he now?
Scrambling to her feet, she scooped her shoes from the ground. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Bradley stood. “Carissa, wait.” He gently clutched her arm to stop her from running away.
His hand was warm and soft, his touch caring and so unlike Danny’s. She swallowed the lump in her throat and faced him, even though every instinct she had was screaming at her to run.
“I need you to know something.” He licked his lips.
“What?” Her tone was cool.
“I really do want to kiss you again. Hell, it’s all I’ve been able to think about.” He dropped his hold on her arm and raked his fingers through his hair. “But I’m not this guy, Carissa.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t steal another man’s girlfriend, and I don’t sneak around behind anyone’s back, either.”
She pursed her lips and gave a single, curt nod. “Good to know.” Without another word, she walked away, head held high and back ramrod straight.
Chapter Ten
Despite her best efforts, Carissa couldn’t keep her tears at bay, and the second she was alone in her car, the dam broke. Between her fight with Danny last night, her father pulling his usual crap, and then being flat-out rejected by Bradley, she’d had enough. How had her life become such a mess?
When she’d moved into the residence hall as a freshman, she was so hopeful and excited. She was finally out of her parents’ house and had some independence. She was rooming with her best friend. The world had been at her fingertips. And then she’d met Danny, and for a while, life had been perfect.
But then she got pregnant, and her world crumbled around her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to rebuild her life. Every time she tried, something else would come along and knock it all back down.
She pulled into a designated parking lot and found an empty spot, but she didn’t rush to get out of the car. Instead, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel and focused on her breathing. Eventually, her tears stopped.
Yanking the keys from the ignition, she dropped them into her purse and grabbed the door handle. Before she could get the door open, though, her phone dinged with a message. For a brief second, she contemplated ignoring it, but she wasn’t quite ready to face Tiffany just yet. Her friend would demand to know what was wrong, and Carissa didn’t want to relive the events of the past twenty-four hours.
She swiped her thumb across the screen and opened her messages.
Bradley: I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.
Carissa rolled her eyes. Don’t be mad? Was he for real? How would he react if he’d tried to kiss her, and she’d pulled away in disgust? Okay, so maybe he hadn’t been disgusted, but he’d still rejected her in a vulnerable moment.
Bradley: You left before I could finish what I was saying…
Bradley: When you end things with Danny, I’ll be here.
Wait… what? She re-read his message before the meaning finally sunk in. Should she be happy about this? The idea of being with Bradley was certainly intriguing, and she’d be a liar if she tried to deny having thought about it, but she loved Danny. They’d been together for almost a year. Could she really risk throwing that away for a guy she barely knew? What if Bradley turned out to be a freak? Or a bigger jerk than Danny on his worst day?
Dropping her phone into her purse, she shoved open the car door and climbed out. She’d barely taken half a dozen steps when footsteps sounded behind her.
“Carissa!”
She stopped and turned.
Danny jogged toward her. “Hey.” He came to a stop in front of her. “Can we talk?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she shifted on her feet and averted her gaze. She didn’t have the emotional strength for this right now, but she knew Danny, and he wouldn’t give up until she talked to him.
“Things got out of hand last night,” he said.
“You think?”
Danny sighed, but he didn’t immediately snap back at her like she thought he would. “I’m sorry I said the things I did.” He gingerly reached for her hands and held them in his. “I love you, Carissa, and the only thing I want in this entire world is to be with you.”
Her throat burned with the sting of fresh tears, and she bit the inside of her cheek to hold them back.
“I royally fucked up, and I know that, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” He squeezed her hands and moved a little closer. “We made so many plans for our future, and I still want all of that. Can you forgive me?”
All the fight seeped from her bones, and she let out a heavy breath, her shoulders slumping with the effort of releasing all the pent-up anger that had been brewing inside of her.
“I’m sorry, too,” she whispered.
Danny enveloped her in a hug, and she rested her head on his shoulder, taking comfort in the familiarity of his embrace. They stood there for a few moments, neither of them speaking, and she was transported back to when they’d first gotten together, when things were easy and fun. She longed for those days.
“I did a lot of thinking last night,” he said, holding her out at arm’s length. “And you were absolutely right. We’re not in any position to have a baby right now. I promise I won’t bring it up again.”
“Thank you.”
“But make no mistake, Carissa. I still want a future with you, no matter what that looks like.” He moved his hands up to cradle her face, and then he brushed his lips softly over hers.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into him, welcoming his kiss.
“I love you so much,” he whispered against her mouth. “Thank you for giving me another chance.”
She nodded, her mind spinning from the rollercoaster of emotions she’d been on the past few days.
“How did Sunday dinner go?” he asked.
“About the same as always. Dad is being Dad again. Today, though, I actually stood up for myself, and I left early without bothering to say goodbye to anyone.” She stopped short of spilling the truth about Bradley and her humiliating encounter with him.
Danny laughed. “Good for you.”
She grinned. “It did feel good to tell him to knock it off.” She laughed, too, and even more of the weight and sadness lifted from her shoulders. “Though, I do regret not getting a chance to eat.”
“C’mon.” He wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll take you out to eat. Anywhere you want to go.”
“You might regret saying that.” She playfully nudged his hip with hers. “I’m starving, so I’m going to eat a lot.”
“Bring it on,” he said, leading her toward his SUV.
Carissa stood in line with the rest of her pledge class and yawned. She’d spent all day—and most of last night—with Danny, and she’d had a great time. Even though they didn’t talk about any of their issues or work anything out, being with him had felt so much like old times. For a while, she’d been able to forget all of their problems. When she finally dragged herself into her room at 11:57 p.m., she’d collapsed into bed.
And then was promptly woken up at 5:15 a.m. by a text from Mallory. Pledges were required to be present at TOP at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Lateness wouldn’t be tolerated. Why Mallory had to send the announcement so damn early was a mystery to Carissa, but once she was awake, she hadn’t been able to fall back asleep. Now, she was about as functional as a zombie on downers, and she had no idea how she was going to make it through all her classes.
“Good morning, ladies.” Mallory walked the length of the line, pivoted on her heel, and walked back.
“Good morning,” they all mumbled in unison.
Carissa yawned again.
“I’m sorry.” Mallory stopped and tilted her head. “Did you ladies say something?”
“Good morning,” they all said louder and with slightly more enthusiasm.
Mallory smiled. “Better.” She held her hand out, and Amber placed a large manilla envelope in her palm. Amber set a tote bag on the floor near Mallory’s feet, then stepped back, out of the way.
The same sense of unease from their first pledge meeting returned, and Carissa’s stomach twisted. She was suddenly wide awake, though, and alert to whatever task they’d have to complete today.
“Core trait number four. What is it?” Mallory tapped her chin, then pointed the envelope at a girl standing near the end of the line. “Ella?”
“Um…” She hesitated. “Always own your choices.” Ella phrased the answer as more of a question, and Carissa held her breath, wondering if there’d be consequences for not knowing what core trait number four was. Admittedly, she didn’t know, either.
“Yes.” Mallory smiled again. “As a TOP sister, we always own every choice we make. We don’t blame others for what we do, nor do we deny a choice we’ve made, even if it happens to be a bad one.”
Carissa shifted on her feet and sliced a look at Tiffany, who was giving her undivided attention to Mallory. Tiffany hung on the president’s every word, her face lit up with excitement. Of course her friend would be excited—she didn’t have to worry about upsetting a boyfriend with silly sorority tasks.
“Friday night, you all made a choice,” Mallory said as she resumed pacing. “We gave you a task, and you all chose to complete it. You chose which of our lucky gentlemen you’d kiss. And you chose how to make that happen.”
