I saw Jo, and the wannabe boyfriend was hovering over her. His hand was on her back, and my teeth gritted. The need to wrench his hand off her was rising quickly in me. I scooted closer to a window. They were moving to the kitchen. I followed. A group had taken up the space by the back door. A girl saw me, but I pulled my hood over my head and lit up my phone. Holding it to my ear, I turned my back to her and waited. Glancing back, I saw her attention had returned to her group, and I moved closer to the side of the house.
She wouldn’t be able to see me from her angle, but I could still see Jo. I couldn’t then. She wasn’t there anymore. Scanning the kitchen from my view, the wannabe boyfriend was there. Another guy I saw with Jo before was there.
Wanker?
I looked for the roommate. I saw her earlier, too, but not now. Jo must’ve been with her. Leaving my view of the kitchen, I moved further to the front of the house. I couldn’t find her. That raised my alarm. I’d have to go inside. I was regretting that I hadn’t grabbed a baseball cap, but I would have to proceed without it.
Spying an open window on the second floor, I stepped up on a closed window frame and hoisted myself the rest of the way, grabbing ahold of the house’s jetty to swing my legs up. Once I had a secure foothold, I moved to the window and removed the screen. I slipped inside a bedroom. The hallway was lit up, and I heard voices.
A girl giggled. “Oh, Rob.”
The guy laughed and pressed her against the door. The door handle started to turn.
I quickly locked it.
“What the hell? Trent locked it?”
“That was smart of him.”
“Fuck. Hold on. I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t.” She giggled again. “Hurry back.”
I had to move. On the way, I grabbed a baseball cap. A connecting bathroom led to another bedroom. A quick scan showed it was empty, and I hurried to the next door. It was only a matter of time before Trent would come this way to get to his room. Peeking into the hallway, I saw that the girl wasn’t looking my way. I snuck across the hall to another bedroom. It was the same layout. The bathroom was attached to the next room.
I’d have to wait till the hallway was clear.
The guy returned. His voice drifted through the door. “Trent said he didn’t lock it, but we can go this way.”
“Oh, good. Oh. Hi!”
A guarded response came next. “Hello.”
It was Jordan. I held still. She was here. She was within reach. We could sneak out and head back to the car.
“You’re Jake’s girlfriend, right?”
I reached for the handle but paused.
“Uh…well…it’s complicated.”
The girl laughed. “Well, good on you. Seriously, I’m sick of the Susan-and-Tara show.”
“The Susan-and-Tara show?” Jordan didn’t sound impressed.
“The two think they run the campus. Susan keeps bragging that she’s going straight to a big network ’cause of that interview, but I heard the guy only interviewed here because of the other chick. What’s her name?”
“Erica.” Jordan sounded even less amused.
“Yeah, her. She’s a scrappy little thing, isn’t she? Wait, I saw her with Jake downstairs. Are you guys all friends?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, whatever.”
“Gabby,” the guy groaned, “we were in the middle of something.”
“Chill, Rob. I want to give this girl my support. You have it, you know,” she said the last part to Jordan. “Tara and Susan are not liked by everyone. They think they are, but they aren’t. I know they’re both trying to sabotage you and Jake, but you have friends. Just reach out. My girls and I will have your back.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. When the showdown happens, I’ll holler for you.”
The girl laughed. “You do that. My name is Gabby.”
“Come on, Gab.”
“Okay, okay.”
“That sounds lovely. Uh, the bathroom’s this way?”
“Are you supposed to be up here?” His voice dipped low. The guy was suspicious. “The upstairs area is off-limits.”
“Some guy told me I could come up here.”
“Who?”
“Not Trent but some other guy. Blond hair. His shirt said…I don’t know…Mass U?”
“Oh. That’s Erik. He’s a good guy. Yeah, the bathroom’s at the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks.”
I wanted to grab her, but the couple was still in the hallway. They would see me if I opened the door. Her shadow passed the door as she went to the bathroom. I heard a door open and close, followed by a second door, and then there were no voices in the hallway. Everyone was in a room, so the hallway was clear. I leaned against the door.
I’d have to wait until she came back out, and then I’d grab her.
Minutes Earlier
I had no clue why Jake insisted on going to the party, but so had Erica. She’d wanted to celebrate because she’d finished her piece on Kian’s interview. Wanker had come along for the ride—or that was what I’d assumed until we got to the house that was packed to the brim, and Wanker was the first to get a drink. He’d downed three shots before the rest of us could get our own beers.
Wanting to slip away, I nudged Erica’s arm. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
She followed me from the kitchen. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just have to go to the bathroom.”
Her eyebrows were high. “No…sickness…of any kind? None at all?” She felt my forehead and frowned. “You do seem a little sweaty. Are you sure? You know, about the no-kid thing?”
I removed her hand. “Erica.”
“Yes?” Excited anticipation filled her eyes, and she leaned even closer.
“I would have to have sex to get pregnant.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows dipped down. “But—”
“Seven months ago. That was it.” I patted my flat stomach. “And you would have definitely seen a bump by now if I were about to pop in two months.”
“I suppose.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. You’ve just been distant lately. You’re quieter and always leaving.” She shrugged to herself. “Then again, I’ve not been around too much either. We should do a roommate dinner or a roommate weekend. Wait.” She latched on to my arm. “What about a roommate slumber party? We’ll drink wine, watch ’80s movies, and eat lots of pizza. We can sleep out in the living room—or in our rooms. Maybe we should get a nice hotel suite, and do that? Yeah, let’s do that.”
She wouldn’t be able to see me from her angle, but I could still see Jo. I couldn’t then. She wasn’t there anymore. Scanning the kitchen from my view, the wannabe boyfriend was there. Another guy I saw with Jo before was there.
Wanker?
I looked for the roommate. I saw her earlier, too, but not now. Jo must’ve been with her. Leaving my view of the kitchen, I moved further to the front of the house. I couldn’t find her. That raised my alarm. I’d have to go inside. I was regretting that I hadn’t grabbed a baseball cap, but I would have to proceed without it.
Spying an open window on the second floor, I stepped up on a closed window frame and hoisted myself the rest of the way, grabbing ahold of the house’s jetty to swing my legs up. Once I had a secure foothold, I moved to the window and removed the screen. I slipped inside a bedroom. The hallway was lit up, and I heard voices.
A girl giggled. “Oh, Rob.”
The guy laughed and pressed her against the door. The door handle started to turn.
I quickly locked it.
“What the hell? Trent locked it?”
“That was smart of him.”
“Fuck. Hold on. I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t.” She giggled again. “Hurry back.”
I had to move. On the way, I grabbed a baseball cap. A connecting bathroom led to another bedroom. A quick scan showed it was empty, and I hurried to the next door. It was only a matter of time before Trent would come this way to get to his room. Peeking into the hallway, I saw that the girl wasn’t looking my way. I snuck across the hall to another bedroom. It was the same layout. The bathroom was attached to the next room.
I’d have to wait till the hallway was clear.
The guy returned. His voice drifted through the door. “Trent said he didn’t lock it, but we can go this way.”
“Oh, good. Oh. Hi!”
A guarded response came next. “Hello.”
It was Jordan. I held still. She was here. She was within reach. We could sneak out and head back to the car.
“You’re Jake’s girlfriend, right?”
I reached for the handle but paused.
“Uh…well…it’s complicated.”
The girl laughed. “Well, good on you. Seriously, I’m sick of the Susan-and-Tara show.”
“The Susan-and-Tara show?” Jordan didn’t sound impressed.
“The two think they run the campus. Susan keeps bragging that she’s going straight to a big network ’cause of that interview, but I heard the guy only interviewed here because of the other chick. What’s her name?”
“Erica.” Jordan sounded even less amused.
“Yeah, her. She’s a scrappy little thing, isn’t she? Wait, I saw her with Jake downstairs. Are you guys all friends?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, whatever.”
“Gabby,” the guy groaned, “we were in the middle of something.”
“Chill, Rob. I want to give this girl my support. You have it, you know,” she said the last part to Jordan. “Tara and Susan are not liked by everyone. They think they are, but they aren’t. I know they’re both trying to sabotage you and Jake, but you have friends. Just reach out. My girls and I will have your back.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. When the showdown happens, I’ll holler for you.”
The girl laughed. “You do that. My name is Gabby.”
“Come on, Gab.”
“Okay, okay.”
“That sounds lovely. Uh, the bathroom’s this way?”
“Are you supposed to be up here?” His voice dipped low. The guy was suspicious. “The upstairs area is off-limits.”
“Some guy told me I could come up here.”
“Who?”
“Not Trent but some other guy. Blond hair. His shirt said…I don’t know…Mass U?”
“Oh. That’s Erik. He’s a good guy. Yeah, the bathroom’s at the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks.”
I wanted to grab her, but the couple was still in the hallway. They would see me if I opened the door. Her shadow passed the door as she went to the bathroom. I heard a door open and close, followed by a second door, and then there were no voices in the hallway. Everyone was in a room, so the hallway was clear. I leaned against the door.
I’d have to wait until she came back out, and then I’d grab her.
Minutes Earlier
I had no clue why Jake insisted on going to the party, but so had Erica. She’d wanted to celebrate because she’d finished her piece on Kian’s interview. Wanker had come along for the ride—or that was what I’d assumed until we got to the house that was packed to the brim, and Wanker was the first to get a drink. He’d downed three shots before the rest of us could get our own beers.
Wanting to slip away, I nudged Erica’s arm. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
She followed me from the kitchen. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just have to go to the bathroom.”
Her eyebrows were high. “No…sickness…of any kind? None at all?” She felt my forehead and frowned. “You do seem a little sweaty. Are you sure? You know, about the no-kid thing?”
I removed her hand. “Erica.”
“Yes?” Excited anticipation filled her eyes, and she leaned even closer.
“I would have to have sex to get pregnant.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows dipped down. “But—”
“Seven months ago. That was it.” I patted my flat stomach. “And you would have definitely seen a bump by now if I were about to pop in two months.”
“I suppose.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. You’ve just been distant lately. You’re quieter and always leaving.” She shrugged to herself. “Then again, I’ve not been around too much either. We should do a roommate dinner or a roommate weekend. Wait.” She latched on to my arm. “What about a roommate slumber party? We’ll drink wine, watch ’80s movies, and eat lots of pizza. We can sleep out in the living room—or in our rooms. Maybe we should get a nice hotel suite, and do that? Yeah, let’s do that.”
