Blissful Valentine: A Novella (9 page)

Great, no reaction. I cautiously walk through the foyer and into the Beta Omega meeting area. More like video game center. Four guys surround the TV, sitting on the couches holding controllers and staring at the screen. No one notices me.

“Hey. Is Dean here?”

“Shit.” The TV screen flashes GAME OVER and the guy closest to me drops his controller. He turns toward me. “Hey babe, he’s in his room. He’ll get to you in a minute.
”
He chuckles under his breath.

It’s like I’m in the land of the assholes. How the hell did these idiots even get into college? I huff and spin around. The sooner I get away from them the better. Five minutes has proven to be way too long to spend here. Dean can’t take long to get ready. Waiting for him in his room is clearly the lesser of the evils.

I march through the foyer and head up the creaky steps to Dean’s room. My pulse races, fluttering faster by the second. Memories of my first encounter here flood my brain. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, letting  all my negative thoughts flow out of my body. Tonight is all about fun and a little romance. I unbutton my black pea coat and pat down my fitted red dress. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Let the Valentine festivities begin.

I knock and take a step back, hoping Dean likes what he sees. No response. I step forward and knock again. Nothing. I guess knocking on the door is unacceptable behavior in the frat house. I grip the door knob, turning it slowly. I push it open a crack. “Dean?” Nothing. I swing the door open and step inside.

I gasp. My hands fly to my face, covering my mouth. My stomach drops to the floor like a ton of bricks. This can’t be happening. I drop my arms to my sides and stare at the scene in front of me, blinking repeatedly.
Please tell me my eyes are playing tricks on me.
Tanya Layton is lying across Dean’s bed, half-naked in her red bra and panties, holding a cardboard heart-shaped Valentine. I shift my gaze toward Dean, standing at the head of the bed shirtless wearing only jeans. Bastard.

He holds up his hands and walks toward me
.
“This isn’t what you think.”

My hands clench into tight fists. “Please, enlighten me.” I look over at Tanya, a smug smile plastered across her face. “You know what? Never mind, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

A low growl forms in my throat. Maybe she needs someone to slap that smirk from her mouth. My fists clench harder, pressing my fingernails into my palms. I close my eyes tight, trying to suppress the tears that are about to burst from eyes. “Go to hell, both of you.”

I turn around and storm out of the room, shoving the door so hard it slams  off the wall. A river of tears flows down my cheeks.
God, why didn’t I stick to my rules?

I wipe my cheeks and run down the steps like stampede of horses. I fling open the heavy wooden door like it’s made of feathers and fly down the concrete steps. Of course this was destined to go down in a blazing inferno. Just didn’t expect it to happen before our first official date.

“Brooke…wait!
”
Dean yells, trying to pull on his shirt and keep up with me at the same time. He slides it on and runs ahead, stopping right in front of me. We stand face to face in the middle of the road like we’re about to have a showdown.

“Leave me alone.” I spin around and walk in the other direction. I’d rather walk a million miles out of the way than listen to his bullshit.

He rushes in front of me and stops, blocking my way. “Let me explain.” He puts his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Like any words in the English language are going to change what I just saw. Who’s he kidding? He’s a frat boy in a frat house who whores around and uses girls just like the rest of those idiots who live there. He almost had me fooled. Dammit! Why did I let myself get involved with him? I wipe a few stray tears from my eyes and lower my head.

He reaches for my arm, but I pull away. “I walked in my room and she was sprawled across my bed. Thought the guys sent her as a joke.
”
He stares with a teary gaze. “Hand to god.” He presses his hand against his chest, then raises it in the air.

“Yeah, right. Funny joke.” I huff. “You’re smarter than that. Can’t you think of something better?
”
I clench my jaw and shoot him a death glare. “Just go. We’re done.” I take a few steps forward but he refuses to budge.

I turn around again and sprint forward. He catches up to me like I’m not even moving and blocks my path again. “I swear, nothing happened.”

“Yet.” I push him hard, moving him just enough, and walk forward. I’ve got to get away. He doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of seeing my breakdown.

He steps in front of me again. “Please, stop. You’re the only one I want.”

“Bullshit!
”
That’s it. I’ve had enough. Enough of the promises, enough of the lies, and enough of this stupid friggin
’
holiday. My pulse pounds in my ears like a jackhammer. Adrenaline rushes through my body like a volcano ready to explode. I take a few steps back, stop, and lock eyes with Dean, summing the fires of a thousand hells with one sinister gaze. “Guess what? We can’t always get what we want.” I stick my hand in my pocket and clutch the baseball. “I don’t want a cheater, I don’t want a jock, I don’t want a frat boy, and I don’t want you.” I rip the Derek Jeter autographed baseball out of my pocket and launch it with every ounce of energy I have.

The hard ball spins through the air, making contact with Dean’s chest. He hunches over from the blunt force. Direct hit to the heart.

CHAPTER 9—WHITEOUT

I can’t take this any more. I push down the silver button on my cell phone until the volume shuts off. Every time that chime sounds through the air it rips open my still-fresh wound. That makes forty-seven texts in less than twenty-four hours. Not one of them answered. One would think he’d take a hint?

I sink into the couch and glance at the cell phone screen out of the corner of my eye.

The recently arrested frat boy won’t give up his perfect disappointment without a fight. Please talk to me.

Wow, romance at its finest. Does he seriously think I’ll just grab the phone and speed dial his number? No way in hell. Cheating is the ultimate deal breaker. I mean, how am I supposed to trust him after walking in on that scene? Especially since half-naked, drunk girls are just another day at the frat house. Part of me would love to hear what other excuses he devised. Not that anything he says can justify a girl in lingerie laying in his bed.

I just don’t get it. He knew I’d be meeting him. Did he think he’d have a quickie then come downstairs to greet me? I grind my teeth. It doesn’t add up. He’s either a complete idiot or…hmm, I’ve got nothing.

Lexie stomps through the kitchen like a heard of horses. I flip the heavy fleece blanket to the side and rise from my self-made cocoon of comfort. Guess I can’t sulk all day. I march into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

Lexie slides off her snow-covered boots, setting them on the throw carpet near the door. “It’s like a blizzard out there.” She shakes the snowflakes out of her hair. “Good news, all classes are cancelled. No physics test for you.”

I plop into a kitchen chair and sip my water. “If I had infinity to study for it I’d probably still fail.”

She tosses her jacket on the coat rack. “I know a great tutor.” She winks.

I huff. “What happened to girl code? Aren’t you supposed to hate him too?”

She slides into the kitchen chair and twists her finger around her hair. “Listen. I talked to Olivia and, according to Trevor, Dean is a complete wreck.”

I smirk. “Good.”

“Anyway. Word is Tanya showed up to the party early, thinking she was going to score with Dean. I think he was telling the truth. Why not just hear him out?”

I squeeze my bottle of water, crinkling the plastic. A few drops spill over the lid and onto my hand. “What a bitch.” Heat flows across my cheeks, creeping up to my ears. “She saw us together at the handcuff party and still pulled her bullshit. What a slut.”

Lexie nods and pulls the water bottle from my hand. “According to Trevor, Dean went back to his room after showering and there was Tanya, sprawled on his bed like a hooker.” She sets the water bottle on the table. “That’s when you showed up.”

So, he didn’t cheat.
A small smile creeps across my face. Alright, guess he’s not a complete and total jerk. Maybe I should talk to him, just not yet. I cover my face with my hands rubbing them down to my chin.

Lexie pushes my water bottle toward me and tips her chin. “Tanya was so pissed when Dean ran out on her to chase after you. She was throwing a tantrum like a spoiled brat in front of all the guys.” She laughs. “Classic fail.”

I let out a small chuckle. “It’s about time someone put her in her place. I was kinda hoping it would be me.”

Lexie raises an eyebrow. “Go for it.”

I shake my head. “It’s not worth it. Not now. This crap probably happens all the time at the frat house.”

She leans back in her chair. “Doubt it. Most guys don’t leave half-naked girls ready to score in their bed.” She rubs her chin. “I’m pretty sure that’s never happened, until now.

She’s got a point. I nibble at my fingernail. Putting up with all the downfalls of the frat house might kill me. If only he didn’t live there, everything would be…perfect. My god, for the first time ever in my nineteen years on this Earth, I found no fault in a guy other than his place of residence. Of course, that happens to be a major fault. Why can’t everything just work out for once? Guess perfect doesn’t exist.

I sigh. “And I thought sororities were the ones with the drama.”

She slides out of her chair and grabs a bag of chips from the cupboard. “Come on, let’s find a chick flick with some real drama.”

I follow her into the TV room and crash onto the couch, covering myself with my nest of blankets. At this point, the TV dramas have some competition with Beta Omega. I grab the remote and flip through the channels. Awesome,
10 Things I Hate About You.
Kat Stratford had a point. Dating sucks.

Lexie’s phone buzzes, scooting across the coffee table. She picks it up and slightly flinches her head back.

“What?”

She tilts the screen toward me. “It’s Dean.
”
She sets the phone between us. “I’m putting him on speaker phone.” She presses a few buttons. “Hello.”

“Got a second?” His voice shakes.

I lean forward, staring at the phone as if it’s the solution to any answers I may seek.

“Yeah, sure,” Lexie says.

“Brooke won’t talk to me. I need help.”

Of course Lexie is ‘Team Dean’ so she’ll help him. I mean, he did take the fall for her with that whole campus police ordeal. Let’s just hope she’s got ‘Team Brooke’s’ best interests at heart.

“Can you blame her?” Lexie twists hair around her finger.

“Nothing happened. Hand to god.” He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. “She needs to know the truth. I just…I can’t stand being without her.”

Goose bumps spread across my skin. My heart beats like a drum. The feeling’s mutual; being without Dean sucks. No matter what I do, I just can’t get him off my mind. So how long am I willing to torture us both?

Lexie covers her mouth with her hand and flashes puppy dog eyes at me. She drops her hand and clears her throat. “So make her listen, but you’ll need some grand gesture to get out of this one.”

“Hmm, a grand gesture.” His voice lightens. “I’m already devising a plan. Thanks.”

“Later.” She presses the button to end the call and sets the phone on the coffee table.

I nibble at my fingernails. “I know. I’m going to talk to him.”

“What are you so afraid of anyway? He’s crazy about you, crazy enough to pour his heart out to your best friend. That says something.” She looks over at me still sporting the puppy dog eyes.

I lean back into the couch cushion and stare at the TV. It’s at the scene where Kat’s at the prom. “Makes me want to run up to him and jump in his arms.”

“So what’s stopping you?
”
She pops a few chips in her mouth.

“Don’t you remember the last few days? I’ve got to think rational.” I nibble on a chip.

“You think too much.”

Doesn’t change what the future may hold. “Yeah, but things like this could happen all the time.”

“Or they could never happen again.”

Yeah, a lot of what-if’s in this scenario. Plus what I want and what I need aren’t always the same. I just need to clear my head for a minute. “Enough of the Dean and Brooke talk. Let’s stare at Heath Ledger for a while.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Great idea.”

The TV suddenly shuts off, along with all the lights. Dammit. “Guess that idea’s shot to hell.”
Please, no more relationship talk.

“I’ve got an idea. Be right back.” Lexie trots down the hallway.

I head over to the window and gaze at the snow-covered road. There’s got to be close to a foot out there. Snowflakes dance through the air forming a perfect untouched blanket. It’s like a scene from a
Norman Rockwell
painting. Except that not a soul is out on this blustery day.

Lexie walks back to the couch holding a board game. She clears off the table and sets the box down. “Monopoly time.”

I chuckle. Monopoly has been our go-to activity whenever there’s nothing else to do. Ever since the first night in our apartment when we had an issue with the electric bill. That’s when candlelight Monopoly was created. We’ve also come up with drunken Monopoly, hung-over Monopoly, and I-can’t-get-out-of-bed Monopoly.

I scoot down on the floor and grab the thimble, setting it down on the Go space. “Ready to get your ass kicked?
”
I smirk and grab the dice.

“Bring it on.”

Miracles really do happen. I focus on the dice lying on the game board. Yep, eleven spaces. Looks like Lexie’s checking into my hotel on Boardwalk. She sighs and moves the silver iron to the blue space.

I hold out my hand. “Someone owes me two grand.”

“How about my firstborn?” She tosses her colorful pile of money on the game board. “I’m out.”

“Yes!” I yell, throwing my hands in the air in the shape of a V.

“At least you’re modest.” She grabs the box from under the table and sorts the money into its proper piles.

“Don’t you think I’m due for some good luck?” I stand up and stretch my stiff muscles.

She nods and presses the TV remote. “When the hell is this power going to click back on? We’ve got two hours of heat if we’re lucky.”

I shrug. “Guess it’s a candlelight dinner for us.
”
I take the game and start toward the hallway.

Music blares, faint at first then slowly getting louder. Is some psycho blasting their car radio and trying to drive in this blizzard? More power to them. I set the Monopoly game on the top shelf and head back into the TV room. A soft melody echoes through the air. Wait, I know this song.

“What’s that?” Lexie scrunches her forehead and glances out the window. Her eyes widen. “Um, it’s for you.” She covers her mouth with both hands.

“What?
”
I slide the white curtain to the side and search the snow-covered landscape. My heart pounds like a jackhammer. Oh my god, he’s insane. Butterflies flutter in my stomach. Dean stands tall, holding up his MP3 player and portable speaker.
In Your Eyes
by Peter Gabriel resonates through the air. I cover my mouth with my hand, an ear-to-ear smile forming underneath, then turn toward Lexie. She flashes those puppy dog eyes yet again. I can’t believe he remembered. I drop my hands to my side and desperately try to compose myself. Yeah, like that’s going to happen now.

I charge toward the kitchen and fling open the door. No more rationalizing, no more weighing out pros and cons, no more thinking. Who care’s where he lives or what stupid organization he belongs to? He’s everything I want.

I step onto the snow-covered porch in my fuzzy blue slippers. Frigid air hits me like a ton of bricks. I shiver even though heat radiates through my veins. Dean trudges through the snow to the first step. A coating of snowflakes decorate his black stocking hat.

He turns down the music and sets a bag on the porch. “Listen. I know you hate me right now but I swear. Nothing happened.” He steps up onto the next step. “I won’t give up on us. You’re worth the fight. I want you. Not Tanya, not any random frat party girls, not anyone else. Only you. I want to make sure that’s clear.”

I shake my head. “Shut up.” I rush toward him and slam my lips to his.

He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight against his red coat.

Lexie claps in the doorway. “That’s what I call a grand gesture.”

I pull away and take Dean’s hand, leading him into the kitchen. He follows, snatching up the bag on the way. We shake the snow from our cold bodies, just dying to feel each other’s heat.

Lexie yawns a fake yawn. “See you guys later. Don’t be too loud.” She winks.

I roll my eyes and chuckle. Once she turns the corner I lunge at Dean. I meet his body lips first and throw all the passion, all the desire inside me into one kiss.

He pulls away, sucking my bottom lip. “I’m not done yet.”

I breathe heavily. “Me neither, not even close.” I press my lips to his.

He backs up and leans his forehead on mine. “Grand gesture is still in progress.
”
He takes my hand, guiding me into the living room.

I tip my chin and scrunch my eyebrows. “You’re full of surprises.
”
I sit on the couch, sinking into the cushion.