“Suz?” Zoey grabs my arm and turns me slightly to further seize my attention. As was the first time I saw my best friend, I’m stunned by her beauty. Looking at Zoey is like looking into the sun. She is that stunning. “Suz? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I quickly respond.
“Shit, you’ve stepped in a mess this time. I mean, Christ, you know how to pick ’em. Suz, you just ran over Ben Anderson,” she provides, and I pull on my best blank expression at the mention of his name. “The quarterback.”
“And?”
“Christ, she doesn’t even know who Ben is?” Someone from behind me spouts incredulously.
“Dude! She totally sacked you. And with a freaking Range Rover!”
“Shut up, Grady.” Ben’s deep, rich baritone voice is a sudden and soothing balm to my frayed nerves. And for the second time in my life, I finally feel as though I’m home.
Our first official meeting still makes us laugh today. Hell, Ben even thanks me. Why? I have no idea. But as my father takes my arm to walk me toward my future, I’m grateful for the past five years I’ve had with Ben.
From the first time I pulled up Ben’s information on my handy laptop I was captivated. My mind spun tale after tale of the life we could have. Just seeing Ben’s picture on my screen made my heart race and dream of a future I never wanted. Yet, still, I conjured up a life I couldn’t stop myself from hoping for.
I never wanted to meet him, I didn’t think my heart could handle the disappointment of rejection. It’s tender after all, thank you, Mom and Dad.
If it weren’t for Zoey and meeting her freshman year of high school at the Trinity School, I wouldn’t be here today. Thank God for my vivacious best friend, my sister from another mister. Zoey has been my saving grace from our very first encounter in the dorms.
If ever there were two wrongs that make a right, it’s us. Ben was just the icing.
He is and will forever be the calm in the eye of my storm. Where I’m all flash and bang, my Bennie is calm, cool, and collected. Grace under pressure. Simply looking into his honey brown eyes, the chaos in my mind settles. No one else exists. Suddenly the four hundred people in the room are gone. It is simply me and Ben. Two souls finally coming home.
“What the fuck, Suz?”
“It wasn’t my fault. I mean, really, who crosses the road against the light? Shit, Zo, we’ve been here three months and I still don’t understand a word these hicks say. Why did we come here? For Eskimo Joe’s? A bar? Honestly, I thought I’d never say this, but I’m missing Jersey,” I say in defense, hoping I don’t go missing, my body never recovered. I am in Oklahoma, after all.
I know the truth of our why. We came to the middle of the country to escape our families. Me, from my parents, Zo from her father. We’re simply two girls trying to survive and escape our pasts.
“He was crossing in accordance to the rules of the road, Susanne. So please, just stop. Stop playing the honorable senator’s daughter and covering your ass. Alish isn’t here right now, and, girl, you are in a fucking pickle.”
“How dare you play the mom card, Zo.”
“Ladies, if you could stop bickering, I’d like to make sure Ben is okay,” Derrick interjects.
“Who?” I say.
“The guy you ran over, dumbass.”
“Derrick!”
“What the hell, Zo? She may have just screwed our fucking season.”
“Stop being dramatic.” Zoey huffs out. “Ben is on his feet and talking.”
“Woman!” Derrick spouts and stomps off.
“Boy,” is Zoey’s response.
“You like him,” I offer my best friend with a nudge.
“You, stop deflecting. You’ve stepped into it this time. I don’t even think your mother’s publicist can get you out of this one.”
“She kept me out of jail once before. I think she’s got this.” Of course, the last time I was in any sort of trouble, I was underage, and to bring my transgressions to light would mean embarrassing the FBI. What government agency wanted to publicly admit to being hacked by a teenager?
“Stop being so fucking flippant. Look at what you have fucking done, Suzie. That dude is more important than your parents. In Oklahoma he is the hope OSU has been waiting for. And you might have just fucking ruined his career.”