Chapter 14
Sophia
I was on cloud nine as I stepped into my dorm room after midnight. The past couple of weeks with Zack had been incredible. He was everything I’d dreamed a man to be. I just wished that we didn’t have to sneak around in order to see each other. I didn’t want us to be a secret, I wanted to be able to scream out to the world how happy I was.
Each day, each date brought me closer to the big “L.” He didn’t play games, he wore his heart on his sleeve and I knew he was starting to get those feelings as well. You never knew what the future held, but at this moment it felt bright.
I was expecting to see Tabitha sound asleep and snoring by now, but instead, she was sitting cross-legged on her bed reading from her psychology textbook. Guilt hit me, I kept canceling plans with her and that wasn’t fair. She’d been my first friend when I’d arrived and she’d stood by my side no matter how many times I blew her off. I’d have to make it a point to do something nice for her soon as a thank you for putting up with me.
“You’re up late,” I commented, trying to keep my tone light.
She closed the book and set it on the plain wooden desk next to her. “I was waiting up for you.”
“Me? Why?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
Nervousness hit me, it was never good when people made a point of waiting up needing to talk to you. “About what?”
“Where were you?”
I chewed at my inner cheek a moment. “I was at the library studying.”
“I checked the library for you, you weren’t there.”
“I went to the one in the city. I wanted to get away from campus for a while.” I shrugged nonchalantly as I slipped my bag from my shoulder and tossed it onto the bed. “What’s the big deal. You’re sounding like my mother.” I laughed in an attempt to cover how uncomfortable I was feeling.
“I’m just asking because Candace and Rebecca are pissed. One of the girls asked why you were barely at the house anymore and I tried to cover for you saying you were studying a lot, but she wasn’t having it. She said, and I quote if ‘she doesn’t get her ass to this house and start spending time with her sisters her ass is out and she doesn’t want to know the consequences that come from not being a part of our family’ unquote.”
Laughing, I waved a hand at her. “That sounds like her just going off.”
“No.” She uncurled her legs and slid from the bed coming over to me. It means she’s angry and you need to start making appearances. “People are talking.”
Crinkling my nose up at her, I crossed my arms over my chest facing her straight on. “About what?”
“There’s just rumors from the girls. One said that she saw you with a dark-haired man in the city last weekend, she couldn’t make out who it was.”
Shit. We were beginning to let our guard down when out and about in public, we’d have to rectify that.
I shrugged. “She must have been mistaken.” Plopping myself down on the bed, I pulled off my sneakers. “Those girls love rumors and making up gossip. Part of the reason I stay away. The more I’m around the house the more I’m feeling they just aren’t my type of people, you know?”
“Yeah.” She sat down next to me. “But I’ve also seen a change. I didn’t tell them or anyone or anything, but you always used to study here in the room or in the school library. Now all of a sudden, you’re studying off-campus which seems to me to be a pain in the ass considering you don’t have a car. So, I’m calling bullshit.”
I shrugged. “Believe what you want. Why would I lie to you or hide someone I was dating – if I was dating someone? You’re my best friend here on campus.”
“That’s the thing, it doesn’t make sense unless it’s someone you’re not supposed to be with… Are you dating one of the sister’s guys?”
I jerked back as if I’d been slapped. “I’d never do that! Are you crazy? How could you even think I’d do that?”
“Because nothing else makes sense, Sophia. You know you can trust me. You’re not…”
“I’m not what?”
“You and the professor, you’re not seeing him, are you? I know he’s the one they had you sleep with. I didn’t know at the time, but I’ve seen him around campus and recognized him from the club that night. Professor Von.”
I sighed. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her. I’d have loved to let her in on my secret. But I couldn’t. “That’s insane, of course not. He was so loaded he didn’t even recognize me in class.” I was such a liar, but in this case, it was justified to protect him. “I know it must seem bizarre but believe me if there was something to tell you then I would.” I threw my hands up in the air and gave a light laugh, “But there’s nothing to tell.”
Her dark eyes narrowed at me. “Okay, then you won’t mind that I set up a double date for us this weekend.”