Chase’s. We’d listened to songs from Tainted Virtue on the radio and then we’d fallen asleep.
“It sounded pretty important from the way he was staring at you.” Bri’s emerald eyes flared with awareness. “Mariska, did you hook up with him?” she asked on a gasp and straightened her shoulders as she sat up.
I didn’t want to deny it or be evasive. I knew that Bri wouldn’t tell Beth or Jake about Hunter and I, even though she probably thought I should, because they were more than best friends to me; they really were my family. I didn’t know what I would do without them. I would probably never obey my parents without really thinking about it, like I had for most of my life.
“I’ll put it this way; we messed around.” I felt like a major weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. When I’d caught sight of Hunter from the corner of my eye in Lasting Impressions, I’d felt like someone had stolen the breath from my lungs. I’d thought that he would’ve left work already or would’ve been with a client. But he was there in his vintage older and wiser shirt with his light wash jeans that hung off of his slim waist. And all of them had talked about Hunter the entire time we were in there.
“Is that why he didn’t wanna sit next to you at—”
“No. It happened more recently than that.”
“Does Beth know? I thought you couldn’t stand Hunter being Beth’s friend. I remember you calling him a loser,” Bri reminded me and I bit down on my lip.
I’d blurted it out, because I’d been wary of him, resentful that he could earn her friendship so fast, when it took years for Beth to confide in me. Now I was even more wary of him, but I didn’t think he was a loser. He’d been using me so he could suppress the uncertainty he had that he’d be sober forever. I think he had to really take it one day at a time and stop ruminating on what could happen and remember what he’s been doing right. But Hunter and I wouldn’t have that conversation, because I was a worthless, bitchy virgin in his eyes.
Bri hauled herself up and brought me down on my bed. She slid her arm around me and I swallowed the lump in my throat, but it didn’t make admitting my guilelessness any easier. “Beth doesn’t know this, but I saw Hunter at the car dealership first. I never liked guys with long hair, or hair silkier than me.” I paused and Bri and I tittered a laugh. “But then he turned around and I thought wow…he looks like Chase, but ten times sexier. I tried to get the thought out of my head, but never really did... And when he’d walked me out of the library a few days ago, he seemed to have a lot on his mind. I hadn’t seen him look like someone had knocked him off his feet before. Then we kissed and I was like a wanton, Bri. I didn’t think I had to hide what I wanted from him, but I guessed wrong. He found out that I am a virgin and he’d discarded everything that we shared.”
“He couldn’t stop looking at you. It may have meant more to him than he recognized. If the animosity blows up, Beth and Jake are going to know that something went down.” She shook her head. “No pun intended.” Her hand fell to her thighs. “And if he’s still a prick, promise me you’ll give him a piece of your mind.”
My chest somehow felt lighter as the guilt multiplied in my heart. It was a relief that she hadn’t made fun of me or given necessary praise for not having intercourse yet. I’d thought about losing it since my hormones had gone into over drive, but I’d known it was just a natural urge. The only thing with Hunter was that it hadn’t just been an itch that I needed to be scratched. I’d found him vulnerable. “I will. I had the last say tonight, but I have a lot more to tell him.” Clearing me throat, I flicked my gaze at her and changed the topic. “You know, I’ve barely seen Pierce this semester. Beth told me that he’s been working around the clock on with the construction of the new
“It sounded pretty important from the way he was staring at you.” Bri’s emerald eyes flared with awareness. “Mariska, did you hook up with him?” she asked on a gasp and straightened her shoulders as she sat up.
I didn’t want to deny it or be evasive. I knew that Bri wouldn’t tell Beth or Jake about Hunter and I, even though she probably thought I should, because they were more than best friends to me; they really were my family. I didn’t know what I would do without them. I would probably never obey my parents without really thinking about it, like I had for most of my life.
“I’ll put it this way; we messed around.” I felt like a major weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. When I’d caught sight of Hunter from the corner of my eye in Lasting Impressions, I’d felt like someone had stolen the breath from my lungs. I’d thought that he would’ve left work already or would’ve been with a client. But he was there in his vintage older and wiser shirt with his light wash jeans that hung off of his slim waist. And all of them had talked about Hunter the entire time we were in there.
“Is that why he didn’t wanna sit next to you at—”
“No. It happened more recently than that.”
“Does Beth know? I thought you couldn’t stand Hunter being Beth’s friend. I remember you calling him a loser,” Bri reminded me and I bit down on my lip.
I’d blurted it out, because I’d been wary of him, resentful that he could earn her friendship so fast, when it took years for Beth to confide in me. Now I was even more wary of him, but I didn’t think he was a loser. He’d been using me so he could suppress the uncertainty he had that he’d be sober forever. I think he had to really take it one day at a time and stop ruminating on what could happen and remember what he’s been doing right. But Hunter and I wouldn’t have that conversation, because I was a worthless, bitchy virgin in his eyes.
Bri hauled herself up and brought me down on my bed. She slid her arm around me and I swallowed the lump in my throat, but it didn’t make admitting my guilelessness any easier. “Beth doesn’t know this, but I saw Hunter at the car dealership first. I never liked guys with long hair, or hair silkier than me.” I paused and Bri and I tittered a laugh. “But then he turned around and I thought wow…he looks like Chase, but ten times sexier. I tried to get the thought out of my head, but never really did... And when he’d walked me out of the library a few days ago, he seemed to have a lot on his mind. I hadn’t seen him look like someone had knocked him off his feet before. Then we kissed and I was like a wanton, Bri. I didn’t think I had to hide what I wanted from him, but I guessed wrong. He found out that I am a virgin and he’d discarded everything that we shared.”
“He couldn’t stop looking at you. It may have meant more to him than he recognized. If the animosity blows up, Beth and Jake are going to know that something went down.” She shook her head. “No pun intended.” Her hand fell to her thighs. “And if he’s still a prick, promise me you’ll give him a piece of your mind.”
My chest somehow felt lighter as the guilt multiplied in my heart. It was a relief that she hadn’t made fun of me or given necessary praise for not having intercourse yet. I’d thought about losing it since my hormones had gone into over drive, but I’d known it was just a natural urge. The only thing with Hunter was that it hadn’t just been an itch that I needed to be scratched. I’d found him vulnerable. “I will. I had the last say tonight, but I have a lot more to tell him.” Clearing me throat, I flicked my gaze at her and changed the topic. “You know, I’ve barely seen Pierce this semester. Beth told me that he’s been working around the clock on with the construction of the new
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