sit with
her, by which I knew she meant talk more about my love life. She wanted to
know, I was sure, about my early crush on Justin. Was Drew was the real deal,
or a rebound? However, I didn't know myself. It was time to confess that I'd
slept with Justin after all, and talk out my feelings about how he'd treated me
and that I still had a physical reaction to seeing him. When I wound down, all Charity
could say was, "Wow."
"I know, it's fu…messed up, huh?"
I said, only at the last minute switching the word. Rihanna’s influence. Charity
didn't notice.
"I'd say you need to stay away from
him, honey," she said. "He sounds like a terrible person."
"He had a reputation when I first met
him," I confessed. "I ignored it. Charity, he's just so beautiful!
When I look at him, my body reacts against my will. If he crooked his little
finger at me, I'd be in his bed again in a heartbeat. But, he's made it clear
that won't happen, so I'm trying to forget him."
"Are you being fair to Drew?" she
asked gently.
"I think so. We have a good time, he's
a great guy and we have a lot in common, so we always have something to talk
about. But, he's not my lover. I don't owe him anything."
"I got the impression that the only
thing holding him back was his sport. When the season's over, what then?"
"I don't know," I mused. "I
guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it." Charity's
question had raised a doubt that my mind just wouldn't let go of, though, even
when break was over and I was back at school.
CHAPTER NINE
It was harder than ever to leave Gracie
behind this time, though I knew I'd be back in just a couple of weeks because
of the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend, assuming the weather was
better. Russ had given me strict orders not to drive through another blizzard
for just a three-day weekend, and I agreed with his assessment that it was too
dangerous. Especially since I'd leave after class on Friday to get a head start
on the weekend so the whole trip would be in the dark.
Nevertheless, even anticipating that I'd
get to go, my long break had made me too comfortable in my world at the ranch
to want to go back and face my problems on campus. At least I wouldn't be
seeing Justin three times a week any more. A new class schedule awaited me.
When I got to the dorm, not only Ri was
there, but also Drew. A rush of affection for him overtook me when I saw his
face, and without thinking, I flew into his arms for a kiss and big hug. Ri was
beaming as she looked on. At that moment, it was easy to forget any thoughts of
Justin and just enjoy being with Drew, who, besides being fun to hug and great
to look at, was as sweet as they come.
"Wanta go for pizza with Ri and
me?" he asked, when he finally released me from the bear hug.
"Sure, I'm starved," I agreed. We
walked to The Pie. I couldn't get over how much warmer it was in Salt Lake than
at the ranch. The extra 2300 feet of elevation explained it, but traveling from
one spot to the other, the change was so gradual that I never noticed it. That
didn't mean it was exactly warm in Salt Lake, but I'd take low forties over low
teens any day.
The three of us ran into some of the rest
of the posse at The Pie, so it ended up being a party. When Ri suggested
joining them at a bar, Drew objected to my going with them.
"We've hardly got a chance to be
alone," he said.
"What do you mean, hardly? We haven't
had any chance to be alone," I joked.
"So stay with me. I'll walk you home
and we can talk," he insisted.
It was fine with me. Since beginning to
date Drew, I'd been out to party with Ri and the others only once, when it was
an away game and we didn't have anything else to do for the Saturday night. The
truth was that, though I liked to dance, I didn't really care to drink all that
much. Blame it on my strict upbringing, or whatever. I just didn't see the
point.
Drew kept his arm around me as we walked,
since the night had grown colder while we were at the pizza place.
her, by which I knew she meant talk more about my love life. She wanted to
know, I was sure, about my early crush on Justin. Was Drew was the real deal,
or a rebound? However, I didn't know myself. It was time to confess that I'd
slept with Justin after all, and talk out my feelings about how he'd treated me
and that I still had a physical reaction to seeing him. When I wound down, all Charity
could say was, "Wow."
"I know, it's fu…messed up, huh?"
I said, only at the last minute switching the word. Rihanna’s influence. Charity
didn't notice.
"I'd say you need to stay away from
him, honey," she said. "He sounds like a terrible person."
"He had a reputation when I first met
him," I confessed. "I ignored it. Charity, he's just so beautiful!
When I look at him, my body reacts against my will. If he crooked his little
finger at me, I'd be in his bed again in a heartbeat. But, he's made it clear
that won't happen, so I'm trying to forget him."
"Are you being fair to Drew?" she
asked gently.
"I think so. We have a good time, he's
a great guy and we have a lot in common, so we always have something to talk
about. But, he's not my lover. I don't owe him anything."
"I got the impression that the only
thing holding him back was his sport. When the season's over, what then?"
"I don't know," I mused. "I
guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it." Charity's
question had raised a doubt that my mind just wouldn't let go of, though, even
when break was over and I was back at school.
CHAPTER NINE
It was harder than ever to leave Gracie
behind this time, though I knew I'd be back in just a couple of weeks because
of the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend, assuming the weather was
better. Russ had given me strict orders not to drive through another blizzard
for just a three-day weekend, and I agreed with his assessment that it was too
dangerous. Especially since I'd leave after class on Friday to get a head start
on the weekend so the whole trip would be in the dark.
Nevertheless, even anticipating that I'd
get to go, my long break had made me too comfortable in my world at the ranch
to want to go back and face my problems on campus. At least I wouldn't be
seeing Justin three times a week any more. A new class schedule awaited me.
When I got to the dorm, not only Ri was
there, but also Drew. A rush of affection for him overtook me when I saw his
face, and without thinking, I flew into his arms for a kiss and big hug. Ri was
beaming as she looked on. At that moment, it was easy to forget any thoughts of
Justin and just enjoy being with Drew, who, besides being fun to hug and great
to look at, was as sweet as they come.
"Wanta go for pizza with Ri and
me?" he asked, when he finally released me from the bear hug.
"Sure, I'm starved," I agreed. We
walked to The Pie. I couldn't get over how much warmer it was in Salt Lake than
at the ranch. The extra 2300 feet of elevation explained it, but traveling from
one spot to the other, the change was so gradual that I never noticed it. That
didn't mean it was exactly warm in Salt Lake, but I'd take low forties over low
teens any day.
The three of us ran into some of the rest
of the posse at The Pie, so it ended up being a party. When Ri suggested
joining them at a bar, Drew objected to my going with them.
"We've hardly got a chance to be
alone," he said.
"What do you mean, hardly? We haven't
had any chance to be alone," I joked.
"So stay with me. I'll walk you home
and we can talk," he insisted.
It was fine with me. Since beginning to
date Drew, I'd been out to party with Ri and the others only once, when it was
an away game and we didn't have anything else to do for the Saturday night. The
truth was that, though I liked to dance, I didn't really care to drink all that
much. Blame it on my strict upbringing, or whatever. I just didn't see the
point.
Drew kept his arm around me as we walked,
since the night had grown colder while we were at the pizza place.
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