Pulse (Contemporary new adult/college romance) (Club Grit Trilogy) by Brooke Jaxsen Page A

I’d been poisoning myself so much with drugs and alcohol that I too had built up an immunity, a numbness to the pain it caused, to the true harm it was causing me, but unlike Welslley, I didn’t have someone I was doing it for.
    I had someone I couldn’t even stop it for.
    His roommate came out, a young guy around his age, a bit fatter, and way more sleepy looking, in ratty pajamas. “Dude, that movie’s great. But I need to sleep, like, right fucking now. Can it wait? Also, nice friend, very cute.” He gave a thumbs up and I blushed. Fuck.
    “Yeah, sorry. We should be going to bed soon,”
    “Nice,” said his friend before shutting the door and before Skylar could call back, “It’s not like that.”
    “So, you can stay the night, but the couch is kind of small, so I’ll take it, okay?” he asked.
    “No, I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
    “Fine.”
    We went into his room which was surprisingly sparse except for a desk, covered in blank music paper as well as a few ink filled pages, and some clothes in the closet, and, of course, his bed.
    “It’s a twin, so it’s going to be a tight fit,” he insisted. “You sure you don’t just want me to sleep on the floor or something?”
    “Emma, wake up. Hey.”
    “Skylar?”
    “Hey, Emma. You’ve got class today, right? I’m sorry, I forgot to set the alarm, I usually don’t get up this early. It’s already...ten.”
    “Shit.”
    “I have that extra cab voucher. You going back home?”
    “Yeah...there’s some things I think I need to take care of.” I had to confront the girls about what had happened last night, about what why they’d basically let DeAndre rape me. They’d known he was dangerous from the start and they’d lured me into the lion’s den, but why? “Strings need tying up.”
    He understood. “I’m sorry I don’t have any women’s clothes here, but those look okay on you. What do you want me to do with your other stuff? I can throw it in with my stuff if you want.”
    “Throw it away.” Last night, I reminded myself I needed to throw away the stuff from last night too. I didn’t want to wear that dress or those panties or those shoes or even that clutch again. I didn’t want to see them in my closet.
    “Hey, if you ever need anything, call me, okay? I know that it’s not my job, but you’re one of the good ones, Emma.”
    “One of the good girls?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow.
    “One of the good people.” There was that word again. People. Like I was really a person to him instead of just some blonde girl with a penchant for cowboy boots and flannel shirts even though they were out of season and the kind of clothes Omega Mu would never let me wear out of the house.
    He waited with me for the cab to pick me up and the voucher worked, dropping me off at Omega House. It was late and I knew everyone was already up. I’d missed class.
    But before I faced Samantha, Becca, and Kim, I needed some courage.
    That’s why I popped the pills.
    And some more.
    And then I stopped, but only because I’d blacked out.

Chapter Nine, #TriggerWarning:
    S AMANTHA FOUND ME SLUMPED OVER in the shower and turned the water off, wetting a used towel in the sink and snapping it at me to wake me up.
    “Jesus Christ, what the fuck?” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. “It’s Monday not Thursday, get a calendar,” she said as she helped me into a robe and then up to my feet and got me back into my room. To help me relax, I’d taken some downers, but after the first two didn’t work, I took two more and before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep taking a shower. It was weird. It was pathetic. It wasn’t me but at the same time, it was all I was and ever would be.
    The next morning, there was a bouquet of roses waiting for me from DeAndre that just said “sorry” on a card with a sad bear dressed as a clown on it. It was in a crystal vase I assumed he’d sent with it. The other girls smiled and giggled, said I should call