Surviving Us (34 page)

I know I need to get up and moving—I always feel more energized once I’m dressed—so I begrudgingly will myself to roll out of bed and shuffle my feet to the bathroom. A nice, long hot shower is exactly what I need to wash the sleepy funk off. I know better than to stay up as late as I did, but I didn’t have the heart to tell Mo I was tired, and all he wanted to do was talk about the game.

After standing motionless under the heated spray for at least five solid minutes, I scrub from head to toe, shave everything that needs shaving, and hop out of the shower feeling one hundred percent improved. Stepping into my old faithful, cutoff jean shorts and pulling on a pale yellow Pearl Jam tank top, I braid my hair into pigtails and throw on a thin coat of mascara and lip gloss.

There. That’s all of the getting ready I’m doing today.

Following a quick bowl of cereal, I set my laptop up on the kitchen table, needing to finish the article on the quarterback possibilities for the remainder of the season before I leave. I spent a good part of last night researching the two other guys on the roster, who are both true freshman, which is far from ideal.

An hour or two in, I’m plugging away and my phone dings with a text message. I can only hope Kayden has thought better of today and decided to cancel, but as I grab it and see that it’s Mo, I realize I couldn’t be so lucky.

Mo: What time are you going to be at BBQ?

Me: Should be there a little after 3.

Mo: Still bringing your friend?

I groan and shake my head, frustrated. I can already tell this is going to be a bad idea. I’d told Mo all about Kayden last night when he came over after my dinner. At first he thought Kayden was ‘the one’ from St. Lucia who had shown up, but I quickly explained it wasn’t. Since Mo plays for the team and has always been a fan of OU football, I don’t want to tell him who it really is, because he’d probably recognize the name, and I just don’t want to go down that path.

Me: Yeah, I guess.

Mo: Tell him you’re sick. I don’t want to share you today. Plus, I have a surprise.

I laugh to myself, wishing I could lie and be okay with it.

Me: A surprise? For me?

Mo: Not for you exactly, more like for the whole school.

Me: Huh? That doesn’t sound very exclusive. What is it? Tell me.

I can’t think of what surprise he could possibly have for the whole school.

Mo: Nope. You’ll see this afternoon. It’ll make the Sara Walsh in you happy.

Me: Oh, so it’s sports-related? Now you’re talking my language. I can’t wait!

Mo: See you soon, Flaca!

My interest is officially piqued, and my mind wanders to what it could be. Maybe after a second set of tests on Blackmon’s knee, it’s not as bad as they thought and he won’t have to miss significant time.

Yep. I bet that’s it.

My eyes flit back over to my computer screen, pondering if all the work I’m doing is for naught. Oh well, I’ll sacrifice a few hours of pointless work if it means our team is back with full-power.

“Hey, Bristol, can I borrow your nude strapless bra? My underwire is poking out of mine and stabbing me.” Alyvia’s freely bouncing boobs are prancing towards me, completely cutting off my train of thought. She’s only wearing short white shorts and a joker’s smile, with no qualms whatsoever about showing off her perky assets.

“Yes, of course, wild child! My goodness,” I reply, failing to contain my laughter at her crazy antics. “You know which drawer.”

“Thank you!” she yells out as she disappears into my room. “And it’s almost two thirty, in case you lost track of time.”

I confirm the time on the bottom corner of my computer screen, and then finish the paragraph I was working on before saving and shutting down. Just as I’m standing up from the table to put everything away, Lyv comes bounding out of my room, still topless, but with a bra in one hand and a navy velvet pouch in the other.

My heart sinks. I didn’t even think about that being in there when I told her to go dig in my drawer. “B, why don’t you ever wear these? This necklace and bracelet set matches what you’re wearing today perfectly, and this little anklet is adorable.”

She has no idea the emotions she’s stirring by bringing those items out, but as soon as she notices the expression on my face and the pooling tears, her eyes grow wide with an apology before her mouth does.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” She rushes over to me and throws her arms around me. “I should’ve known they were in there for a special reason. I just didn’t think.”

“It’s okay,” I mumble into her shoulder. “I’m overreacting . . . just being silly.” As I step back away from her, I realize she was hugging me with her naked breasts pressed against my chest, which makes me chuckle lightly. “Go get some damn clothes on. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? I didn’t mean to upset you.” She cocks her head with concern. “I promise.”

Taking a deep breath, I command a smile on my face and pluck the green and yellow beaded necklace and bracelet from her hand. “I know, and to prove it to both you
and
me, I’ll wear these today.”

As I put both pieces of jewelry on, her look of concern lightens and she offers a small smile. “I’m so proud of you, and they do match phenomenally.”

I smile back, feeling pretty damn proud of myself too. “Great! Now please go get dressed. Lucky’s gonna be here soon, and I need to leave.”

“Lucky likes my boobs,” she contends playfully, lifting her hands to cup her bare mounds.

Shaking my head with a grin, I turn around to pick up my phone and keys off of the table. “I’m sure Lucky doesn’t like other people looking at your boobs.”

“He wouldn’t mind if it’s you. Guys like hot lesbian action, right?”

“I love ya, Lyv,” I kiss her on the cheek as I walk by on the way to the front door, “but I’m done with this conversation. I’ll see you there.”

“Thanks again for the bra!” she calls after me, the amusement heavy in her voice.

“Wear it!” I retort.

I hear her laugh before I close the door behind me.

At three o’clock on the dot, I pull in front of Kayden’s hotel with an inexplicable sense of dread in my stomach. He’s waiting outside the main entrance of the lobby, wearing pressed khaki shorts, a pastel pink polo, and loafers, dressed more like he’s going to play golf at a fancy country club than an outdoor shindig at a frat house.

I should’ve listened to Mo and told him I was sick.

Kayden hurries over to the car as soon as he sees me, flashing a huge smile as he opens the passenger door. “Hey, you,” he says over-cheerfully, sliding onto the leather seat. “How’s your Sunday been?”

“It’s been good. I had a lot of studying and work for the paper to do this morning,” I reply, hoping the friendly tone in my voice doesn’t sound too fake. “How about you?”

“I drove into the city and did some of the touristy stuff. I ate brunch at one of the restaurants at Bricktown, and then found this pretty interesting Cowboy and Western museum I wandered through.”

Nodding, I keep my eyes focused on the road ahead of me. “Funny,” I titter, “I’ve lived here all my life and never once been in any of the museums there.”

“You should go
—
history, culture, and all that important shit.”

“Yeah, I should.”

I turn the radio volume up as the conversation quickly grows stale, uncertain if the silence is truly uncomfortable or if it’s just me. Kayden and I have been friends for so long; I hate that I feel like this around him. I’m just not sure what he was expecting when he showed up here.

Thankfully, the drive to the party is short and sweet. Due to our late arrival, I’m forced to park the car a little ways down the street, which wouldn’t be so bad if walking in the oppressive late summer heat didn’t feel like wearing fleece in a sauna. By the time we reach the house, my clothes are plastered to my body thanks to a generous layer of sweat-based adhesive blanketing my skin.

I need a cold drink. Stat.

Kayden allows me to lead him around the side of the home where loud music bumps a popular bass line into the air. As soon as we turn the corner, we’re greeted by a decent-sized group of my fellow Sooners hanging out, most everyone with a red Solo cup in their hand.

I smile and wave at familiar faces while I continue to scan the crowd for either Alyvia or Mo. Finally, I see Mo’s big head across the yard in the center of a small group, probably other teammates. With a little pep in my step, I take off towards him, checking behind me once to make sure Kayden is keeping up with me.
Manners, Bristol, manners.

As we near the cluster of people surrounding Mo, the guy standing next to him turns his head slightly in my direction, and as our eyes lock onto each other’s, everything around me stops.

I stop walking,

stop breathing,

and my heart stops beating.

FROM THE MOMENT I SEE
Davis, it’s as if everything happens in slow motion.

The corners of his lips gradually curl up into the same cocky smile that appears almost every night in my dreams, putting his dimples on full display, reviving my shocked heart back to life. His eyes shift from me to the right, honing in on something, or
someone
, next to me. The smile quickly transforms into a scowl, then a menacing glare. He swings his gaze back to me, shakes his head, and then storms off in the opposite direction.

“I thought you said you haven’t heard from him since you’ve been back?” Kayden murmurs lowly over my shoulder.

“I hadn’t.”

Davis stalking away catches Mo’s attention, so he stops talking and swivels his head around to see what happened. When he sees me, his face lights up and he enthusiastically waves me over to him.