2

I just kept running, my body functioning on shock and autopilot.

I ran until I was sure I was away from it all. 

Away from the wild echoes of the party, I never should have allowed Rissa to throw for me. 

Away from the looks of people who were thinking, "I told you so," as they murmured half-hearted apologies. 

Away from the piercing sting of betrayal from the one person I thought would never betray me like that. 

I ran until my legs were on fire. I finally stopped by the small fishing pond behind the community center. 

I grabbed a stone and hurled it into the calm waters, watching as it shattered the mirrored surface. Overwhelmed, I crumbled onto the dock, my sobs merging with the quiet ripples. Like the water's surface, my solid foundation had just been rocked, and as strong as I wanted to pretend I was, it hurt. 

It hurt worse than anything I'd experienced before. 

I scarcely noticed another presence in the depth of my desolation until a deep voice startled me. "I wouldn't be so upset. That was a pretty good throw, actually."

I leaped up, my balance faltering on the heels I wasn't used to. Swiftly, the person shot up from a nearby bench and caught me, steadying me back on my feet. 

I looked up to find Drake, the star quarterback, whose troubled history with Kha was no secret, holding me. His unexpected kindness disarmed me.

After releasing me, he retreated to the bench with a smirk. "Maybe you should sit down too," he suggested. "I might not catch you next time, and that dress deserves to stay dry."

I joined him on the bench, my eyes darting away to hide the lingering tears. I leaned down and undid the straps on my heels. Running in heels had chewed up and blistered my feet. 

Had I been panicking so much just now that I ran while wearing heels? 

Wow. Thankfully I didn't break my damn ankle. 

I'm sure my stepmother would have loved that. 

"You know what they say about crying on your birthday..." Drake ventured.

Surprised, I blinked back at him. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

He chuckled softly. "I was at the party until your boyfriend decided to pick a fight with me. I thought it best to step out after that."

The memory of Kha's aggression at the entrance flooded back, and a fresh wave of shame washed over me. "I'm so sorry he acted that way," I whispered, feeling the weight of apologies that weren't mine to make.

Drake's expression grew serious. "You shouldn't have to apologize for him. He's not sorry, you know."

Something in his straightforwardness struck a chord with me. "You're right," I conceded. "I'm done making excuses for him."

Drake looked at me funny, prompting a deeper confession. "There's that song about crying on your birthday, but it seems to miss the part where your boyfriend gets caught with a cheerleader in his truck..."

His eyes widened slightly, his expression shifting from playful sympathy to total disbelief. "Really? That happened tonight, and you're here, apologizing for him? You're too smart for that."

A bitter yet strangely cathartic laugh rippled up from my chest. "Guess I'm learning the hard way. Psychology major. Call it prepping to defend my dissertation early." I joked with a shrug.

Drake stood, his eyes still filled with concern as he paused to look at me. "I'm sorry you've had such a shitty birthday. You deserved more than what happened tonight, trust me. My door's open if you don't want to be alone tonight. Room 114, building K." 

He walked away, leaving me to the soothing sounds of the pond and the total restlessness of my thoughts.

His offer lingered in my mind, a beacon of something different, something calm.

Something other than the image of that girl bouncing up and down on Kha's lap that was on repeat in my head again. 

There was no denying how much better I felt just being near Drake, something I only realized after he walked away. 

The only other time someone calmed my often racing thoughts like that was when Kha did it. 

Now, Kha was causing it.

The more I thought about Kha, the more my distress transformed into a seething anger. 

Every lie and every betrayal stoked the fire, burning away the remnants of what I had once mistaken for love.

I stood, each step to my dorm feeling heavier than the last. 

There, on the steps, sat Kha.

Or, at least, a totally disheveled shadow of the man I once knew. 

The stench of alcohol and sharper, more ominous scents clung to him, forming a toxic aura. I couldn't tell if his hair was wet because he'd showered or if he was just that sweaty. 

He looked up, his eyes tired. 

I braced myself as I approached, ready for his usual dramatics. 

It wouldn't work this time. 

This was the moment to reclaim my life, to sever the ties that had bound me to his chaos. 

"Eve, I'm so sorry, I... I didn't mean..."

I cut him off, stepping past him. He reached out, grabbing my arm in a desperate plea for connection. Or to hold me still long enough to spout off whatever excuse he'd been sitting there practicing. 

I shook him off. "We are over. Done. Now go back to your dorm before you get another public intoxication ticket!"

His pleas trailed off as I walked away. I was surprised when he didn't try to follow me in the door. 

Reaching my dorm room, the quiet was so loud. 

So damn loud.

Marissa's absence was a reminder that the party was still ongoing. A party I should be at. My damn birthday party.

Alone, the reality of what happened really hit me.

 Drake had been right. The last thing I wanted was to be alone. 

That party was also the last place I wanted to be.

Maybe it was the remnants of the few shots I'd taken earlier. Perhaps it was sheer panic. Maybe it was my thoughts seeming to bounce off the walls in this quiet dorm. 

Without allowing myself to give it another thought, I changed clothes and walked to Drake's dorm. 

------

The walk was a blur. 

Thankfully, I never saw Kha outside.

If he did make it back to his dorm somehow, he was likely passed out in bed or on the bathroom floor.

At least his truck wasn't running this time. 

I paused, gathering my courage before knocking on Drake's door. I'd changed into the same sundress I'd worn to orientation. 

No idea why. 

Drake answered with a smirk. His blue eyes almost glowed as he looked me up and down. Gone were the polo and jeans he'd worn at the dock, replaced by a tight white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. 

Gray sweatpants that left very little to the imagination. 

 "I'm happy you decided to come," he said, stepping aside to let me into his surprisingly spacious and meticulously organized full suite.

"Wow, what did you have to do to get this room?" I asked, scanning the neatly arranged space.

He flashed a cocky grin, his earlier formality dissolving into easy charm. "Had to throw the winning touchdown pass in last year's championship game," he replied with a wink.

As I sat down on his couch, Drake disappeared into the kitchen briefly and returned with two beers, offering one to me. "Thought you might need this," he said, handing me the open bottle.

I looked at the beer. "You opened these in the kitchen?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm a bit of a neat freak," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "Didn't want to leave bottle caps lying around. But if it makes you more comfortable, I won't get offended if you give me that one and go open one yourself."

The thoughtfulness brought a genuine smile to my face, the first of the night that felt entirely free of underlying pain.

Still, I handed him the beer and went to the kitchen to open my own.  After downing half and sitting it on the coffee table, he flashed me a huge grin. 

"Better safe than sorry," I replied,  a little embarrassed. "Sorry, it's not that I don't trust you." 

He sat up quickly. "No, no, I agree. Better safe than sorry," he said with a wink.

We sat down, the simplicity and normalcy of sharing a drink with Drake knocking the edges off the raw pain starting to take over my heart. 

As we talked, I jumped up to grab another beer more frequently than usual for

me, the alcohol a welcome numbing agent against the sharp edges of the recent heartache. 

Before I knew it, I had finished four beers in quick succession. 

The room began to sway as I stood to get another. 

He shot off the couch to catch me as I stumbled, just like he had on the dock. 

This time, his eyes were almost glowing a bright, vivid blue as he looked down at me. 

"Hey, maybe slow down a bit. I'm not comfortable having Kha's girlfriend here too drunk," he said.

That stung.

I pulled away from his arms. Embarrassed and a little hurt, I started towards the door, needing a moment to collect myself.

Before I could reach it, Drake was by my side with his arm back around me. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to upset you."

 Unlike Kha's often empty, clearly rehearsed words, his quick apology disarmed me. "It's okay. I'm not his girlfriend anymore," I corrected him, feeling a strange relief in openly acknowledging the end.

Drake looked at me, clearly surprised. "You ended it tonight?"

I nodded, feeling almost lighter with each word. "Right there on the steps."

Drake's whole demeanor changed, his stance changing to almost...protective?

I'm not sure. 

The alcohol was blurring more than just the edges of the pain. 

 "In that case," he paused, his eyes almost glowing before shutting them tightly, "before we go any further, I need to know what you want. Right now, before anything else happens."

 I leaned up and kissed him. 

He stopped hesitating. He gently guided me back as we continued to kiss, my back meeting the softness of his couch as he hovered over me. 

Everything he did was passionate yet measured, his hands and lips respectful yet curious in their explorations. 

It was intoxicating. 

He was intoxicating. 

Everything else fell away. 

The chaos of the party, Kha's chaotic shadow that never seemed to leave me alone, the uncertainty of the future,

leaving only the immediate intensity of the connection bouncing between us.

Drake paused, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. "Tell me you're sure," he whispered.

Overwhelmed by the sincerity of the moment, I reassured him, "I've never been more sure of anything. This is what I want, Drake. Just this. Just... you."

His smile was all the answer I needed.