Twist of Fate (10 page)

His question took me by surprise for a brief second, but I answered. "No. Why?"

"I was just wondering. I didn't tell him. I mean, I was going to so we had an extra pair of eyes, but I don't think it's a good idea anymore."

I rested my hand on his shoulder because I knew he meant well. "Tommy, thanks for looking out for what's best for me, but I'll decide who should know. Frankly, I hate the fact that
you
know." Tommy started to interject, but I cut him off. "I don't mean that the way it came out. I just hate people knowing, and feeling sorry for me. I can handle it on my own. As far as Ben goes, I have no plans to tell him unless he asks me flat out."
 

Tommy began shaking his head.
 

"You know how I feel about lying, Tommy."

Tommy didn't respond other than to start walking up the two flights to my dorm room. I quickly scanned the door knob to make sure my room wasn't being used by Ellie. I thought I'd scream and kick whomever she had in there out tonight. Suddenly, Tommy stepped in front of me before I could get my key in the door. "Be careful with Ben, okay? He's not crazy or anything, but I can tell he's feeling you lately. He hasn't had that with a girl in a long time. If he knew about that night, he might flip and hunt the fucker down. To be quite honest, I'd probably join him."

I knew I wasn't wrong. I knew the Ben from my childhood was somewhere deep down inside him. He did have feelings for me, and somehow I needed him to be the one to push the envelope.
 
That kiss told me everything that I needed to know.
 
He wanted me, but once I realized it, I couldn't help but think I would just be another one of his one night stands. "Carson is three thousand miles away. Besides, I have someone I trust keeping an ear and eye out for anything weird with him. So don't worry."

As soon as we were inside, he looked around to an empty room. "You want some company, or are you gonna be alright?"

"I'm a big girl, Tommy. I'll be fine. Besides, I have to work tomorrow morning. I picked up an extra class this week." His hand twisted with the knob, stepping out into the hall I yelled, "Hey, thanks for walking me home."

He nodded, while smiling, not saying a word before pulling my door closed. I heard the knob softly fiddle from outside. I smiled knowing he was checking to make sure it was locked, and that I was safely tucked away for the night.

After I fell into bed, my head reeled with the memory of Ben's lips on mine. I panicked, knowing if we had kept going, it would have turned into something way more than I thought I would be ready to give. He was a player, he admitted to me he didn't want to fall in love, find a girlfriend, and I was not stupid. I was not the kind of girl that believed that I'd be the game changer in this scenario. But, I wanted to be.

The only problem was how do you stay away from someone that helped you breathe a little easier, who made you feel like you were the only girl in the room when he looked at you? And, tonight, he was so perfectly enticing that it was impossible to not ask for that kiss, even if it was just going to happen once. From his brown, tousled hair, to his crazy brown eyes, that I swore were like mass weapons of destruction when you looked into them. No wonder so many girls didn't object to dropping their panties even if it was just for one night.

I spent the entire night without much sleep, thinking how I could spend time with him, even though I asked for the breather. I was at a crossroad where I wasn't quite sure what our relationship even meant to either of us. Sometimes, we were friends, other times it seemed like more than friends, then other times he treated me like a stranger. He was impossible to figure out. I needed to make sure that he felt something real for me before I thought about letting it go any farther than it had already. I didn't want to be another Michele.

Ben

Chapter 12

The entire week I was busy.
 
Classes were kicking my ass. The times that I wanted to squeeze in some Paige time, she was working, or in class, cramming for a test, or getting her nails done. It didn't escape me that she was dodging me, and I hated that this so called breather she wanted kept us apart. The fact that she wanted to drop out of my life, totally agitated me, so instead I reminded her of our bet to see if I would get the response I'd hoped for.
 

She still avoided me, but at least I got to see her face three times a day when she popped me a text. Since then, everyday she sent me a message with her picture to prove she was wearing comfy clothes, and not those damn little dresses she wore. I made her send several a day to prove she stayed dressed like that. Don't get me wrong-I loved those short little dresses. But, now that I was well aware what she had going on underneath, I was itching to see her in one again. We made that bet on a Tuesday night, and it was now exactly one week from that bet. I had only an hour in between classes, so I headed for her dorm room to check up on her. I thought about calling her, or popping her a text, but I wanted to catch her by surprise. And, I figured a week was enough of a breather. At least for me. I'd missed the hell out of her.

Once I got inside the dorm, I practically ran the two flights to see her. It was weird how much I had missed her this week. It also kind of bothered the hell out of me to even acknowledge that very fact, but I manned up and admitted it to myself. When I knocked the door flew open, before I even had time to think what to say to her. It wasn't the right face. It was Ellie, her roommate, who was trying to fight back a smile.

"Oh, hey, Ben."

I nodded. "Ellie."

Just as I slipped past her, I caught a glimpse of black panties and Paige stepping into a slinky black dress that stopped me in my tracks momentarily.

I tried to compose myself, but she saw me standing there watching her through the mirror. "Ah, ha! Busted. You lose the bet," I yelled out.

Paige turned around, her face full of surprise that I was standing in her room, watching her change. She straightened her face, walking over to me with a twinkle in her eye. "Could you zip me?" She turned slowly, her gaze holding mine. She tossed her hair to the side with one of her hands, cocked her head, and waited. I couldn't focus on anything else other than the fact that I was staring at a black lacy bra, that I really, really wanted to see, and the nape of her lightly tanned neck, that was aching to be kissed. The only thing I wanted to do was taste her neck one time. One lick.
 
Ellie laughed, knocking me aside. "I'll do it."

"I got it," I told her with a gruff voice. Slowly I pulled the zipper up, then Paige abruptly turned to me.
 

"It's been a week. I didn't lose. So, I hope you're ready for some downward dog, Ben?"

I regained my composure, but I swore she knew how jones upped she had gotten me. "The bet was a full week. Today is the last day. So, technically I win."

She threw her hand up in the air. "Ugh! Fine."

Ellie jumped into the conversation. "That's not fair. She has a date, and needs to look hot as shit tonight. So, I..." I walked past Ellie, and closer to Paige, feeling the anger build inside me.

"What date?"

Paige turned to look into the mirror, placing some dangly things in her ears. "It's just some guy who started taking my yoga class. He's a Senior."

"Damn," I mumbled under my breath, but I knew she heard it. I guess when she said breather, she meant she wanted to be free to do whatever, and whoever she wanted. I had to play this game with her, because I couldn't imagine not hanging out with her.
 
"What's his name? Do I know him? Where are you going?"

She sighed a little too loud for my liking, and I could tell I my fifty questions were getting on her nerves. "Forget it. But, when I come calling for that climb, you'd better be ready, girl."
 
As I started to walk by I reached down, slapping her hard on her ass. "Have fun, P. But, not too much fun."

As I began to shut the door, the only thing I heard was, "Damn, that stung."

I smiled all the way back to class.

PAIGE

Chapter 13

My phone skidded a few inches across my nightstand. I coughed, reaching my hand out to answer.

"Hey," I grumbled into the phone. The booming of loud music filtered through, and then I heard Ben's voice. "Paige, I can barely hear you. One sec." The music was still loud, but I could tell he moved away as it started to be almost nonexistent.

"Where are you? I haven't seen you all week. I thought you were coming to the party?"

I hacked into the phone by accident.
 
"I'm sorry. I've been in bed all day with a really bad cold. I meant to send you a text."

"Oh," I heard a door shut, and there was no sign of a party coming from his line. "You feel like some company?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's your frat's party. I'm not much fun right now. I'll just see you later, if I don't die first." I grabbed a tissue to blow my nose, but instead just wiped it softly.
 

"Yeah, okay," he said, and I could almost picture his face by the disappointment in his voice. "Feel better." Then his end of the line went dead.

I fell back onto my pillow, blowing my nose again. I tossed it onto the floor to join the other dozen, or so that were down there. "God, I feel awful," I groaned out loud.

Ellie disappeared the moment she woke up, and had refused to return until I texted her that I was germ free, or she had no other option. I had no clue where she was planning to sleep, or who she was sleeping with, but it was quiet, and just what I craved.

I was watching an old episode of True Blood when a bang jolted me out of my not so lady like thoughts about myself and one naughty Viking.

I scampered to the door, yanking it open, expecting to see Ellie standing there since she had forgotten her key more than once. I sniffled into a tissue, my eyes slowly rising, recognizing the Vans, and his khaki cargo shorts. Mortified at how I looked, I started to slam the door shut, but Ben stuck his foot out to stop it. "Hey, I brought you some stuff."

I quickly shuffled away toward the mirror trying to get a peek at what I looked like. Then I instantly regretted my decision. My hair was disheveled, strands falling out from the ponytail holder, my oversized sweatpants and tie dyed T-shirt were two sizes too big for me, and to top it off, my nose was beat red, and sore from blowing it a thousand times.

Ben strutted over to the nightstand, stepping over my dirty tissues, and opened the bag he'd brought with him. "I stopped and got you some soup, tissues, and some cold medicine. Do you use NyQuil? That's all they had."

I must had look stunned, because he stopped, "What?"

"What are you doing here?"

"The party was lame, and you sounded like hell, so here I am. Oh, I also stopped and got a movie, but all the new releases were gone. I took a chance. He held up, "It's complicated," with Alec Baldwin. "I took your for a comedy kind of girl. Was I wrong?"

I shook my head no, trying to find a smile, but I was still mortified at him seeing me like this. I pulled my ponytail holder out, fingering my hair trying to make myself look better.

He lifted the lid to the soup, and even though I was too stuffy to smell it, I could see the steam coming off the noodles. I walked over, pulling the spoon from the bag. "Thank you. I haven't eaten all day." I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the liquid slide down my throat.

"I figured." He hit the lights, then stopped by the door watching me. I peeked at him once to see what he was waiting for, but then he kicked off his shoes, slipped into my bed, and propped up against my headboard. "You eat, I'll set up the movie on your laptop."

I complied because my stomach was rumbling as the second steaming bite of noodles and chicken slipped down my throat. I finished the delicious soup as Ben sat the laptop down, patting the bed. He scooted all the way until he was sitting with his back against my headboard. I blinked, wiping my stuffy nose. I scanned the bed, figuring out where to sit, but he gestured for me to slip in front of him. He reached over, grabbing the medicine, ripping the label off the lid with his teeth, then poured the dosage out into the little cup. "Here, down this first."

I turned my face, tilting it to look up at him. "If I down that I'll be asleep before the movie's over."

His face grew serious. "Take it, P. You look and sound like shit."

"Gee, thanks." I grabbed the little cup, and slammed it. I gagged a little as it went down. Ben turned the movie on, but then I started thinking about why he was really here. "Okay, um, I guess just let yourself out when you're ready to go home."

"Shh, it's starting." His hands pulled me a little closer shifting his hip, then I felt him press his lips on the back of my head as he nuzzled me into his chest. I sank back into him, with the computer resting on my lap, eventually allowing my eyes to shut.

When I woke the following morning, I was still propped up, and Ben was still underneath me. I rubbed the sleepy dust out of my eyes, noticing the computer pushed to the one side, and Ellie lying in her bed, with her foot hanging over the edge of her bed. A sneeze was coming on, and I tried to suppress it, but I couldn't. I reached my hand over the side of the bed, grabbing for the tissue box to try to stifle it from waking anyone.