The Hazards of Skinny Dipping (23 page)

Reed kissed the back of my neck. “Completely
worth it.”

I took another minute to compose myself
before joining the guys out at the counter.

***

“Hey, what are you doing back here?” Reed
kissed me. I’d only left his house a few hours earlier.

“I forgot my phone in your room.” I’d noticed
it after my first class when I went to call Cara. We were supposed
to meet for lunch.

“Oh, go on up. I can join you if you want.”
He wriggled an eyebrow.

I put a hand on his chest. “Not a chance. I
have another class soon.”

He laughed. “Fine, I’ll take a rain check
until tonight.”

“Only if you’re good,” I said over my
shoulder as I started up the stairs.

It took me a minute to find my phone. I knew
where I’d left it on his desk, but it was buried under some papers.
I had no idea how he found anything in that mess.

He’d left his laptop on—with his email open.
I couldn’t help glancing at it, and I thought I would pass out when
I saw a very familiar name. I leaned over and opened the email.
What the hell? I took a seat on his desk chair and searched his
mail archive—there were tons. I felt the tears before I realized I
was crying. He’d been emailing with Amy all semester. I found the
first one, and I thought my heart had stopped.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Favor

Hey Reed,

I hope Rush is going well. Okay, enough of
the pleasantries. I need your assistance. My little cousin’s
starting at Harrison, and I think she might need some help. She was
a bit of a social hermit in high school, and she might need looking
out for. Her name’s Juliet Monroe. She’s a really cool kid, but
just not that with it, you know?

Amy

I opened the next one, even though I wanted
to vomit.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Re: Favor

Hi Reed,

She’s sleeping with Dylan Bradley. You have
to make sure he doesn’t hurt her. She’s totally impressionable and
thinks he walks on water. Please help her out.

I couldn’t read the rest. I needed to find
his replies.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Favor

Hey Amy,

I met Juliet, and I’ll keep an eye out for
her.

And the next.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Re: Favor

I gave her a job. That should make it easy
to keep her close.

I couldn’t take any more. I slammed the
laptop closed and walked down the stairs in a state of disbelief.
My chest ached—this couldn’t be happening.

I tried to just leave—not ready to confront
Reed, but he stopped me.

“Juliet? Did you find your phone?”

I turned toward him, well aware that my face
was stained with tears. “Yes, and I found a lot more than that. You
have a funny way of looking out for someone.”

I felt gross, worthless. This was so much
worse than Dylan because I’d actually fallen in love with Reed.

He paled and reached out for my arm. I jerked
away. “Juliet? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Has this all been a joke? Make
fun of the loser girl? Make her think you actually care!”

“What? Wait, did you see—”

“The emails—yeah. I guess watching out for me
meant having sex with me, huh?”

“Juliet.”

“How could you!” I beat my hands into his
chest over and over.

“Come on, it’s okay. We can talk about
this...”

“No. We’re not talking this out. You’ve been
lying to me this whole time.”

I walked out onto the porch, and he followed.
“Let me explain.”

I crossed my arms. “Explain? Explain why you
decided to play me like an idiot?”

“That’s not what happened.”

“No, what happened is you hurt me more than
anyone ever has.”

“It’s not like that. I love you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do! Did I single you out at the house
because of Amy? Yes. But I noticed you before I knew your name. I
liked you from the moment I met you at laser tag. And then the more
I got to know you, the more I found to like.”

“I saw the emails. You gave me the job to
watch me.”

“And maybe that was part of it—but it’s been
so much more since. I’m crazy about you. You have to realize
that.”

“I can’t do this. The joke’s over. I admit
it, I’m the idiot who believed you actually cared about me.” I
tried to stay calm, but I was breaking inside.

“I do care about you. I love you.” He reached
out and tried to hug me.

I pulled away. “I am so tired of this. I’m so
tired of guys using me and messing with me. Maybe it’s my
fault.”

“It’s not your fault. I never meant to hurt
you. I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that
now.”

“Please, Juliet. You have to believe me. I’m
not playing a game. I’m in love with you.”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” I
turned and walked away.

“Juliet, please.” His voice was hoarse.

I didn’t turn around, not once. I planned to
head to my dorm, but as I passed the Delta Mu house, I made a
decision. I didn’t hesitate as I walked up the brick steps and
pushed open the front door.

“Juliet, hey.” Jana looked up from the book
she was reading.

“Hey.”

“Are you okay?” Mallory asked, getting up to
walk over to me.

“I don’t know. Do any of you have time to
talk?”

All eight girls in the room put down what
they were doing, but it was Amanda who gave me the hug. “We always
have time to talk.”

That did it. I lost it. I was only vaguely
aware of being led over to the couch.

“What happened?” Mallory asked softly.

“Reed and I broke up.” I could barely get the
words out.

“Oh no! Why? I thought things were going
great.” Mallory put an arm around me.

“It was all a lie. All of it.”

“What do you mean? What was a lie?” Amanda
asked.

“He did everything because of my cousin.”

“Amy? How does Amy have anything to do with
you guys?” Amanda leaned forward.

I told them. I started with the list. They
were on the edge of their seats as I described the skinny dipping.
“What I didn’t know was that she asked Reed to look out for
me.”

“So? Maybe that’s why he befriended you at
first, but he’s in love with you. Everyone knows that.” Mallory
gave me a slight smile.

“He’s been emailing with her this whole time.
He never told me. I was a project or something. Help the hopeless
loser.”

“First of all, you are not a loser. And
anyone who says otherwise is an idiot.” Jana moved to sit on the
floor in front of me.

“Amy pretty much did.” I didn’t even want to
think about Amy. Did she really see me that way? Maybe I should
have assumed she knew Reed, but to be emailing him? I couldn’t have
been more blindsided.

“Then she’s an idiot.” Amanda said it like it
was the most obvious conclusion.

Mallory moved her arm so she could look me
right in the eye. “Or more likely, she thought she was helping.
Still, she was wrong.”

“I can’t be with him anymore. I can’t be with
someone when our whole friendship was fake.”

“What can we do?” Jana asked.

“Nothing. I just needed to get it out.”

“Do you want a night out or a night in?”
Amanda tied her hair up in a bun.

“In. Definitely a night in.”

“Okay. Mallory, go back with Juliet to get
your stuff. I’ll call everyone.” Amanda really knew how to take
charge.

I shook my head. “But it’s Friday night.”

“And you need a girls’ night.” Amanda
smiled.

If someone had told me back in August that my
sorority sisters, especially Amanda, would ever help me through
something like that, I would have laughed. But they did.

We spent the night watching romantic
comedies. I went through a box of tissues, but it felt good to cry.
I also ate enough junk food to last a lifetime—but it was great. I
was going to be okay. I knew that. If Reed had taught me anything,
it was that I could be on my own. But the truth was that I wasn’t
on my own. Somehow, through all the guy drama that year, I’d
managed to make some amazing friends.

The first email from Amy came Friday
night.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Checking in

Juliet,

Are you okay? I heard.

I didn’t write back. She tried again on
Sunday.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Worried

Juliet,

Please answer me. Reed told me what
happened. I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.

It was the third email that made me
respond.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: PLEASE ANSWER

If I don’t hear from you soon, I’m going to
tell your parents or come home myself. I’m worried.

I knew she wouldn’t actually come back, but
getting my parents involved was the last thing I needed. I still
hadn’t told them Reed and I had broken up.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Fine

Amy,

I’m fine. I just have nothing to say to
you.

Juliet

I felt a little icky about doing it,
considering how far away she was, but I wasn’t going to pretend
nothing had happened. She’d violated my trust.

I needed to find a new job. Working with Reed
wasn’t an option. Because of that, I had to face him on Monday. I’d
spent the weekend holed up at the Delta Mu house. If Reed had come
looking for me, I didn’t know it. He did, however, leave more than
a dozen messages on my phone. I was holding up surprisingly well,
but I missed him already. I took a deep breath before walking in to
Al’s right at four-thirty.

“Juliet.” Reed looked up. A hopeful look
crossed his face, and I hated knowing I was about to dash it, even
though he completely deserved it. “Did you get my messages? I
called all weekend.”

“I got them. I wasn’t ready to talk.”

“But you are now?” He pulled out my usual
stool for me.

“I just came by to thank you for the job, but
I’m not going to be working here anymore.”

“Don’t quit. Please don’t quit.” It looked
like he hadn’t slept in days. I hadn’t either.

“I have to.”

“No, you don’t. We’re going through a rough
patch, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together,” he said in a
desperate voice. It hurt to hear him that way, but I had to hold my
ground.

“A rough patch? Is that what you call
it?”

“Yes. This isn’t the end. I’m positive.”

“How can you be so sure?”

His eyes were so full of emotion. “You came
here in person to quit.”

“Maybe I just wanted to be professional.”

“No. You wanted to see me. You can take all
the time you need. When you’re ready, I promise I’ll still be here.
I’m not giving up on us.”

I felt the tears welling and knew it was time
to leave. “Bye, Reed.”

“See you soon, Juliet.” He sounded calm, but
his face was everything but. By the way his hands grabbed the
counter, I knew he was trying hard to avoid reaching out to me.

I walked out wanting more than anything to
look back.

***

I got a job at a little bar and grill really
easily. It was another local hang out, and one of the girls in my
sorority worked there a few nights a week. The assistant manager
said that anyone who could handle the late night crowds at Al’s was
experienced enough for him. I filled out my paperwork, glad I’d
only had to apply to one place. I knew this job would be more work
than my last one, and that I wouldn’t get paid to do homework, but
it would serve its purpose.

Because life had a sense of humor, I had
Friday night off. It also happened to be Valentine’s Day. I was
getting ready to head out for a girls’ night with Mallory when I
noticed how depressed Tally looked. She was curled up on her bed in
pajamas.

“Do you have plans?” I knew she’d probably
bite my head off, but I couldn’t just leave her there.

“What do you think?” she snapped.

“Mallory and I are going to this singles’
night thing at a fondue place. Do you want to come?”

“Fondue?”

“Yeah, you in?” I expected her to say no.

“Why not? Can you give me five minutes to get
ready?”

“Sure, I’ll tell Mallory.”

Fifteen minutes later, I slipped into a cab
with Tally and Mallory. I tried not to think about the Valentine’s
Day I was supposed to be having. Reed had gotten us reservations at
the Charleston Place Hotel for dinner. He’d also reserved us a
room. I hoped he wasn’t using them on someone else.

“Juliet, you okay?” Mal looked at me.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“It’s okay to miss him.” She put a hand on my
arm.

“Let’s not talk about him.”

“Good idea.” Tally had a different idea of
how to comfort. I didn’t know which one I liked better.

The cab dropped us off right in front of the
restaurant. A decent crowd mingled around the entrance, but we went
inside, hoping some of them were just waiting around. I was about
to give our name to the hostess when I saw a site I knew would
throw Tally into a funk. Dylan and Ryan sat at a table with a
couple of girls.

I headed back to my friends. “Do you guys
really want to eat here?”

“What’s wrong?” Tally asked immediately.