October 19
Twenty-Four Years Ago
11:30 P.M.
Leo was still wiping her mouth when she came back to the room. David swaggered back with a shit-eating grin.
“You okay?” asked Mish. She looked at David suspiciously.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” It was just like that afternoon, Leo thought. Did she have a sign on her head that said she would do these kinds of things to guys? And it wasn’t as if that had been the only time either. Maybe she was just that kind of girl.
“I told you not to go in there with him,” said Mish accusingly, like it was Leo’s fault. Maybe it was.
I didn’t know that was going to happen. I didn’t know. I thought he just wanted a kiss. I thought that was all he wanted.
“I told you, I’m fine!” she snapped. Could Mish just stop looking at her like that?
The game resumed, but somehow the bathroom dares were over. Leo wondered if Andie and Shona had to do what she’d done, but if they had, they weren’t showing it. Shona was sitting on Deacon’s lap, like they were best buds, and Andie was opening another beer. David excused himself and went to see what the other jock assholes were doing in the other rooms.
Leo hugged her knees to her chest. The bottle fell on Brooks next. Andie couldn’t wait to pounce. “Leo or Mish?” she asked with an evil glint in her eyes.
“Um, one of them’s his girlfriend? No fair!” hollered Deacon.
Andie snapped, “Yeah, but the game is called truth!”
Leo’s cheeks were burning. Her feelings were in turmoil; she wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened with David, and how she had gotten there, but she knew she blamed Mish.
“What do you mean, he might like her over his girlfriend?” asked Deacon.
“It could happen!” Andie argued.
Brooks smiled. “Sorry, Leo. I choose Mish, of course.”
“Boring!” said Andie.
The game went on, and a few moved away from the circle and started playing a drinking game instead. They were low on snacks and drinks, so Mish offered to replenish the stash and grab some beer from the cooler.
“And maybe some chips or crackers?” Leo asked Mish. She was fully sober now. The taste of David’s sour penis in her mouth had woken her up. She couldn’t pretend that hadn’t happened, but she badly wanted to forget as soon as possible. Maybe if she put something else in her mouth, she would lose the taste.
The bottle landed on Brooks again. He was leaning back, knees crossed in front of him, casual and languid. “Dare,” he said, obviously bored.
“Kiss Leo,” said Olivia.
He raised an eyebrow. Mish still hadn’t returned.
The girls began to titter. “Come on!” said Andie. “It’s a game!”
“Yeah and you already kissed Dave,” sneered Olivia.
Leo colored hotly. Whatever she had done back there, that wasn’t a kiss.
David had pressed himself against her lips, forced her mouth open, and then he was inside her, while he held the back of her head, his hands heavy and strong so that she couldn’t move, she couldn’t breathe, and he’d moved her head back and forth, then slammed himself all the way back into her throat, oh god, it was disgusting, and she was just trying to breathe, and then he’d . . .
She closed her eyes, willing the memory away.
When she opened them, Brooks was already moving toward her. She froze.
“Is this okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah.” She shrugged. She didn’t care. Whatever. Like Andie said, it was a game.
His lips were wet and soft and the kiss was sweeter than the wine cooler she’d been drinking. He put a gentle hand against her cheek. It was so sweet she felt tears come to her eyes. It was everything she’d hoped for. Unexpected. Like a present. Like a birthday surprise.
This was nice. This wasn’t like the other thing. (Thank god no one knew about the other thing.)
Her eyes were still closed and her tongue was still in his mouth when she heard a distinctive voice cut through the silence.
“Um.” It was Mish. She was back.