Page 25 of The Lake of Lost Girls

I wanted him to touch me, though. To make me forget. To make me stop thinking abouteverything.

Just for a little while.

“Sage advice, Mr. Frat Guy.” I smirked and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

“I may be a frat guy, but I’m a smart frat guy. Just ask my mom,” he quipped. He leaned back on the couch and slung an arm over my shoulder. “I say, rather than brave more bad music and crappy beer, we stay up here with this nice bottle of Goldschläger. I think the new episode ofSouth Parkis on.”

“Sounds perfect,” I agreed, leaning into him and enjoying the feel of his arm pressed against me.

We spent the next couple of hours watching TV and drinking. I was definitely on my way to being drunk by the time I suggested it was time to call it a night.

“Sure. I have a feeling Brad is going to want his room back before too long anyway,” he said, grabbing his almost-empty bottle of liquor and pulling me to my feet. “I’ll walk you home if that’s cool.”

I nodded, appreciating the offer, especially with the echo of ever-watchful eyes still dancing over my skin.

I made a cursory effort to look for Daisy as we left the frat house, but she was nowhere to be found. Figuring I’d see her back at our room, I followed the guy I had spent several enjoyable hours with out onto the street. He took my hand, as though we were walking home from a date.

It felt nice. I walked with him, hand in hand, pretending, perhaps hoping, this is how my life was meant to be.

The guy called out greetings to people as we passed. It seemed he knew a lot of people. I also knew that walking together would be a topic of conversation. I had moved from one small community to another and the basics were the same. My business waseveryone’sbusiness.

We headed down the path that led to Westwood Hall. I noticed a car parked beneath a burned-out streetlight. It sat in shadow, the two people inside barely discernible, but I recognized the girl’s bright red hair. I watched her head dip down out of sight and I stopped abruptly, wondering what was going on.

“What is it?” the guy beside me asked, following my gaze.

“I think that’s one of my pledge sisters, Phoebe Baker.” There was a man in the driver’s seat. I couldn’t quite make him out, but could tell he was much older. Was it her dad? “What’s she doing?”

If I hadn’t glanced at Mr. Cute at that moment, I would have missed the imperceptible change in his expression. Shock and something like anger flashed across his face.

“Do you know her?” I asked pointedly.

“I did.” He sounded cryptic. He laughed, though less naturally than before. “We went to high school together.” I knew there was more to the story, but I didn’t know him and it felt rude to pry, even if Ireallywanted to. He cleared his throat and looked back at me. “The Phoebe I knew wasn’t the kind of girl to do what is definitely happening in that car.”

Just then the man turned and I could finally make him out through the fogged glass. It was Dr. Daniels.

I watched as he pulled Phoebe toward him, kissing her deeply.

“She’s obviously changed a lot since high school.” His eyes darkened. “But, let’s not stand here and watch them like a couple of perverts.” He took my arm and steered me back toward my dorm.

“I can’t believe that’s Phoebe. She hates parties and drinking. She didn’t even want to come out tonight. There’s no way she’s …” I let my words die off, because clearly shewas doing exactly what I thought she’d never do. Just like Tammy.

He shrugged, though his jaw tightened. “Everyone has their secrets.”

We stopped as we reached the door. I was still trying to look back at the car and my pledge sister, hoping like hell we were wrong about what was going on. Dr. Daniels was a teacher. And he was married. He was a father.

Not Phoebe. Doesn’t she know better?

I feltbetrayed.Because the woman I was getting to know, whom I thought I had a clear read on, was the total opposite of who I thought she was.

Or perhaps, it made an uncomfortable sense that the person with so little confidence, who had trouble voicing her opinions, was exactly the kind of girl that would take up with her married professor.

I thought of that adorable little girl I had seen earlier with her bright pink tennis ball and sweet laugh. I remembered the adoration in her eyes as she looked up at her dad, the same man now making out with his student in front of the freshmen dorms.

The devastation of it made me want to sob.

For a moment I saw myself in that little girl and I despaired at the thought of her family falling apart.

“You’d better go inside. It’s getting late and there are a lot of weirdos roaming around.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek, his lips lingering against my skin. Feeling unfettered and slightly out of control, I turned my face and his mouth met mine.

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