Page 4 of His Fractured Girl

“Sophie?”

I look over my shoulder and the horrified expression on her face guts me. She’s seeing everything. She knows exactly what’s happening. And the guilt is crashing down hard.

“What are you two… Why… How could you do this to me, Maddock?”

She starts to scramble to her feet, struggling to get up from the floor, and I’m suddenly bucked off Maddock’s hips, falling back onto my butt as he goes after her.

“Presley, wait!”

He takes off after her, and I quickly fix my clothes, needing to go apologize to her too. We never should’ve done this. We should’ve waited until long after they had broken up. We should’ve waited until there wasn’t a chance of her catching us. She might already hate me, but I never wanted to hurt her. And even if she has feelings for someone else, it doesn’t mean that she wants Maddock’s new relationship rubbed in her face.

I stop short outside the bathroom door, feeling like I’m going to be sick as I listen to Maddock’s nervous voice.

“I swear, baby, I was passed out. And when I woke up, I thought it was you riding my cock. It wasn’t until you just spoke that I realized it wasn’t you on top of me.”

I cling to the wall, nearly losing my balance. My mind sobering with every single one of his lying words.

“Baby, please. You have to believe me. Why would I ever go for a girl like that when I have the prettiest girl at school? Youknow me, Pres. You know how much I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you. And certainly not at the chance of getting caught. Just think about it, babe. If I was going to cheat on you, why would I do it when you’re lying right next to me?”

The tears slide down my cheeks and it feels like all the air has been sucked from the room. I’m struggling to breathe. Struggling to make sense of what he’s saying. He’s blaming me. Acting as if I took advantage of him in his sleep. Oh my God. I can’t believe what he’s saying. And I can’t believe I fell for his lies. I gobbled them down like candy, savoring the sweetness, but I should’ve known it couldn’t have been true.

“I was so drunk. I’m still drunk. If you hadn’t woken me, she would’ve gotten off and I never would’ve known what happened.”

The room is closing in. I think I’m having a panic attack, either that or a heart attack. I quickly rise from the ground and run, grabbing my bag before I escape through the sliding glass door. I just gave him my virginity.

As soon as I’m in my car, the sob rocks through me. I fight to get myself calm. Fight to clear my eyes so I can get myself home. When I see the blood smeared across my thighs, the pain tears through me again. I just gave that asshole something special, and I can never get it back. And the worst part is, I betrayed my friend. The look on Presley’s face will forever be burned in my mind. It’s a wound I’ll be living with for the rest of my life.

1

Sophie

Present Day

“As some of you may have already seen, your grades for your product design assignment have been posted online.”Oh, sweet. I hadn’t realized they were already up.“If you have any questions regarding the grade you received, please feel free to see my TA during office hours. We’ve provided comments in the notes section to explain the reason points were deducted, but if you would like more clarity, or disagree with our conclusion, please come by so we can help. My TA will be available immediately following class today, and again tomorrow.”

I’m positive I got a one hundred on the assignment. My design was so awesome. It was…an eighty?!I blink my eyes, making sure I’m seeing the number correctly on my screen. I got an eighty on it. But why? My logo was awesome. It matched the product perfectly. And I explained my concept in detail, makingsure to hit every expectation that was listed on the grading rubric. But an eighty? That’s bullshit.

I scroll down to the comments section to read through the notes.

Pretty design, but not appropriate for a soda product. Although you met all the requirements for the assignment, this concept would not be successful. When creating a marketing package, you need to consider your entire audience, not just the female population. Men don’t typically buy things with flowers on them, nor are they drawn to pastel colors. Most people buy based on expectation of what the product will deliver. The selling points for a soda are taste, enjoyment benefit, and look of packaging to catch buyers’ attention.

When looking at your packaging, I have no idea how I would benefit from your brand. With flowers on the label, my first thought is that it tastes like flowers or dirt, in which case I would need to have a closer look to learn more, but I would never do that given the colors you have chosen. Remember, the main goal is to sell to the general population. You need to make people believe your soda is better than all the rest.

Really? He doesn’t understand that it’s an “organic drink,” made from natural plants and sugars. That’s why I put flowers on it, to show it’s a natural product made with organically grown ingredients. And the colors I chose are to make it stand out amongst the sea of brands that are already on the market. Instead of going with the standard spectrum of colors, I went with pastels. It’s different and unique, which will actually draw your eyes in to have a closer look. It makes perfect sense to me. I would buy this drink if I saw it on a shelf, because I would know right away that it’s organic and not made from chemicals. That’s what makes it stand out from all the rest. That’s what lets you know it’s the better product.

“Okay, class. Remember, your personal brand logo is due on Friday. The rubric has been posted online. If you have any questions about the assignment, email my TA. But please do not ask for an extension because one will not be granted no matter what the circumstances. This assignment was listed on the syllabus given to you at the beginning of the semester, so you’ve had plenty of time to plan accordingly. And just so you know, any assignment turned in after midnight on Friday will automatically lose twenty points. All right, class is dismissed. We’ll see you Thursday.”

I shove my stuff into my bag, trying to get out as fast as I can. I want to be the first one at the TA’s door, so I can get this cleared up right away. Apparently, the guy needs an introduction to the world of organic products because my concept was spot-on. And even if it isn’t perfect, I definitely deserve better than a B. It was barely even a B. An eighty is almost a C and that’s going to mess with my 4.0 GPA. I’m aiming for magna cum laude here. I can’t afford to get a B. And if I drop the class, it will put me behind on my prerequisites for next semester and then my entire schedule will be thrown off.

“Oops, I’m sorry,” I say, nearly colliding into someone as I go to reach for the door. I look up and the heat hits my cheeks. It’s him. It’s the one who always sits in the back corner of the room. The unfathomably gorgeous guy who constantly looks deep in concentration. He’s always typing away during class while staring up at the front of the room. It’s as if he’s taking down Professor Maxwell’s every word. Most of the other guys in class usually mess around on their phones so it’s nice to see that he’s actually interested in learning something, and not just scrolling through bikini babes on social media.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected him to be so tall or broad. His shoulders practically span two of me. The glances I’ve snuck when he wasn’t watching haven’t done him justice. His eyes areso much darker up close. They’re like the color of a midnight sky. And all the smooth lines of his face make him look like he was cut from stone. A brilliant artist’s work of sculpted perfection.

“Here, let me get the door for you.” He holds it open for me to pass, and the butterflies start to flutter in my stomach. He’s the first college guy I’ve met with manners. It almost seems like being chivalrous is a rare trait these days.

“Thanks.” I smile, feeling the blush in my cheeks as he smiles back. His dimples are completely disarming. It’s been a moment since I’ve felt a flutter in my stomach, but it’s definitely not a feeling I should give any stock to. He’s too good-looking, which is the first red flag. Guys like him are either taken or they like playing the field. Or both from my experience.

“You’re very welcome, pretty girl.” My stomach flutters even faster, and that’s my second warning sign. Smooth talkers willing to dish out compliments so easily aren’t trustworthy. “What’s your name, by the way?”

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