Page 93 of Candygrams

“Thanks, Vanessa. I'm not sure what I would do without you telling me things so sweetly and gently.”

If she doesn’t have a boyfriend and Vanessa thinks it’s a man too…who is the man?

And when did she have time to meet him? That cold feeling that’s coated my stomach and settled to lodge in my heart comes rushing back to me. I need to talk to my little tutor.

“Thanks for coming by, Vanessa, but I’m here now and I’ll take care of her.”

“’Her’ doesn’t need taking care of, especially not by you! You’ve already done enough, don’t you think?”

“Oh My God! Are you pregnant?”

Tandy’s eyes widen and she opens and closes her mouth. Speechless. “Why would you think that, Vanessa?” I turn to look down at Tandy beside me and I can’t help but lower my eyes to her tummy.

“Well, you said you’d take care of it. And she’s pissed and said you had already done ‘enough’. When my sister got knocked up by her boyfriend she pretty much said the same thing.”

“Out! Everyone out! GET OUT NOW!!!”

Tandy shoves me and Vanessa through the door, and I hear the lock click into place. It sounds pretty final. Vanessa gives me a big smile, but I turn away from her -and all she is offering. I don’t want her and I have too much to think about to put up with her fake admiration.

For one, I might have a lot to make up for. I was a jackass and did the one thing I told her I wouldn’t do -not take the time to talk through shit. Damn it! So now what do I do? Flowers? Massages? Although that would probably be more for me than for her since I get to put my hands all over her after all.

And I have to find out why she is so upset. I have a nagging suspicion that the person that made her cry and has her so upset…is me. And what that means is something I am going to have to really think about while simultaneously figuring out how to kick my own ass.

Chapter Sixteen

Tandy

I start cleaning around my bed. Vanessa was right. The place was a mess. And I can’t stay like this forever. I don’t want to throw away everything I’ve worked for just because some idiot broke my heart. And I really need to find out how to find a new student to tutor since I cleared out my schedule to give Rip so much of my attention.

Sucks, because I thought this fucking job would last all year. Now…well, I just need to find a replacement student sooner rather than later. I spend the day catching up on my schoolwork and checking in with my family.

I walk through the door to my first class of the day and everyone in the room turns to look at me and stops talking. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t in class for a couple of days, but it probably has more to do with Rip than anything else. He is a very popular player, and a lot of people keep up with what is happening with him. I guess word got around fast that I’m not his friend anymore.

I'm not sure why it’s so damned important to everyone that I’m not hanging out with him or the other players any longer but whatever. I’m here to learn what I have to and graduate -just like I was doing before Rip. Nothing has changed for me.

Still, it makes for a very awkward class. When I’m walking out of the room the teacher shouts out a congratulations to me, but I can’t tell if he’s being an ass or not. He’s smiling but some people can be cold and mean with a smile on their face the entire time. I duck out of the room too fast for him to say anything else.

I start walking back to the rental only to have my name called out again but this time when I turn around I freeze. It’s Roger.

He comes lopping over to me. “Congrats, Tandy. Never thought I would see the day your ice shield would melt but I guess there’s a first time for everything, huh.”

He slaps me on my back nearly knocking me off my feet and the worst part is he leaves his hand on my shoulder like a creepy leech I can't shake off. And what the hell is he talking about?

“What?”

“Poor bastard’s dick must have fallen off when he finally pried your legs open.” He laughs like he is the funniest thing in the world. I’m left wondering how the hell I ever found this guy cute or anything else but sleazy and awful. “We’re all just glad you didn’t give him pneumonia when he was trying to stick his dick in you. But frostbite might be a real problem for the guy.”

Is he drunk? What the fuck is he talking about?

“Now that you’ve honey-trapped yourself a football player…finally, I wouldn’t mind giving you a go.” Oh God! No! “Now that you aren’t the ice queen nerd from high school anymore and you’re already knocked up.”

The blood drains from my head leaving me dizzy and in real danger of fainting in front of this ass. I wouldn't close my eyes in the same room as Roger for fear of him humping my leg in between blinks. If he doesn’t remove his hand I’m going to throw up in his face and kick him in the balls. And did he say…I was already knocked up.

His fingers run down my arm and my body goes cold and still. He thinks I’m…pregnant! Is that what everyone else thought -the reason my fucking professor congratulated me? I would rather it be him just being an ass! Oh God!

What the hell is going on?

My stomach lurches and I have to really concentrate on not doing it where everyone can see me do it. How fucking embarrassing would that be?

---