Page 52 of Trusting Tanner
Devon gave a curt nod. “Don’t make a liar out of me. Not to her.” His tone had turned cold, and everything he didn’t say came across loud and clear.
“I won’t.”
“Good.” Without another word, Devon walked into Weston Hall.
Well, that was odd. Tanner headed toward Fallon Hall for his last class of the day, checking his phone for a message from Jules, but there wasn’t any. She must still be sleeping. Unless… “Shit.” Was she okay with everything because she believed him? Or was she okay with everything because Devon told her it was okay? He hoped to hell she wasn’t making relationship decisions based on Devon’s input, but she was extraordinarily close with Devon. He was going to have a heart-to-heart with Juliana and lay it all on the line. No games.
…
Juliana yawned and reached for her phone. There was a text from Tanner.Hey, gorgeous. You awake? I’m out of class.Guilt gnawed at her for how she’d left things with Tanner earlier. Talking with Devon and then sleeping on it had helped to clear her mind. Tanner was a sweet, kind, thoughtful guy, and she was choosing to believe Tanner, to trust him.
Rereading his message again, she typed a reply.I’m awake now. Can we get together later?
Tanner:I thought you’d never ask.
Her smile widened, and giddiness swept through her. She grabbed her pillow, covered her face, and let out an excited scream-giggle.
Tanner:In case that wasn’t clear enough... We are most definitely getting together later and I can’t wait.
She sat up and stretched, realizing Rebecca wasn’t back from her classes yet. Not that she was complaining. The less she had to see of her roommate the better.
Tanner:I’ll pick you up after my last class. About an hour.
“An hour,” she grumbled.What if I can’t wait that long?
Tanner:You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you?
She laughed. God, she hadn’t felt this alive in so long. This stage of a relationship, when everything was still new and fresh and exciting, was the best, and she wasn’t going to miss out on this simply because Rebecca wanted to cause trouble. Granted, there were other issues at play, too, but those were Juliana’s issues to deal with, and she would. Before she could respond, the door slammed open, hitting the wall, and Rebecca stormed in.
“Good, I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk about your ‘boyfriend.’” The bitch actually used air quotes when she said boyfriend.
That was the last straw. Jules stood, hands balled into fists. “Nothing you can say about Tanner is going to change my mind about him, so don’t waste your time.”
“He attacked me today,” she said coolly.
“What?” Juliana said much too loudly. “What do you mean he attacked you?”
“I was going to class and he cornered me. Started screaming in my face, telling me to stop lying, threatening to shut me up if I said anything else to you. He grabbed my arm and everything.” She rolled up her sleeve to show a red blotch near her wrist.
Was it rotten her first thought was Rebecca had done that to herself? She sighed, studying her roommate’s face. For someone who’d been attacked, she was awfully calm. Not a hair out of place. A fresh coat of lipstick on her lips. Eyes vibrant.
“Did you call campus security?” she asked.
“No.” She pouted. “I was so scared. He was downright crazy, Jules, and I was terrified of what he’d do to me if I called the police.”
Liar.
“If he can treat me like that for simply telling you the truth, imagine what he’ll do to you.” She stepped forward and clutched Juliana’s hands. “We’re friends, right? And friends look out for each other.”
Her eyes ached from the force of not rolling them. She may not know Tanner all that well, but she knew he wasn’t violent or abusive. “Well”—she pulled her hands free—“if you’re that scared of him, you might want to leave because he’ll be here in an hour to pick me up.”
Juliana took a moment to bask in the shock on Rebecca’s face, then she gathered her shower caddy and some clean clothes and left the room.
Chapter Seventeen
Please let Jules answer the door.The door swung open and there stood Rebecca. Stark-ass naked. Tanner slapped his hand over his eyes, but not before he got a good look of something he never wanted to see. “What the fuck?” He turned his back to her, heart racing. “Where is Jules?”Christ, if she saw this…He couldn’t even imagine what she’d think.
Rebecca walked her fingers up his back, letting her hand slide around to his stomach, and then lower, her intentions clear. “Why don’t you come on in and wait for her?”
