Page 51 of Obligation
“Yeah, he’s here. And he’s drunk.”
Carissa’s stomach sank, and she closed her eyes against the tears threatening to break free.
“That’s why I’ve been blowing up your phone,” Tiffany continued. “He showed up, said you two had argued and you didn’t want to come. He then acted like everything was normal. Drinking and laughing with the guys. And then…” She took a deep breath. “He’s in his room with another girl.”
An involuntary sob tore from Carissa’s throat, and she cupped her hand over her mouth. Not only had Danny said some terrible things to her tonight, but he’d also broken her phone and left her stranded. Then he went to a party and hooked up with another girl. What was left of her heart splintered, and her entire body went numb.
She was done.
“Carissa, I’m so sorry,” Tiffany said softly, but her words did nothing to soothe Carissa’s raw emotions.
“It’s not your fault. Thanks for being honest with me.” She sniffled and blinked back tears. “I wanted to let you know I’m safe, so please don’t worry about me, okay?”
Tiffany huffed. “Fat chance of that happening. You’re my best friend. Of course I’m going to worry about you. Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”
“Yeah, I’m going to be fine.” If only she believed that. “Can you let Garrett and Cory know I’m okay, too? And please tell Cory not to say anything to Mom and Dad.” She groaned at the thought of having to explain all of this to her parents.
“Sure. So, what’re you going to do?”
Carissa shrugged, not that Tiffany could see her. “Right now, I’m going to sleep. I’m exhausted. I’ll figure the rest out later.”
“Okay. I’m saving this number and calling you tomorrow,” Tiffany said in her don’t-even-try-to-argue-with-me voice.
Carissa cracked a smile. “Okay. I’ll get a new phone sometime tomorrow, too.” She yawned again.
“For what it’s worth, I yelled at Danny for being a cheating asshole.” Pride rang through in Tiffany’s voice, and Carissa laughed.
“Thanks for that.” She wanted to spill her guts about the way Danny had been treating her, about all the awful things he said to her, about the baby and the miscarriage and how everything changed after that. But now wasn’t the time for that discussion.
“Go get some sleep. Be safe, and we’ll talk tomorrow,” Tiffany said. “And I’ll let you know what other stupid shit Danny does tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t care anymore,” Carissa said.
Surprisingly, she meant that more than she realized. Sure, knowing he was with another girl right now hurt, but she was technically with another guy. The only difference being she wasn’t going to have sex with Bradley, and she knew damn well Danny was hooking up with that girl. Why else take her up to his room?
“Thanks again, Tiff. Love ya.” Carissa ended the call and set Bradley’s phone on his side of the bed. She stood and stretched.
A light knock on the door had her turning toward the sound. “Is it safe to come in?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said.
Bradley walked in carrying some clothes, a glass of water, and a bottle of pills. “My sister says she always gets a headache after crying, so I thought you might want these.” He shook the pill bottle. “And I found some of her extra clothes.” He set the neatly folded pile on the foot of the bed.
Carissa’s heart melted at how considerate Bradley was. He’d taken the initiative to get her what she needed without her having to ask. He genuinely cared, and that completely shattered every last defense she had. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
Without a word, Bradley embraced her. She clung to him and cried. Why did she have to be in a relationship with a guy who cared more about himself than her? Who did and said mean things just to hurt her feelings? What happened to the Danny she’d first met? The Danny who treated her like a queen and made her feel like the most important person in his world? Was she wrong for wanting all of that back?
Bradley stroked her hair and held her close, his steady heartbeat grounding her in the moment. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. His ability to just hold her, to offer comfort without the need for words astounded her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
His heavy breath jostled her, and he held her out at arm’s length. Then he very gently wiped her tears with his thumbs before cradling her face. He searched her eyes for a moment before holding her gaze.
“You donotneed to apologize to me. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong,” he said, his tone compassionate yet firm.
She nodded, and he eased his hands down to rest lightly on either side of her neck. “I did get your shirt wet,” she said lamely.
He softly ran the pads of his thumbs along her jaw. “I don’t care about my shirt. I care about you, Carissa.”
