Page 34 of Obligation
“And we will.” She reached for his hands, clasping them in hers. “I don’t have to do anything during the game, so we can still go as we planned. And we can go to the bonfire together, too. I’ll just have to hang out near the S’mores table.”
“I’ll be serving drinks all night,” Tiffany said, then shrugged. “We all have to do our part.”
“So, is this how it’s going to be from now on?” Danny stood, arms crossed. “You constantly canceling our plans because TOP needs you? Always having to share you with them, even after you promised to be with me?” He pointed at himself.
“C’mon, man. Chill,” Garrett said, a hint of emotional exhaustion in his voice. “They’ve just begun pledging. Once they get in, things will calm down. Give ‘em a break.”
Carissa gave Garrett a grateful smile. Danny may not listen to her, but he always seemed to respond positively to Garrett.
“You just don’t get it,” Danny snapped and turned his attention to Garrett. “How would you like to have to constantly share your girlfriend with a bunch of other girls?”
Garrett smirked. “Sounds like a party to me.”
“You’re such a pervert.” Tiffany laughed and smacked him, causing him to laugh, too.
He rubbed his chest where she’d hit him. “I’m a guy. What do you expect?”
“Make all the jokes you want, but this isn’t funny to me.” Danny shook his head, then leveled an angry stare at Carissa. “Just one night, Carissa. One night where you don’t have to cancel or run off or throw a tantrum and ruin things.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and the energy in the room shifted from semi-light to wholly uncomfortable. Between lack of sleep, an encroaching headache, the stress of everything she had to do, and her conflicted emotions for both Danny and Bradley, she’d had enough.
She stood and yanked open the door. “Get out.”
“Excuse me?” Danny said, stepping closer to her.
“I said, ‘get out.’” She stood firm, refusing to back down. “I’m tired, Danny. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow is going to be even longer. I need to sleep, so please, leave.”
“Are you kicking Garrett out, too?” Danny sneered, and the vein in his temple began to throb. A clear indication that he was about to go full-on nuclear.
“Yes, actually, I am.” Carissa glanced over her shoulder at Garrett. “Sorry, but you need to go, too.”
Garrett climbed off Tiffany’s bed, hands up in a show of surrender. “No need to apologize. I get it.” He smiled tightly at her before stepping out of her room.
Guilt stabbed at her chest. Garrett hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he’d tried to defend her, to diffuse the brewing storm between her and Danny, and her way of thanking him was by kicking him out of her room. But if she let Garrett stay and made Danny leave, things would be a million times worse.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” she said to Danny.
“Whatever.” He dismissed her with a wave then stomped out of her room.
She exhaled forcefully, her body slumping with all sorts of exhaustion—physical, mental, emotional.
Garrett gently rested his hand on her arm. “I’ll talk to him, okay? Things will be fine.”
“Thanks.” She smiled, though the gesture was more out of habit than genuine emotion.
“See ya, Tiff.” Garrett waved at Tiffany, then disappeared down the hall after Danny.
Carissa closed the door and rested her head against it. She closed her eyes and blew out a breath. When she’d left the sorority house, she’d felt great and was looking forward to tomorrow. Now, she couldn’t care less. If she had her way, she’d crawl under her covers and stay there until Monday.
“Hey, wanna tell me what’s going on?” Tiffany asked, her voice full of compassion.
Groaning, Carissa turned around. “I don’t know. I just… snapped.”
“Yeah, I noticed. But why? I mean, aren’t you happy that Danny wants to spend time with you?” Tiffany tilted her head, her question curious and not at all accusatory or judgmental.
“Of course I’m happy he wants to spend time with me, but why does he always have to be so mean about it?” Carissa flopped down onto her bed. “He’s always blaming me and making me feel guilty for having a life outside of him.”
Tiffany frowned, scooted off her bed, and sat beside Carissa. “Have you told him how you feel?”
