Page 20 of Steeling Her
“I came out and I told TJ and Nick I felt sick, which wasn’t a total lie. TJ thought I was pregnant and Nick told me I wasn’t that type of girl. So, he basically said that a guy wouldn’t even want to knock me up. Or go near me for that matter.
“I walked home from my class and bumped into Ryan. He asked me out, I said no. Like twice. And he saw it as a challenge. He wanted me to go to the game on Friday because he’d love to see me there. Then he wanted me to go to a pool party. Why on earth would I go to a pool party when I was called pregnant and ugly today? Hmm?” I see Danielle smirking at me. This is the first time I’ve had an outburst to a girl, who was one of my friends. One of my two only friends I’ve had my entire life.
“Well, I don’t think the guys meant it like that. Did TJ say the word pregnant?” I nodded and she face palms herself, probably wondering why he would ask that. “Ugh! TJ!” she groans with her eyes closed.
“I know . . .”
“And what did Nick say exactly?” She continues to cut up her avocado with salmon on toasted bread.
“He said somethings along the lines of ‘Don’t listen to TJ, you don’t look pregnant. we know you’re not that type of girl . . .’ ”
“Ugh . . . NICK!” she groans out loud once more. She’s starting to see where I’m coming from. She shakes her head and looks over at me. I see the sympathy in her eyes. She knows it’s kind of upset me today. “I’m sure dumb and dumber really didn’t mean it. It sounds like their minds weren’t programmed to their mouths. I’m sure you could’ve taken Nick’s comment one way or another, but I get where you’re coming from,” she assures me.
I nod, sipping on my water. I’m sure she’s right. She’s got more experience than I do with people; guys in particular. I don’t even reach half of either hers or Haley’s experience scales when it comes to guys. I have no idea what to do when I’m around them.
“Why don’t you come to the game on Friday? We can check out the players on the field. That’s really the only reason why I’m going. Football’s . . . not my thing. Hot sweaty guys? Now we’re talking!” We both laugh at her comment. I push up the glasses on my nose and shake my head. I see her frown.
“I’ve got an assignment that I want to finish on Friday.” I close the cap on the bottle and set it down on the table in front of me.
“Well, you coming to the party afterwards?” She chews on her food covering her mouth.
“I don’t think so. I think I’ll just stay here for the night. I don’t want to be felt up again . . . Or be called pregnant again . . .” I play with my fingers, having a flashback of that night. When I got pulled upstairs by that guy. Him putting his hands all over me and kissing, biting, and trailing his tongue up my neck. I touch my neck subconsciously, almost feeling him still on me.
“What happened? I just got pulled by Haley to go outside with you both,” she asks me softly, like she was silently asking if I wanted to talk about it.
“I saw Nick and ran away, crashed into a guy and spilt his drink all over him. I offered to help clean him up in the kitchen but he took my hand and brought me upstairs. Once we were in a room, which I thought was locked, he pushed me up against the wall and started to . . . kiss and bite my neck. He kept commenting on how I looked. Then we heard banging on the door. It was TJ and Haley. TJ took my hand and pulled me out but the guy got really angry with him. So TJ threatened that him and Nick will make him regret what he did if he didn’t stay away from me. I haven’t seen him since. Haley took me downstairs and we waited outside when we found you. I’m sorry you got pulled away from that guy you were dancing with!” I apologized to her and she shook her head wildly.
“No! No! I needed saving from him! He was a total creep and I couldn’t find a way to get away from him. I was glad to see both of you, you have no idea.” She chuckles thinking about that night. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I get why you don’t want to go back out. But don’t let it scare you from going out forever. You’ll have amazing memories on some nights and you’ll have awful ones. That being one.” Her hand reaches across to touch mine and squeezes it. “If you want, I can stay with you on Friday and we can just watch movies and stuff?” She smiles softly over to me.
“No, I’m alright with being alone here. You guys go out and enjoy the night. I just need time for myself this weekend. I might call my family,” I tell her standing up to walk over to the refrigerator.
“Did I ever tell you I love your mom!” she jokes, making me laugh harder. I know she’s trying to change the subject because I realized I’m not comfortable with that stuff yet. I appreciate that she picked up on it. I’m new to it, so I find it strange.
“No . . .” I reply, still facing the refrigerator.
“Well, I do! She’s so sweet, like, I want your parents to adopt me!” she squeaks out, turning her body around to face me.
“I’m not sure you want that!” I mumble, checking what we can make for dinner. I’m not really in the mood for cooking tonight. Maybe one of them might cook something or we can eat out?
“Why? Danielle . . . what’s your last name again?” I freeze. I honestly forgot hers too. I knew Haley’s because of Nick, him being the most talked about guy on campus. Nick Jackson this, Nick Jackson that; all the girls in my classes are obsessed with him. I mean he’s gorgeous, but he has a girlfriend, don’t they respect that?
“That’s not important,” I tell her, trying to act like I don’t care. She stops talking for a moment. Hearing nothing but silence in the room, I spin around still crouched down on my feet at the refrigerator. Seeing her stare at me.
“What’s your last name Carter?” she teases me with her finger resting across her upper lip. “You’re hiding something aren’t you?” She’s still keeping that same tone in her voice as when she asked the first question. Still staring at me, she fumbles around the table to get her phone. Once she does, she pulls it out to find something.
“What are you doing?” I ask her, standing up and turning around to fully face her.
“Finding the email the college sent us. It has yours and Haley’s names in it.” She smirks down at her phone. Seeing her eyes widen, I know she’s found it. “Steel! Carter Steel,” she repeats my name once more. “Siri, Google Carter Steel.” Hearing Siri reply as she carries out the task, I feel the blood drain from my body. “Holy shit! You’re famous! Well, your dad is famous,” she trails off, not looking up from the screen.
“That’s not my dad,” I say as calmly as possible.
“That’s definitely your dad. He’s standing in the picture with your mom! And in the next one he’s kissing her! And your bro—Holy crap! They’re your brothers! Wow! Damn, your brothers are hot!” She smiles even wider at the screen. I feel my body walking over to her.
“Please don’t tell anyone! Please Danielle! Please!” I clasp my hands with a pleading looking on my face. Her smiles is replaced by a shocked expression and now a worried one.
“What? Carter, I’m not going to say anything if you don’t want me to. What will happen if I tell someone?” Her confused look catches me off guard as I take a step back from her. I think I scared her.
“Oh, I don’t know, I’m in a college that worships football and my dad is the best coach in the NFL while my brothers are the top players in the NFL currently and some of the players on this college team want to play in THE NFL!” I yell in frustration. She stands up and walks over to me, placing both of her hands on my shoulders after spinning me around.
