Page 3 of Cerberus

While you could still see the heartache of losing their only child in my grandparents’ eyes, they’d done a wonderful job raising me. I hadn’t even been a year old when my father had killed my mother, so I hadn’t known anything different, and my grandparents had done their best to raise me without tainting me as a victim. It was something I’ve always been grateful to them for. They hadn’t coddled me, spoiled me, or turned me into an entitled, arrogant little shit because I’d lost both my parents. No. They’d raised me to rise above life’s tragedies because life was full of them.

As for my father, he’d gotten sentenced to fifty years in prison because of the coroner’s testimony of the prolonged physical abuse, but that was neither here nor there for me. I’ve never visited the man, and I had no intentions on ever visiting him. Being so young when it all happened, I had no bond with him, and even if I had developed a bond with him, the sonofabitch killed my mother. I had no mixed emotions about any of that.

So, when it was all said and done, I wanted to make my grandparents proud. They’d lost their only child, and they had rearranged their entire lives to raise me from infancy, so it was the least I could do. I wanted all their hard work to matter. I wanted to show them that, whether out of love or obligation, I appreciated everything they’ve ever done for me.

Plus, I’d already sowed some of my wild oats. Granted, they hadn’t been as wild as a lot of people, but I’d done the whole freshman party thing. I’d done the meeting new guys and dating. I’d done the slutty Halloween nights and sex in the back of a car. Though I had stayed away from drugs or anything felonious, I’d had my share of good times. Still, I was going to take this year to really enjoy the freedom I had of not being a full-blown adult yet.

Walking into my apartment, I saw Delta in the kitchen, and she looked to be making some lunch. “Hey,” I greeted.

She smiled up at me. “Hey,” she greeted back. “Are you hungry? I’m making a quick snack before I have to get to my Communications class.”

Delta Landry planned on becoming a journalist, and I had no doubt that she’d do just that. At twenty-one, she was stunning with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and trusting face. She was petite and carried herself with the confidence that only came with intelligence. Delta could never be mistaken for a dumb blonde bimbo. The girl was also the closest friend that I had.

We’d met during our sophomore year at Hales when she’d sat next to me in Computer Science. My future plans were to become an educational developer, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to go about that just yet. If nothing else, I’d have the credentials to become a teacher. However, I wanted to do more than teach children. I wanted to guide them in their educations and that included making changes in curriculum and creating new and challenging ways to engage young minds.

“No, I’m good,” I answered her as I set my school bag and purse on the couch. “I stopped by Shane’s with Earl and grabbed a chicken salad.” Shane’s was a popular deli right near campus, and I was a very loyal customer. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to cook, but who had the damn time.

Delta grinned. “And how is the sexy Earl?” she teased.

“Still gay,” I replied as I made my way to the refrigerator for a bottled water. “Still gorgeous, but still very gay.”

“All the good ones are,” she sighed dramatically.

I turned to face her. “Malcolm is gay?”

She grinned. “He’s definitely not gay,” she replied. “However, I’m not sure if he’s one of the good ones yet.”

That surprised me. Delta started dating Malcolm over the summer when neither one of them had gone back home for those couple of months. According to her, they had run into each other coming out of the same movie, and she had ended up going to his place that very night.

Now, while most people would judge that, I didn’t. Malcolm House was hot as hell, and his voice was perfect for dirty talk. He was six-foot-two of solid muscle, and he always wore his hair braided in cornrows that reached just below the back of his neck. He had dark mocha skin, light brown eyes, full lips, and I’ve seen him in basketball shorts. The man wasnotlacking anywhere. So, two months later, I was surprised that Delta wasn’t all over that.

“I thought he was the perfect sex god,” I teased.

“Oh, he is,” she smirked.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Delta shrugged a dainty shoulder. “I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one,” she answered, and my heart lurched a bit. “However, since we never labeled what we’ve been doing, I can hardly object.”

I set my water down on the counter as I took a seat in front of her. Our apartment was small, so we didn’t have room for a kitchen table. The apartment came with a breakfast bar, and that’s where we ate most of our meals. While the place wasn’t crowded, it wasn’t exactly spacious. With two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen, the only perk we had was the balcony that came with the apartments. However, with us living on the seventh floor, I wasn’t fond of hanging out on the balcony. I had no desire to be a freak accident news article.

“But what makes you think he’s seeing other girls?” I asked. Admittedly, I didn’t know Malcolm well, but every time that I’ve spoken to him, he’s seemed like a good enough guy. He had no problem being affectionate with Delta whenever he was over, either.

“Sometime when I suggest we get together, he’ll pass but with no explanation.”

“Well…could it be that…well, like you, he doesn’t want to be too presumptuous?”

“Maybe,” she conceded after a couple of seconds. “However, I’m being very superficial right now. I’m not willing to risk the sex to ask a couple of uncomfortable questions. As long as we’re still using condoms, I’m okay.”

“Sex that good, huh?” I teased because she’s already said as much.

“Let’s just say that he’s going to be a hard act to foll-”

“What?” I asked as she stopped mid-sentence.

Her eyes shined. “Maybe I can get my answer without having to ask the question,” she said.

“How so?”

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