Page 25 of Surviving Lies

It felt good getting the first class out of the way, and the professor was nowhere near as bad as the rumors made him out to be. I started my walk to the commons area to meet up with Gage, enjoying the view along the way. BRU was one of the prettiest campuses in the country. As I looked around, I knew why. The mountains surrounding us were a distant landscape that was breathtaking, especially in the fall when the leaves were changing. We weren’t there yet, but it would be here before we knew it. And the architecture of the buildings on site was amazing, all of them made from a gray stone quarried from local sources. It made the buildings look old even if they weren’t, almost as if they were in aHarry Pottermovie.

There was a third thing I always watched for as I walked the campus: the good-looking guys. There was a plethora of them here, no shortage in that department. Most likely because of the draw of the major sports teams we had to choose from. But today I kept my eyes forward and didn’t let them stray.

Two was enough for me to handle.

I made my way to the coffee line, which was always long. I texted Gage, asking him for his order since I didn’t see him anywhere. It took him a few minutes to get back to me.

Gage:

Hey Becca, running late, I’ll meet you outside the commons door by the bench

Once I got to the bench, I remembered it was the same one I found Lanie sitting on at the beginning of last year. We didn’t know each other well at that point, and she was still so quiet and reserved. I often thought she and I would never become friends, but I was glad I never gave up on her. She needed me then, and still did. And I needed her; I just didn’t let on how much that often.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Gage said as he sat next to me.

“Oh, hi. I didn’t see you coming.” My nerves kicked in. I was torn between thinking they were from the newness of everything or the talk I wanted to have. “Here’s your coffee. Very boring, by the way.”

He took the cup and let out one of his signature deep laughs I was becoming accustomed to hearing.

“Boring? Just because I don’t order one of those drinks laden with syrups and sugar doesn’t make me boring. It makes me traditional. There’s nothing wrong with being traditional.” He took a loud, exaggerated slurp of his “traditional” coffee. “Ahh, delicious. Simple and delicious.” He looked over at my hands, the cup I was holding, gesturing with a nod of his chin. “Let me guess – that is some form of a spiced pumpkin latte with foam.”

“Uhm, yes, it is. And it’s fabulous.” I then took my own exaggerated sip.

We both laughed, enjoying the simplicity of the moment.

“Want to take a walk?” he asked. “There’s a spot on this campus I love, and I haven’t seen it since I’ve been back. I thought we could have our talk there. That is, if you have enough time.” He stood, and I grabbed his outstretched hand to stand with him.

“Yeah, sure. I don’t have anything until two.” We started walking, close to each other but not touching. As much as I enjoyed the feel of whatever this was, I couldn’t deny the hint of nerves wrapped around my heart.What if we ran into Ty? How would I handle that? How will I handle that?It was bound to happen eventually, but I didn’t look forward to hurting him.

We walked toward the pond. Safe to say it was not only his favorite spot, but the favorite of most students. It was a beautiful location, the water surrounded by a running path with large oak trees hanging overhead. Some might argue it was the size of a small lake, but its nickname on campus was “the pond.”

We were on the path, but he kept walking, passing by several benches we could have sat on. I wasn’t sure where he was taking us, and he sensed my hesitancy; he reached for my hand as we continued walking.

“It’s right up here.” He pulled me off the path, my feet sinking into the grass between the gravel and the water’s edge. It was a warm day, and I was tempted to take my shoes off to enjoy the feel of those blades between my toes. We rounded a massive tree whose branches hung well over the body of the pond, making it look like we would step in water on its other side. But a hidden platform that jutted out surprised me. The tree kept it well covered in shade.

“Not many people know this is here. Unless you veer off the path, you can’t really see it. I found it my sophomore year, and I’ve only told a handful of people about it.” Gage took his shoes off once we arrived at its end, and then started rolling his pants up. “Go ahead, take your shoes off. At least you don’t have long pants on, too.”

Chucking my sandals behind us, I sat at the edge, but I was hesitant to put my feet in. “What’s in this water? Are there fish or turtles, anything that can bite me? I really don’t feel like losing a toe today.” I dipped my big toe in, and the water felt amazing. The day was warming, the sun almost directly above us already. The leaves filtered the rays of the sun, but it was still going to be a hot day. Once my toe hit the water, I forgot about all critters and relished in the coolness it provided. Both my legs went in, the water almost up to mid-shin, as I leaned back on my hands, looking out.

We remained quiet for a while, soaking in our surroundings. The view from this vantage point was that of the distant mountain range. I made a mental note to come back when the leaves started changing.

“This was my spot to come to when I needed to escape or to think. It’s calm here, don’t ya think?” Gage asked.

My head slanted in his direction before I answered. “I could use some calm in my life.” I knew I needed to tell him what we came here to discuss, but how does one say yes to a repeated booty call? Plus, I wasn’t so sure he was going to like my terms.

“So, I have something I want to talk to you about.” Looking out over the pond, I was suddenly short on words. “I, uh, want to talk about your, um, proposal from the other night.” The heat of my embarrassment raced up my chest to my cheeks. A sheen of light sweat formed on my forehead as I tried to continue but couldn’t.

“Becca, I’m not asking you to be my slut. You look really uncomfortable right now. When I said what I said, it was simply to make sure you had no expectations for the future. We would hang out, have fun. There’s nothing wrong with that; we’re adults.”

I took a cleansing breath after he finished.

“I’m that transparent, huh?” I chuckled. “I’ve just never been in a non-relationship relationship before. It’s new for me. And there’s something else I want to talk about as well.” My eyes fell away from his, focusing on a lily pad floating near my foot. I flicked my toes at it, watching the ripples make it bounce up and down in the mini waves I created. “You already know that I recently broke it off with Ty. He’s not real happy that I saw you the other night, and he’s still working on getting us back together.” I struggled with my next words, wanting to make sure they came out right. “I don’t want to be inthis” – I gestured between us with my fingers – “without being completely upfront and honest, since that’s not what I was getting from him. I’m attracted to you. I do want to do this, but I can’t believe that there won’t be drama, you know, when he finds out we’remore. And I don’t know if you’re up for that.” I snuck a peek at him once I finished my ramble. He was looking at me, a small grin warming his face.

“You’re adorable when you’re nervous.” He pulled his legs out of the water and leaned his back against the tree next to the dock. He widened his legs and patted the spot between them, an invitation to join him. I settled against his chest, and his arms went around my waist, both of us looking at the water. His chin rested on the top of my head before he spoke again. “Becca, I’m a big boy. I think I can handle whatever comes our way. And if things get too complicated and you want out, well, that’s why we’re keeping it simple.”

I moved, trying to get comfortable on the wooden platform, pushing myself closer to him between his legs.

And that was when I felt it.

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