In the Dark (The Rules #2)(45)

It was a great summer. I made a lot of money with an easy job, I made a new friend and I lost my virginity to the sexiest guy in the universe. I have no reason to complain.

None.

That I have to keep reminding myself of this fact is sort of pitiful.

“Hmmm, so she’s having a boy at the apartment with just the two of you there? How inappropriate,” Mama says, dragging me out of my Gabe-filled thoughts.

I almost say something in protest but decide not to. It’s like she lives in the dark ages. I just think she’s so overprotective of me she can’t help herself but sometimes it’s annoying. Especially when I’m a twenty-one year old woman who’s fully capable of taking care of herself, lone dude in the house with two supposed vulnerable females in the house or not.

“It’s fine, Mama. They’re madly in love so what’s the harm?”

“The harm is that he could ruin her life with one reckless decision.”

Mama didn’t need to remind me what decision she’s talking about. “Not everyone goes out, has sex and immediately gets knocked up.”

“I know that. Like you, mija. You’re a good girl. You don’t date any boys and don’t let them touch you either.” She sounds so reassured and confident I almost want to laugh.

I also almost want to throw up. The guilt that hits me is pretty powerful. If she only knew exactly how many times I let Gabe touch me. The variety of ways. The endless sex we had those last thirty-six hours or so we were together. My thighs were sore for days after that particular adventure. He used me in the best possible way.

And I enjoyed every single minute of it.

“Listen, I’m tired.” I throw in a long, drawn out yawn for good measure. “And I should get going. Get a good night’s rest. I start classes tomorrow morning.”

“Are you excited?”

The cold ball of dread in my stomach reminds me of my exact mood. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared. You’ll be fabulous. I know you’ll do well, you always have. You’re such a smart girl, my darling. Just pay attention in class and listen to everything they have to say,” she reminds me.

I almost roll my eyes again but restrain myself. “Love you, Mama.”

“Love you too, sweetie. Take care and call me tomorrow! Let me know how everything goes.”

I make my promises and end the call just as I hear the front door of the apartment open. I venture out slowly, peeking my head around my bedroom door before I head out into the hallway. I don’t hear the deep male voice of my new roommate Gina’s boyfriend so I assume she’s alone.

When I find her curled up on the couch she brought with her when she moved in crying her eyes out, I follow my natural instincts and go to her, giving her a gentle hug. “Are you okay?”

She shakes her head, her thick brown hair brushing against my face. Gina’s tall and statuesque and beautiful. She also seems to have money—at least more money than me—and from what I’ve seen in the extremely short amount of time we’ve lived together, she wears amazing clothes and shoes and she has a necklace with the word love formed in a gold pendant. She’s nothing like me but that’s okay. The whole part of being in college is meeting new and different people.

Gina finally speaks. “My boyfriend left, drove back with my parents to L.A. He’s hopping a plane early tomorrow morning to go to his new college. I-I’ll p-probably never see him a-again,” she stutters right before she starts wailing in earnest.

I tighten my arms around her almost awkwardly, not sure of what to say. “It’ll be all right.”

She lifts her tear-stained face to stare at me. “He’ll find someone else.”

“No he won’t. Why would he,” I say vehemently. “You’re beautiful.”

“So?” She shrugs, looking hopeless. “He’s going to school with a bunch of other beautiful girls. Tons of beautiful girls he’s never seen before and he’s gorgeous. They’ll all want him. We’ve been together since high school. Being away from me, he could find someone new in an instant.”

“No freaking way. How could he do that to you?” I pull away to study her closely. “He’d be an idiot if he dumped you for some other dumb girl.”

She shrugs. “Maybe Chad is an idiot. I don’t know. He could change. I could change.”

Chad? That’s such a snotty rich boy name. He had that snotty rich boy look too, with the white polo shirts and the khaki shorts. “So you two have been together since high school?”

“We met in geometry our junior year.” A sigh escapes her as she withdraws from my arms and settles back against the couch. I felt silly giving her a hug considering I don’t know her that well but she seems to appreciate it. “We’ve had our ups and downs but I know he’s the one for me. We graduated high school and went to our local community college together for the past two years.”

That makes her about my age. “I’m surprised you’re going to different universities then, if you’ve stayed committed to each other that long.” Like, I’m really surprised. If she’s so crazy for Chad the rich boy then why aren’t they staying together?

“His parents made him.” Her lips tighten into a thin, straight line. “They don’t really approve of me. They want someone for him that’s closer to their financial…stature.”