Love, Lies, and Deception(5)

Justin and Kristian both gaped at me but then burst out laughing. “I hate I missed all of that,” Kristian said out loud, but then leaned over and whispered in my ear. “That would’ve been interesting to see. So, do you think we’ll see that girl in Fiji?” He winked at me and bit his lip, waiting on an answer.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. “That girl is long gone, but I might be able to see if she’ll come back for one last time … only one, you got it?”

“Hell yeah,” Emily shouted from the front. “I might join you for old time’s sake. It’ll feel good to let the wild streak take over for a while.”

The guys hooted and hollered, and it made me realize how much I missed being able to be care-free and do what I wanted without someone holding me back. Glancing back and forth between my friends, I directed my question to them all, “Did you all secretly wish that Jason and I would break up? Was I really that boring?”

They didn’t hesitate, and at the same time they all shouted a loud, “Yes!”

I knew my life had calmed down a bit, but I didn’t realize I was that bad. Kristian reached over and patted my knee. “You weren’t boring or anything, Marissa. You just didn’t have that spark of life that I saw in you when I first met you. The dude was seriously bad news, and a complete douche bag. We couldn’t go an hour in our study groups before his dumb ass would blast up your phone. It took all I had not to grab it and slam it into the ground. Knowing our luck, though, we’d run the risk of him hightailing his sorry ass up here to your doorstep. In that case, I don’t think you could’ve stopped me from beating the shit out of him.”

Laughing, I smacked him on the arm. “Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone over too well. He already hated how much time we spent together, and if you beat him up it would’ve only added more fuel to the fire.”

Even though Kristian was a book nerd and a genius on the computer, he wasn’t the typical dorky guy you saw in movies. No … he was tall with average sized muscles that clearly got a work out even though I never saw him go to the gym. They were all hard and rippled, and I never hid the fact that I appreciated his well-toned body.

A few drunken nights together had put some wayward thoughts in my head, but I never acted on them. He had ash blond hair, cool gray eyes, and the sweetest smile of any guy I’d ever known. His girlfriend was one lucky woman.

Kristian moved over and put his arm around my shoulder. “Well, I for one am happy the dick is gone. You deserve so much better.”

Grinning, I leaned into his side. “Thanks, Kris. For the first time in forever I feel happy and free.”

“You should be. You’re single now, which means party time. Let’s see the wild and crazy girl Em keeps talking about, and I promise not to put the moves on you. Not unless you want me to.”

I laughed. “You better not or I’ll call that girlfriend of yours.”

Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good. She hates that she couldn’t come to Fiji with us. I guess it’s hard to get time off when you’re an aspiring model in New York.”

Looking up at him, I smiled. “You’ll see her at graduation, right?”

“Yes, thank God!” He sighed. “I need to get laid … bad.”

All of us in the car laughed, but I knew all too well how hard it was to have a long distance relationship and be young. Kristian was amazing; always staying loyal and faithful to his girlfriend even though he’d had many opportunities to cheat on her. Desperately, I hoped that one day I’d find someone like him to settle down with.

Kristian was my rock, and had been for the past two years. He saved me from a horrible fate one lonely night as I walked back to my dorm after a long study session. I was always told never to walk around campus alone after dark, but me being the hard-headed girl I was, I never thought anything bad would happen to me … until that night.

I was halfway to my dorm, walking through one of the underground tunnels that provided a walkway under the street, when someone grabbed me from behind. The guy’s grip was tight and constricting around my ribs and throat, and I couldn’t scream as he pulled me away from the safety of the sidewalk lights outside of the tunnel. I remembered having one split second where his hands slipped and it gave me the opportunity to call for help.

Kristian heard my cries and came charging out of the dark to my defense, tackling the guy away from me. Unfortunately, Kristian’s attack made the guy flee, and he was never caught. It was a wakeup call to the campus, so needless to say it struck fear into the students who thought about walking alone at night. After that incident, Kristian and I formed a bond, a kinship of sorts. He made me feel protected when he was around, and I loved him dearly for it.

Our relationship was strictly just friends considering he had a serious girlfriend, and I had a steady boyfriend on up until a few nights ago. We were both respectful of each other and never crossed that barrier outside of the friend zone. It was what made our relationship work out the way it had for so long, and I loved it. I was glad he never made things complicated.

Laying my head on his shoulder, I yawned and said, “Maybe one day I’ll find someone like you, Kristian.”

Relaxing against me, he kissed me on the forehead and said, “I’m sure you will, baby girl. Just give it some time.”