“That was a mistake,” he blurts, his gaze lowering to mine. “One I’m trying to rectify.”
I hate how my heart soars hearing that. I still know nothing, and I can’t just take him at his word, but I’m pathetic because I’m clinging to hope, and I can’t deny how much I want him. I have missed him so much this week.
“I hope that’s true, but right now, you need to go get coffee and let me help Astrid.” Renee stands firm, and I love her for it.
“Go,” I tell him, sensing he’s preparing to go to war with her. “We can talk when you get back.”
He’s reluctant to leave, I can tell, but finally he forces a nod. Dipping down, he kisses my cheek, and my skin tingles from the contact. My fingers twitch with the need to touch him, but I shove them under my butt to halt the temptation. Callan has a lot of groveling to do if he’s to make it up to me, and that’s a bigifright now.
“Don’t hurry back,” Renee says, sharing some silent communication with her boyfriend. “We need time to talk in private.”
After the guys leave, Renee helps me strip out of the soiled shirt and my costume. I hop in the shower quickly, feeling more human as I dry off. I dress in her leggings and sweater, combing my wet hair and tying it up in a messy bun on top of my head. Renee gives me a clean toothbrush, and I brush my teeth and rinse out my mouth.
“Thanks, babe. I feel so much better.”
“Good. You had me really worried, Astrid. I have never seen you get so drunk.”
I rest my head back against the headboard as we sit side by side on the bed. “I didn’t eat dinner, and it was stupid to drink on an empty stomach, but I was mad and hurt and not thinking straight.”
“What Callan said is true,” she says, turning to face me. “Thor told me what happened after Riley and the guys showed up. They were all there and watched it go down. Ana made a move on him, but he rejected her. I didn’t realize you’d seen it, or I would’ve said something to you when you arrived. By the time I saw you, you were making out with Joe, and I thought it was what you wanted.”
“I’m such a bad person, Renee.” I hang my head in shame as I twist the lid off the bottle of water. “I came here to seduce him to piss Callan off. I have zero interest in Joe, and I shouldn’t have led him on.”
“Don’t do that.” Anger flares in her eyes as I sip my water. “That piece of shit was all over Nina the instant your plane took off. He didn’t give a shit about your feelings then, and you shouldn’t give a shit about his now. Who cares if the player got played? It’s long overdue, but Joe crossed a line tonight. He knew you were too drunk to consent, but it didn’t stop him from taking you upstairs.”
Pressure sits on my chest, and I almost choke on water. “What do you mean?”
Compassion shines from her eyes. “What do you remember?”
I rub at the pain spreading across my chest. “The last thing I remember is him asking me to come upstairs. Everything after that is a blur. Are you saying…” A sob bursts from my chest. “Did he…”
“Are you sore down below?” she gently inquires while taking my hand.
I shake my head as a sliver of relief winds its way through me. “I’d be sore if he’d done that, and he wouldn’t.” I take another drink of water. “Joe wouldn’t do that to me. I know things are shit between us, but I really don’t think he’d do that. He didn’t pressure me to have sex while we were dating, and he wouldn’t take that choice away from me now.”
She squeezes my hands tighter. “I’d love to believe that, but I don’t know, babe.” Conflict slashes across her face. “Thor said his hands were under your skirt when they got to the room, and his jeans were open. I think his intentions were obvious.” She chews on the corner of her lip. “Maybe you should go to the hospital and get checked out.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to. You know how things get around. If my parents find out, they’ll hit the roof.”
“They weren’t up here long,” Thor says, coming into the room with Callan, and it’s unclear how long they’ve been listening. “I feel like we would’ve walked in on it if he’d taken it further.”
“I want to kill him,” Callan spits out, walking toward me with a mug in his hand, his fingers curled so tight around the ceramic it’s a miracle it doesn’t break.
“No one is killing anyone,” I say before knocking back the rest of my water.
“The guys gave him a beating, and he just left,” Thor explains.
“I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” I want to know exactly what happened, and he’s going to tell me.
“Over my dead body are you going anywhere near that prick.” Callan hands me the coffee. “Drink it slowly so your stomach doesn’t rebel.” He sits on the edge of the bed, and just looking at him invokes a riot of differing emotions.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” I wrap my hands around the mug, letting the warmth seep into my chilly bones.
A muscle clenches in his jaw. “We need to talk. If you’re up to it.”
I still want to sleep and make this all go away, but I want to hear what Callan has to say more, so I nod. “I’ll listen to what you have to say, but I’m making no promises beyond that.”
31
