Meghan was a slut anyway - only one of the many reasons that we didn’t click. Even still, I never thought she would’ve done something like this.
And to think, at some point I’m gonna have to go back there. I live there.
That thought causes my feet to falter.
Why am I even running away? I have nowhere to run to. The only family I have close by is my brothers, and this was really not the sort of thing that I wanted them to know. Who knew what would happen?
My feet slow to a stop and I look around to take in my surroundings. I’m on campus - of all places. The light drizzle coming down starts to pick up as I spot the library up ahead, it’ll be closed, but it’s my best bet for shelter.
Running up the steps, I hurl myself out of the rain and undercover. I press my back against the stone wall and pull my jacket tighter around me. It’s only when I reach into my pocket that I realize that my phone is missing.
I groan and begin slamming my head back against the wall.
Fuck’s sake!
I have no idea where I might’ve dropped it, which means two things. I’m stranded, and I need a new cell phone.
My eyes close as I inhale deeply, hoping for the tears to stop. It only makes it worse. My hand clutches at my heart, trying to soothe the physical pain that beats inside me. My legs cave and I sink down to the cold paving.
I suppose there were only half a dozen people in my contacts that I could have contacted anyway, four of whom were out of the question anyway.
If only I had listened… to anyone! Every single person I’m close to has told me how much of a loser Nicky was. My friends, my brothers, hell even my brother’s friends. I should’ve listened! If anyone could sniff out an asshole, it would’ve been my brothers.
But I didn’t. And as a result, this was my punishment. A shiver passes down my spine from the cold air. Fingers running through my hair, gripping with frustration. I want to scream, but my voice is trapped in my throat. Instead, I swipe under my eye and lift my head to look out over the courtyard.
I can’t believe it.
What a fucking asshole!
I can’t believe it… I groan out loud. I was naive, just like my brother said.
Sighing, I scan from left to right, there’s not a soul in sight. It’s bucketing down with no sign of letting up. As much as it pains me, I know the only place I can go, the only place that is within running distance from the library.
I groan even louder.
I hate that my brother, Kyle, was right. He’s never right about anything, mostly because I don’t let him be. And now he’s going to know… know that I’m not as smart as I think I am, as I want everyone to think I am.
Being the only girl amongst four brothers has never been easy. Combine that with middle child syndrome and there’s no question why I push to excel at absolutely everything. Which is part of the reason that I’m a college junior at the ripe age of nineteen.
Plus, I’m pretty sure I received twice the fair share of brains - my brother, Kyle, seems to be missing his share.
It must be nearing midnight. I didn’t question whether my brother would be awake - I knew he would be. Which meant a lecture about being out so late, two encores about campus safety, and at least an hour of prodding at my tear-stained face until I finally crack and tell him what happened.
Even the thought of it has me holding my crouching position about the library wall. I’m reconsidering my options - there was always my car? Which was back in my dorm parking lot - when the wind picks up and pulls another cold shiver from me.
I stand and edge towards the stairs. As soon as I step out from under the shelter, I’ll surely be soaked through. If I waited for the rain to cease, I might’ve been waiting all night.
Stealing myself, I do it. I leap forward into the rain and make a run for the closest safe haven that I know. The whole way I’m praying that Kyle or at least Corbin is home. If I were being completely honest with myself, I’d hope they were both in.
Kyle will easily rattle off his brotherly threats to skin Nicky alive and offer me a place to crash. But Corbin, the level headed one of the two, will offer me a hug.
As I run through the freezing cold rain, a warm hug is what drives me. That’s all I want for tonight, a consoling hug and for someone to tell me that everything will be alright.
2
Corbin
There’s a knock at the door. I barely hear it over the rain, but as I make my way towards the front door, I can’t help but be grateful for the distraction.
