Harrison
I sat on the bed with my head in my hands. I’d lost her. Big time. There was no coming back from sex videos leaked on the internet.
What the fuck? How had Aubrey videoed us? Had I just been clueless? Or had I been so horny I hadn’t paid attention to my surroundings?
My phone started buzzing yet again. It’d been going crazy since the videos hit social media. I looked at the name flashing up at me and groaned. My dad. I started to ignore it but thought better of it. Dad was the type of guy who’d just drive down here if he thought I was ignoring him.
He, Mom, and I were really close. I was an only child. They’d wanted more, but Mom had struggled through multiple miscarriages. When they had me, they considered me a miracle baby. I might be unusual, but I considered my parents to be my best friends, in addition to being my parents. Not in a weird way. My parents weren’t the type to let me have alcohol fueled parties in their basement when I was in high school or anything. No, we were real friends. That was another reason this was going to hurt. I didn’t want them to think badly of me, but I knew there was no way around it.
“Hey,” I said.
“Son, what were you thinking?”
I hung my head. He sounded so damn disappointed in me. “I wasn’t. Not really. I just… was lonely and Aubrey was there… and all the other guys were fucking around. I thought I should get to as well.”
“That’s some strange logic, Harrison.” He paused. “That’s her name? Aubrey? I assume she’s your girlfriend now.”
My skin crawled a little. “No. I… I was planning to stay with Sadie, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
“Why in the world would she want to be with you after you cheated on her?”
“I didn’t mean for her to find out. Aubrey released the videos. I didn’t even know she was filming us. But she’snevergoing to bemy girlfriend. I guarantee you that.”
He was quiet, but I could feel the disapproval coming off him in waves. “You mean to tell me that you threw away a relationship with the sweetest, prettiest girl in our town for some woman you don’t even care about?”
“I mean, we were friends, I guess. But I never wanted to date her.”
He sucked in a breath. “You’ll do the things in those videos with her, but you don’t want to date her? I don’t know where your mother and I failed you that you’d think that was okay.”
Mom was suddenly on the phone. “I have never been disappointed in you before this, son. I can’t go anywhere in this town without people talking about you having sex on the internet…”
“Mom!”
“What? You can do the act and have the whole world see it on the internet, but your mother can’t say the word ‘sex?’ That is seriously messed up, son.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Listen to me. IfIcan’t get away from people talking about your… intimate life, think about poor Sadie. My God. That good, sweet girl. I am somadat you.”
“God, now I feel sick for two reasons. One is because I know you looked at the videos.” I heard her snort with derision. “And two is because you’re upset with me.”
“I saw Sadie’s mother the other day at the grocery store. She looked like she’d been crying, and she confided in me that it’s awful knowing her girl is suffering away at school. That’s because of you, son. Do you understand that? Your actions have consequences.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you leave Sadie alone. Do you hear me? I’m sure she’d rather not see your face, maybe for the rest of her life. And I don’t blame her.”
There was a click. “Mom? Dad?” I stared at my phone. For the first time in my life, my parents had hung up on me.
I couldn’t say I really blamed them. I’d probably hang up on me, too.
But as far as leave Sadie alone? I couldn’t do that. Not yet.
I had to try again.
***
I knew the days and times Sadie most liked to go to the library to study, and I took full advantage of it.
