“I’ve got to finish this.” I point to the books on the couch of our tiny apartment, which we shared the rent for.
“Della, you’re always studying. Let your hair down for a while. Have some fun. It’s our senior year.”
I want to roll my eyes at the pout on Cameron’s face.
“Just come out tonight for a little while. We’re just gonna go to James’s frat party.” James, her boyfriend, who thought the world revolved around him.
“I’ll go for an hour, but that’s it,” I reason with her.
Cameron smiles brightly, jumps, and claps her hands. “This is going to be so much fun.”
Coming in my direction, she takes my hand and drags me to her room. “We’re gonna get you ready.”
Thirty minutes later, she’s got my hair curled, makeup done, and me dressed in a sleek black dress that barely hits mid-thigh. To pair it, she put me in a pair of red heels. I have to admit the outfit is cute. I wouldn’t have picked it out for myself, but I do like it.
Once Cameron is ready, dressed similarly, she takes my hand once again, and drabs me out the door. “We’re gonna be late if we don’t get a move on.”
I don’t see what the rush is all about. The party was going to be filled with people drinking, smoking, or doing other things that I don’t want to think about.
I’m not a partier. I didn’t come to school at UT to do anything but study. I’m trying to graduate so I can get on with life.
The drive over in Cameron’s car is less than five minutes, with her speeding, though by the time we pull up at the frat house, it’s already packed. Music is pumping, and I really just want to go back to the apartment.
“We’re here.” Cameron’s bubbly voice sings as she gets out. I follow and stick close.
James grins and meets us both just inside the house.
“Babe, you’re looking gorgeous tonight,” he says to her, handing us both red solo cups filled to the brim.
Cameron giggles and throws herself at the man.
I sigh, knowing exactly what’s about to happen, and I’m correct when she moves, latched onto him without so much as a check you later to me.
Shaking my head, I move deeper into the house and take a sip of the beer James handed to me while staring around the space.
Halfway through my drink, James’s friend, Scott, who has always given me the creeps, comes up to me. I try to blow him off, but my mind seems to blank and becomes fuzzy. The next thing I know, Scott’s ushering me into a room upstairs where James and two other guys were waiting, along with Cameron.
I explain to Maddox, with tears streaming down my face, how that night turned my life upside down. I reported it to campus police, to a detective in Knoxville, but they were all paid off or something. I don’t know, but they claimed I was lying at first. One of them even stated I’d brought it on myself.
“You should have told me.” Maddox shakes his head. His voice filled with anguish.
“I didn’t think you or anyone else would believe me.” If the police refused to listen to the truth, why would my family? “I ended up finishing school, getting the internship, and blocking out what happened to me. That night destroyed my future. I had plans to come home after graduation. I figured I could apply my degrees to the ranch and help wherever I could, but everything went up in smoke. But I was too ashamed to face anyone here.”
“Della, you listen here. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. Not a fucking thing. You were a victim. I just wish you would’ve said something sooner. We could’ve helped you deal with the aftermath.” His nostrils flare as he points out, “I could’ve helped you.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I croak, barely making the words audible. “I didn’t want to disappoint Granddaddy, and if he knew that I’d put myself in such a situation, that’s exactly what would have happened.”
Sucking in a breath, I close my eyes. Thinking about all that has changed about me. I rarely drink anymore. When I do, it’s only one, and I’m done. I don’t drink beer or take drinks from anyone. If I go to a bar, I have to watch them make it or I won’t touch it. If I don’t have something in a bottle with a cap, I put it in a cup with a lid to lower the risks of someone drugging me again.
I have serious trust issues when it comes to people.
“It doesn’t matter, Della. You matter, and I’m sorry if I made you think otherwise. I’m sorry for my part in making you think you needed to go through that alone, but you’re not alone. And I need you to know you’re safe here.”
“I thought you wanted me gone,” I blurt out. His words from earlier ringing in my ears as I stare at him blankly, not knowing what to feel.
“Look, Della. The last couple of years have been hard on both of us. I didn’t know you were going through all that you did. I just assumed you wanted nothing to do with this place. Then, I found out Granddaddy left you half of the ranch, and I got fucking mad. I resented you. But this changes things. I can’t fault you for something you couldn’t control, and I certainly can’t be mad about how you chose to handle things afterward.” He pauses, and I watch as he combs his fingers through the overgrown strands. “I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know how to fix all that’s broken between us, but I do know that you belong here. This is your home, and I’ll do whatever you need to feel safe here.”
“You want to tell me about what happened with your job?”
