Chapter 13

“Danny?” she asked, stunned. Her gaze darted around the room.

Tiffany sat on her own bed, Garret beside her. They both glanced up and smiled. Did they decide to have a small impromptu party and forget to tell her? She slowly closed the door and dropped her keys on the shelf above her bed. She set her phone up there, too, but not before checking the time—12:24 a.m.

“Hey, babe.” Danny rolled off her bed and hugged her, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I felt terrible about earlier, so I thought we’d come over and surprise you. Hang out for a bit.”

Carissa nodded, still too stunned to speak. Not that she wasn’t happy Danny had gone out of his way to surprise her like this, but a heads-up would have been nice. Why hadn’t Tiffany warned Carissa, especially when Tiffany knew about the recent turmoil in Carissa and Danny’s relationship?

“How long have you been here?” Carissa finally asked.

“A couple hours.” Danny shrugged and moved back to her bed. “What took you so long?”

Blinking the exhaustion from her eyes, Carissa rubbed her hands over her face, fighting the urge to yawn again. “I had to stuff baggies with stuff to make S’mores. It’s for the homecoming bonfire.”

“Tiff told us your sorority is co-hosting the event,” Garrett said. “The money raised is going to charity, right?”

“Yep,” Tiffany said. “And I guess this is TOP’s largest, most successful fundraiser of the year. It’s a pretty big deal.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re done helping.” Danny clutched Carissa’s hand and tugged her down to sit next to him. He curled his arm around her shoulders, pulled her closer, and kissed her temple. “Tomorrow, you’re all mine.”

Carissa cleared her throat. She hadn’t told Danny that she was expected to help at the bonfire tomorrow night, and he was not going to be happy once she did tell him. She couldn’t put this off a second longer, and telling him now, with their friends in the room, would lessen the chances of Danny losing his temper.

“Actually…” She scooted away and angled her body to face him. “I have to help out at the bonfire. We both do.” She shot a pleading look at Tiffany.

Danny was silent for a moment, his face reddening. “You promised we’d spend tomorrow together.” His voice was low and tight but controlled. “We’re supposed to go to the game, then the bonfire. Together.”

“And we will.” She reached for his hands, clasping them in hers. “I don’t have to do anything during the game, so we can still go as we planned. And we can go to the bonfire together, too. I’ll just have to hang out near the S’mores table.”

“I’ll be serving drinks all night,” Tiffany said, then shrugged. “We all have to do our part.”

“So, is this how it’s going to be from now on?” Danny stood, arms crossed. “You constantly canceling our plans because TOP needs you? Always having to share you with them, even after you promised to be with me?” He pointed at himself.

“C’mon, man. Chill,” Garrett said, a hint of emotional exhaustion in his voice. “They’ve just begun pledging. Once they get in, things will calm down. Give ‘em a break.”

Carissa gave Garrett a grateful smile. Danny may not listen to her, but he always seemed to respond positively to Garrett.

“You just don’t get it,” Danny snapped and turned his attention to Garrett. “How would you like to have to constantly share your girlfriend with a bunch of other girls?”

Garrett smirked. “Sounds like a party to me.”

“You’re such a pervert.” Tiffany laughed and smacked him, causing him to laugh, too.

He rubbed his chest where she’d hit him. “I’m a guy. What do you expect?”

“Make all the jokes you want, but this isn’t funny to me.” Danny shook his head, then leveled an angry stare at Carissa. “Just one night, Carissa. One night where you don’t have to cancel or run off or throw a tantrum and ruin things.”

Her eyebrows shot up, and the energy in the room shifted from semi-light to wholly uncomfortable. Between lack of sleep, an encroaching headache, the stress of everything she had to do, and her conflicted emotions for both Danny and Bradley, she’d had enough.

She stood and yanked open the door. “Get out.”

“Excuse me?” Danny said, stepping closer to her.

“I said, ‘get out.’” She stood firm, refusing to back down. “I’m tired, Danny. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow is going to be even longer. I need to sleep, so please, leave.”

“Are you kicking Garrett out, too?” Danny sneered, and the vein in his temple began to throb. A clear indication that he was about to go full-on nuclear.

“Yes, actually, I am.” Carissa glanced over her shoulder at Garrett. “Sorry, but you need to go, too.”

Garrett climbed off Tiffany’s bed, hands up in a show of surrender. “No need to apologize. I get it.” He smiled tightly at her before stepping out of her room.

Guilt stabbed at her chest. Garrett hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he’d tried to defend her, to diffuse the brewing storm between her and Danny, and her way of thanking him was by kicking him out of her room. But if she let Garrett stay and made Danny leave, things would be a million times worse.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” she said to Danny.

“Whatever.” He dismissed her with a wave then stomped out of her room.

She exhaled forcefully, her body slumping with all sorts of exhaustion—physical, mental, emotional.

Garrett gently rested his hand on her arm. “I’ll talk to him, okay? Things will be fine.”

“Thanks.” She smiled, though the gesture was more out of habit than genuine emotion.

“See ya, Tiff.” Garrett waved at Tiffany, then disappeared down the hall after Danny.

Carissa closed the door and rested her head against it. She closed her eyes and blew out a breath. When she’d left the sorority house, she’d felt great and was looking forward to tomorrow. Now, she couldn’t care less. If she had her way, she’d crawl under her covers and stay there until Monday.

“Hey, wanna tell me what’s going on?” Tiffany asked, her voice full of compassion.

Groaning, Carissa turned around. “I don’t know. I just… snapped.”

“Yeah, I noticed. But why? I mean, aren’t you happy that Danny wants to spend time with you?” Tiffany tilted her head, her question curious and not at all accusatory or judgmental.

“Of course I’m happy he wants to spend time with me, but why does he always have to be so mean about it?” Carissa flopped down onto her bed. “He’s always blaming me and making me feel guilty for having a life outside of him.”

Tiffany frowned, scooted off her bed, and sat beside Carissa. “Have you told him how you feel?”

Carissa shook her head. “I can’t. He won’t understand.”

Averting her gaze to her lap, she let out another heavy sigh. Before all the bad stuff happened between them, she used to be able to talk to him, to tell him anything and everything. He’d listen and offer comfort. Now, he just got mad and yelled. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

“Are you thinking about breaking up with him?”

“Yes,” Carissa whispered.

While the thought had been on her mind since their blow-up fight last weekend, she hadn’t voiced it—until now. And something about admitting out loud that she wanted to end her relationship with Danny was freeing. But could she actually go through with breaking up with him? She honestly had no idea.

“Wow,” Tiffany breathed out the word.

“Yeah.” Carissa picked at her nails, then looked up. “He cheated on me.”

“What?” Tiffany said a little too loudly, eyes wide and jaw hung open. “When? Are you absolutely positive?”

“Yes. He admitted he’d cheated. He swears all he did was kiss her, that they never took off more than their shirts before he stopped it, but I don’t know if I believe that.” Carissa pushed to her feet and paced toward the window. She stared out at the dark night sky. “Happened near the end of last semester, before he went home for the summer.”

“Wow.” Tiffany remained seated on Carissa’s bed.

“I know.” She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face her friend. “Things haven’t been the same since then.”

For a hell of a lot more reasons than just Danny’s infidelity, but Carissa was not ready to have that conversation just yet.

“I’ve kinda noticed that you two haven’t been quite as close, but I had no idea…” Tiffany shook her head. “Now it makes sense, though.”

“I’ve tried to forgive him, to get past what he did, but I can’t.” Tears pooled in Carissa’s eyes, and when she shook her head, a few of those tears trickled down her face. “He’s like this completely different person now, and…” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“And what?” Tiffany stood and approached Carissa. “Whatever’s going on, you can tell me. You know that, right? I’ve got your back. Always.”

“I know.” She nodded. “I just… I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m realizing that I don’t like this person Danny has become. We’re constantly fighting, and sometimes, he scares me. He explodes over the smallest things.”

Tiffany frowned, a glimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. She jerked Carissa into a hug. “Then break up with him,” she mumbled against Carissa’s shoulder. “You don’t need to put up with that from him.” Pulling away, Tiffany held Carissa out at arm’s length. “I’m serious, Carissa. End it with him. I’ll do whatever I can to help, and you know Garrett will, too.”

Carissa forced a smile. “I know. Thanks, Tiff.” She yawned, then wiped her eyes. “Right now, though, I need to sleep. I’ll deal with Danny tomorrow.”

Besides, Carissa wanted to think about the situation more and not do anything rash that she might regret, because deep down, she did love Danny. They’d been through so much together, and in the beginning of their relationship, he’d been the perfect guy—loving, considerate, romantic, funny… He’d been everything she’d ever wanted.

Maybe Tiffany was right, and Carissa needed to try to talk to Danny. He couldn’t necessarily change his behavior toward her if he didn’t know how much it bothered her, and the only way he’d know that was if she told him. Maybe they could work through this.

“Well, whatever you need, I’m here, okay?” Tiffany pulled back the covers on her bed and slid beneath them.

“Thanks, Tiff. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Carissa took off her shoes and socks, wiggled out of her bra, and then climbed into her bed.

“You’ll never have to find out.” Tiffany stretched up and flicked off the lights. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Carissa smiled in the darkness, forever grateful for having such an amazing, loyal friend. If only Carissa’s boyfriend wasn’t such a jerk all the time, she’d have close to a picture-perfect life.

Her phone buzzed on the shelf above her head. She reached around in the dark until she found her phone, fully expecting to see Danny’s name on the screen.

Bradley: Invite still open to hang at the game and bonfire with you guys?

Carissa’s smile widened, and her heart fluttered at the thought of Bradley hanging out with them tomorrow. Granted, she’d be occupied during the bonfire, but they could all sit together during the game.

Carissa: Of course. Does this mean you’re coming?

Bradley: Yes, ma’am.

Hugging the phone to her chest, she closed her eyes and could easily hear him saying those words, his deep baritone twinged with that sexy southern drawl. A shiver wiggled down her spine.

Carissa: Can’t wait!

She had no idea why she’d sent that of all things, but she didn’t regret the words one bit. She was excited to see Bradley again, even if Danny would be there, too. That was probably a blessing—at least with Danny around, she wouldn’t do something stupid, like try to kiss Bradley again.

Carissa: I have to work the S’mores table at the bonfire for my sorority.

Bradley: Good. I love S’mores, which means I’ll have a reason to hang around you all night.

She let out a silly laugh, her face heating with a combination of anticipation and excitement.

“What’re you laughing about?” Tiffany asked, half-asleep.

Carissa’s heart jumped at the sound of Tiffany’s voice. “Nothing,” she said, quickly turning off her phone screen and tucking it beneath the blankets. “Night.” But sleep would be elusive for Carissa tonight—she was much too giddy about her conversation with Bradley.

Man, she was in some serious trouble.