“Well, he’s dead.”
“What did he do to deserve that fate?”
“He told Dylan I was into BDSM.”
She laughed so hard she almost fell out of her chair.
“I appreciate the concern.”
“Sorry.” She steadied herself on her chair. “That’s too funny. What did he do, take out handcuffs?”
“Were you in on it?”
She laughed again. “Oh my god. That’s so awesome. I wish I could have seen your face.”
“It was horrible. He spent the rest of the weekend disappointed. He even asked me if I’d call him ‘master.’”
“What? He asked you to call him ‘master?’”
“Yes.” I slunk down on my bed. “He is so incorrigible.”
“So, you wouldn’t try it at all?” She actually looked surprised.
“No! That is so not my thing.”
“How do you know if you haven’t tried?”
“Okay, we’re not having this conversation.”
“Sorry. I was just wondering. It might not be that bad.”
“Feel free to try it on your boyfriend—make sure to whip him extra hard for me.”
“How’d you know I’d want to dominate?”
“Too much info, Tally. Too much info.” I grabbed my keys again and headed to Cara’s room. I knocked, but no one answered.
I called her.
She answered right as I expected the voicemail to start. “Hey, you’re back!”
“Yeah, just got here. Where are you?”
“We’re at the Kappa house.”
“Who’s we?”
“You should have been at the mixer. It was awesome. I’m with Mallory and Claire.” I heard muffled talking, but all I could make out was my name.
“Who are you talking to?”
“Reed.”
“Oh cool.” It felt funny to know that my friends were hanging out with Reed. I viewed him as part of a separate piece of my life.
“You have to come.”
I debated it. Dylan would kill me, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled with him at the moment. He deserved it after the handcuff incident, and I really wanted to see my friends. “All right, I’ll come by.” I went back to my room long enough to change into jeans and a black tank.
“Where are you going?” Tally asked.
“To hang out with some friends. You want to come?”
“What friends?”
“Cara, Mallory, and some Kappas.”
“No thanks. But have fun.” She didn’t sound particularly convincing.
“I’ll try.” I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.
***
I knocked on the front door of the Kappa house. I was used to just walking in at Dylan’s house, but this seemed different. I waited, but no one answered. I leaned in, and I could hear music playing and a lot of talking. I decided to go ahead and walk in.
“Hey, Juliet!” Mallory jumped off the couch and hugged me.
“Hey. I’ve missed you, too.”
She laughed. “Everybody, this is Juliet.”
“We know each other very well.” Reed smiled, patting a space next to him on the couch.
There was something so comfortable about sliding in next to him. “Did you miss me, Reed?”
“I did at the mixer. I was hoping to wow you with my dance moves.” He laughed.
“I bet. I wish I could have been there.”
“Have a good weekend with Jerk Face?”
“Fine.”
“Only fine?” I heard alarm in his voice.
I shook my head. “Pretend it’s morning.” I referred to my disinterest in talking early in the day.
“Oh, now I need to hear.” He leaned back and put an arm behind me on the couch.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, we do.” Cara grinned. Aaron, the guy running things when we were at the Kappa house before, had his arm slung across her shoulders. She seemed perfectly happy to have it there.
“I repeat. It was fine.”
“You’ll give us all the details later.” Mallory took a sip of her drink.
“And I’m getting them at work tomorrow. I have to hear this.” Reed laughed, but it sounded forced.
“No to all of you.” I already regretted telling Tally about the handcuffs. There was no way I was telling anyone else.
“Want anything to drink, Juliet?” Bill, another Kappa, asked.
“I’m actually fine, but thanks.” I was still exhausted from my weekend and definitely not in the mood to drink.
“Okay.” He smiled.
My phone vibrated in my purse. I pulled it out. Where are you?
Reed leaned over to look at my screen. “Does Dylan keep tabs on you constantly?”
Out with my friends. Why?
Friends? That’s not what I heard.
I groaned. Not this again. How did he even know? Tally—I was going to kill her and her boyfriend. If Dylan knew who I was with, he probably already knew where I was. I hoped he wasn’t stupid enough to come and try to get me to leave.
I’m hanging out with my friends. I didn’t see them all weekend. Feel free to do the same with your friends.
Where are you?
I put my phone away without answering.
“You need to break up with him.” Reed said it quietly, making sure no one else heard.
“No, I don’t. It’s none of your business.”
“Can we take a walk?”
“A walk?” Leaving didn’t bother me, but it would just make it harder to dodge his questions.
“Yeah. A walk. You’re not drinking anyway.”
I crossed my arms. “I just got here.”
“Let’s go for a walk. Hear me out, and afterward, I’ll try to keep my mouth shut.”
“You’ve promised that before.”
“I’ll try harder.”
I shook my head. “Fine.”
Reed put his beer down on the floor next to the couch. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going for a walk.”
“A walk?” Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Don’t get lost.”
“We won’t.”
I shrugged when my friends gave me confused looks. We walked out the front door and turned left in the opposite direction of my dorm. He must have wanted a long walk.
We walked in silence for a minute or two before Reed finally spoke. “I know you think I’m just trying to annoy you, but I’m serious.”
“Reed, I appreciate the concern, but everything’s fine.”