Looks Can Be Deceiving

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:


Groaning, I cracked open an eye and stretched. It was light out, but not much. Still, just the tiny sliver of light that peeked through the blinds was enough to send my mind into a frenzy. My head felt as though it was split in half. Every muscle in my body made me feel as though I’d been hit by a bus. It didn’t help that the mattress I was laying on was hard as a fucking brick. It was certainly no match for the queen sized beauty I slept on in Matt’s mansion.

I shot up instantly, noting that I wasn’t in my bed at all. I wasn’t in the Sanders mansion, either. The room was much smaller than that of the one in which I slept, and the walls here were not crimson, but a lime green. The furniture didn’t match like that of the mahogany furnishings I was accustomed to, and there was no large window with a beautiful view or fancy flat screen mounted on the wall. Wherever I was, I wasn’t in my room.

It was then that I noticed I was missing my clothes. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach as I pushed the thin sheet I was wearing off my body. I was completely naked. Frantically, my eyes searched the room for the shimmery, gold dress I’d worn the night before. It lay on the floor just a few feet away, along with my panties and strapless bra.

I froze. I even felt my heart stop.

Light snores registered in my senses then, and I knew things weren’t looking so good all of a sudden. I screwed my eyes shut as tightly as I could before opening them again. I was still where I was before. Chewing furiously on my lip, I looked over and saw that I was indeed not alone. But that wasn’t what worried me at the moment. It was the fact of who was sleeping next to me, not a stitch of clothing on their body, either.

I thought I was going to be sick. I thought I was going to scream bloody fucking murder, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. It was as if all sound was simply stuck in the back of my throat. I even opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

I was shocked, to say the least. I’d never had a one night stand before, but I understood how those worked. Those didn’t worry me so much. But this…this was something I never would’ve expected to wake up to. I eased myself out of the stranger’s bed with stealth and tip toed towards my clothes on the floor. Quietly, I threw on my bra and panties before shimmying back into the dress I’d worn last night. I didn’t bother with adjusting it so that it fit properly; I just wanted to get the hell out of wherever I was. Finding my shoes wasn’t happening fast enough, and after another minute of searching, I gave up.

“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me,” I whispered shakily, hurrying out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

I had no clue where I was. I had no idea how I was even going to get out of this place. Where the hell was the front door? I turned down one hallway, only to find that it wasn’t the way out. I whirled around and headed back in the other direction. God forbid they had a dog or an alarm here.

I spotted my clutch and phone on the floor and snatched them, looking through my clutch to make sure nothing was missing. Everything seemed to be there. The little cash I had, ID, and debit card were all there. My phone was still alive, though it was on its last leg. Clicking the screen, I saw that I had several missed calls. Everyone had been calling, but apparently Lyndsey and Matt had called the most. I would need to call someone the second I got out of here.

And just like that, I looked up and noticed I’d finally found the front door. I grinned and bolted for it, throwing it open after I’d managed to unlock it. No alarm sounded, and I thanked the heavens as I clumsily stumbled down the walkway. Once I was out of viewing distance from the apartment, I sat down on the curb and pulled out my phone. I didn’t want to be in a middle of some random neighborhood in broad daylight for long; people would take in my haggard appearance and call the law on me, thinking I was some sort of prostitute or something.

Within minutes, I’d called myself a cab and was waiting for the driver to show up. The good think about having a smartphone was that even if I didn’t know where the hell I was, the phone did. I started thanking God for modern technology. As I sat on the curb, I scrolled through my contacts and found Matt’s name, I clicked on it and allowed the phone to dial hid number.

He answered on the first ring, “Britt, where the fuck are you? Are you okay?”

He sounded beside himself with worry. It made me feel awful, “I’m fine. I don’t know where the hell I am, but I’ve already called a cab and it’s on its way. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help but to worry,” he spat angrily, sighing deeply. “Look, we’ve been calling you for hours. It’s unlike you to leave without saying anything to anyone, and no one had even known who you were with. Anything could’ve happened to you, sweetheart.”

I sighed myself, “I know, and I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything that happened last night. I remember going to the bar and ordering a drink, and then being approached by some g—“

“By who?” he demanded, noticing immediately how I’d stopped short.

“I—I uh,” I stammered dumbly, raking a hand through my disheveled hair, “I d-don’t know. I don’t kn-know who it was.”

He was quiet for sometime, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I answered shrilly, cringing at how unbelievable I’d sounded, “I mean, I’m sure.”

He didn’t sound convinced, “Okay. Call me if you need anything and hurry back.”

“I will,” I mumbled, exchanging goodbyes and hanging up.

No sooner had I set my phone down, a yellow cab pulled up to the curb. I breathed a sigh of relief and stood, clutching onto my belongings and sliding into the cool backseat of the cab. The driver nodded and asked where I wanted to go. Quickly, I rattled off Matt’s address and sat back, relishing in the darkness of the cab. I’d had no shades to wear while sitting on the curb, and the sunlight hadn’t made my obvious hangover and easier on me. My phone began ringing shrilly from my lap, Lyndsey’s name lighting up the screen.

With a grimace, I silenced it before answering, “Hello?”

“What the fuck, Britt! Do you know how fucking worried we all have been?!” came my best friend’s screech through the phone.

I groaned as my head began pounding once more, “Lynds, I’m fine. Honestly.”

She scoffed, “And what if you hadn’t been? Some motherfucking creep could’ve driven off with you and we could’ve found you dead by the highway somewhere!”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, “I know, and I’m sorry. I don’t—“

“What the hell were you even thinking? You never pull shit like that!” she cut me off, no doubt placing her hands on her hips wherever she was.

“I wasn’t thinking!” I defended myself with another groan, “I was fucking drunk! Besides…I think something was slipped into my drink.”

That got her quiet, “S-Say what? You think what?!” Well, not for long.

“Shh,” I hissed, “Don’t let any of the others find out; they’ll fucking freak.”

She laughed humorlessly, “With good fucking reason, don’t you think?”

I rolled my eyes, “I fucking get that, but you already know how they are. There’s no need to get them riled up over this. Besides, I don’t want them knowing about that.”

“And why not?” she asked with a sigh, the added volume from before leaving her voice.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I murmured, chewing nervously on my lower lip.

“Try me,” she answered seriously.

I was apprehensive. Should I tell her? I mentally slapped myself. Lyndsey was my best fucking friend; since when could I not tell her anything? Nothing had changed between us to make me feel that way, so what the hell was my deal? I eyed the cab driver, who seemed to have turned his radio down low.

Nosey fucker.

“Are you at Matt’s?” I asked suddenly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat at the thought of the cab driver eavesdropping on my conversation.

“Yeah, Brian and I got here a while ago,” she answered with certainty.

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me, “Okay. Stay there and wait til I get back. I’ll tell you then.”

“How far out are you?” she asked curiously.

This time it was my turn to laugh, “Honey, if I knew then I would tell you.”

“Uh oh,” she muttered in understanding.

“Uh oh is fucking right,” I sighed softly, staring down at my bare feet. “I shouldn’t be long.”

I hung up with her a few minutes later and looked out of the tinted window of the cab. I still hadn’t the slightest clue as to where I was. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted know at all, as long as I found my way back home. I couldn’t have been happier by the time the cab pulled up in front of the mansion.

I hurried and got out of the back, reaching into my clutch cash, “How much?”

“Fifty eight, seventy three.”

I blinked, “I’m sorry?”

“Fifty eight, seventy three,” the driver repeated himself in a bored tone, pointing to the meter next to him. Sure enough, he was right. Jesus, how far away had I been when we first started driving?

I sighed and reached for the cash I had, “Ten…twenty…thirty…thirty five…thirty six…thirty seven…”

Shit. I was short…by a lot.

“Here,” Matt’s voice sounded from behind, startling me. Placing a hand on my hip, he leaned past me and handed the driver a fresh, crisp hundred dollar bill, “I’d like for you to keep the change. Thank you for bringing her back in one piece.”

I couldn’t miss the edge in his voice as he spoke. The cab driver’s face lit up as he pocketed the money, tipped his hat and drove off. Matt said nothing as he guided me up the steps to the front door, the familiar scent of his cologne cloaking me.

As soon as he opened the front door, Shadow came bounding for my legs. He’d grown to be so big now, and he was really getting past the point of being picked up like a baby, though we all tended to do it anyway. I lifted him into my arms and smiled, allowing him to lick my cheek before setting him back down. Matt stood a few feet away, watching us with a blank expression. He was clearly upset.

I wasn’t sure if I should say something or not. Under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t have hesitated to. But I could also sense the shifts in Matt’s moods, and I could tell that there were times when it was simply best to let him thaw out and come to you. This was definitely one of those times.

Once Shadow was back on the floor, he motioned for me to follow him. Sighing, I took one last look at Shadow before walking over to his side, where he placed a single hand on my hip and began walking. The strides he took were brisk, and his face gave away nothing. He allowed me inside his office first, closing the door behind himself.

The silence was maddening. I was so eager to hear what he was going to say, but at the same time, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to know. It was never a good thing when he got so quiet like this; nine times out of ten, it meant that he was having trouble keeping his temper at bay. Even for a person like me, I knew to keep my fucking mouth shut and wait until he was sure that he himself was calm.

“I don’t mean to make you nervous,” he sighed, running a hand down his face as his eyes fluttered shut momentarily, “I just…You had me worried. Scared shitless that something had happened to you. And had you not given me a call or made it back within the next hour then I would’ve called a fucking search team.”

Great, now I felt completely awful, “I’m sorry. I really am, Matt.”

He nodded, hazel eyes locking with my brown ones as he crossed the room to reach me, “Let me see you. Are you hurt? Do you feel okay?”

His concern made me smile a little. I was grateful to have such a good friend in him. He’d done so much for me ever since I’d met him, even when he hadn’t needed to. He was gracious and understanding, something you don’t expect when you look at a tall, muscly, rich guy with a scowl on his face.

Lifting me onto his desk, his hands grazed my sides as he eyed me, “Britt?”

I shook my head, “Sorry, I’m fine. No one hurt me.”

“You’re positive?” he asked carefully, eyeing me with slight scrutiny.

If black girls could blush, I would’ve been red all over. I could feel his gaze flickering all over my body, across my skin as he checked me over. To say Matt wasn’t attractive would’ve been one hell of a fucking lie, and I knew that. I’d also never been good with being eyed by males. No matter who it was, they always seemed to make me jittery and nervous.

“I’m not eye raping you, sweetheart,” Matt chuckled with a shake of his head, taking a step back, “I’m just checking you out. In both senses.”

I snickered as he began wiggling his eyebrows in a playful manner at me, “Whatever you say, Matt.”

He rolled his eyes, “Sweetheart, if I was eye raping you, I’d tell you.”

“Would you?” I challenged, hopping down from his desk, wincing as my feet his the ground.

“I did that first night we went clubbing,” he shrugged simply, eyeing me with a tiny smirk, “I rather enjoyed the view.”

“MATT!” I covered my face with my hands, feeling slightly embarrassed. He was my friend; he wasn’t supposed to say things like that! To know he’d been checking me out was kind of weird.

His laughter met my ears, “What? You wore that dress for a reason, and that was to have every man drooling over you. Mission accomplished, don’t you think?”

Now he was just making me fidgety, “Well, I…I guess—“

“Don’t tell me you’re still bad with compliments after all this time,” he narrowed his eyes at me, darting forward. Blinking in confusion, I instinctively took a step back, and another, and another. I squeaked when my back hit the desk top, and looked up to see Matt towering over me with an unreadable expression on his face, “You are, aren’t you?”

I chose not to speak. He was definitely in my bubble of space all of a sudden.

“How many times am I going to have to tell you to get over that?” he asked with a smirk, eyes boring into mine as he lifted me back onto his desk. I was frozen still as his cologne overpowered my senses, but I kept eye contact with him, “You’re a gorgeous girl, Britt. Whether you’re without make up in a simple t-shirt and jeans, or you’re dressed for an outing with the fucking Queen. You’re stunning no matter what, and I won’t hesitate to tell you so. And neither will any other man in his right mind.”

His breath ghosted over my face as he gazed at me, causing my stomach to knot up. Sure, guys were eager to compliment anything in a skirt these days, and I was pretty used to that. But I never received compliments quite like the ones Matt would give me. His were clearly sincere, not simply given to get some sort of reaction out of me. They were creative as well as frequent, and they always came with an intense stare. I assumed it was all part of the Matt Sanders charm.

My sudden boost of confidence surprised me, “If I didn’t know any better, Matthew Sanders, I’d think you were attempting to seduce me.”

He chuckled and stepped back this time, allowing me to stand on my feet once more, “Oh, you’d know if I was trying to seduce you. Believe me.”

I smiled, “I’ll take your word for it. Thanks for looking out for me, Matt.”

He smiled back, pulling me into his side and pressing a kiss to my forehead, “Anytime, sweetheart.”

“Are Lyndsey and Brian still here?” I asked curiously, fixing my dress as I ambled towards the door.

He nodded, “They should be in the den, I think—Britt, where are your shoes?”

I blinked, turning to look at him with a blank stare, “Uh…I lost them?”

He looked as though he was going to say something, but he didn’t. I took that as my opportunity to slip out and head for the den so that I could talk to Lyndsey. I tugged on the bottom of my dress and raked my fingers through my hair as I rounded the corner.

“Whoa. Rough night, Brit?” Brian smirked over at me from his seat on the couch, causing Lyndsey to glare over at him.

I sighed as Lyndsey silently stood, “You could say that.”

Brian noticed Lyndsey’s behavior and frowned, “You’re okay though, right?”

I nodded furiously, “I’m fine, I promise. Just a…wild night, I suppose.”

Like Matt, he didn’t seem completely convinced, “Okay…well, you let me know if either of you need anything. Matt and I are gonna go over a couple of business plans.”

“Alright, babe. We’ll be upstairs,” Lyndsey gave him a quick kiss before tugging me upstairs.

Once we reached the room I was staying in, she closed the door behind us and locked it, fixing me with an expectant stare. I decided not to speak quite yet, and simply stripped out of my dress so that I could get ready to shower. I walked past her and into the attached bathroom, turning on the water so that it could heat up first. I then moved over to the counter and began wiping off the leftover makeup from last night. God, how Matt could even look at me with a straight face and compliment me with the way I’d been looking. I looked like fucking death, to be honest. Yet, he was still sincere. How the fuck was that?

“Good flipping shit,” Lyndsey gaped at me, causing me to frown, “What the fuck is that?”

I blinked in confusion, “What?”

“That…t-that thing on your chest!” she pointed in awe, yanking me back towards the mirror.

My jaw dropped to the fucking floor as soon as I caught sight of what she was talking about. I felt the bile rise up the back of my throat as I thought about how the unsightly mark could’ve gotten there, my imagination running wild. On my right breast, just above my nipple, there was a raw, bruising hickey. It was huge, to say the least. There’d be no way to cover it other than with makeup.

“Fuck,” I groaned quietly, squeezing my eyes shut and leaning against the counter.

“There’s smaller ones all over you, dude,” Lyndsey pointed out, only making me feel worse, “What the fuck happened last night?”

I said nothing as I stripped down right in front of her, not even caring about my privacy in the least. I just wanted to bathe and get the grimy feeling off my body. I grabbed a wash cloth and my favorite soap and scrubbed my body raw until it was red, then rinsed and started over again. I could faintly make out my friend’s silhouette sitting on the floor as she waited for me. I washed my hair as quickly as I could before cutting the water off and grabbing a towel to dry myself with. Lyndsey was still silent as I stepped out of the stall and walked past her in search of an outfit.

I settled for a simple blue tube top – one that wouldn’t allow for any cleavage – and a pair of black yoga pants. Like Lyndsey had said, I was covered in hickies, and I wasn’t willing to share the details of my night with the rest of the world. If I even knew what had happened, I wouldn’t want myself to know.

Lyndsey was seated on my bed when I returned from the closet, “So? What happened?”

I sighed, “I don’t even know how to fucking say this. I don’t know how it happened or why, I just—“

“It can’t be that bad, Britt,” she chuckled, though it sounded nervous, “What is it?”

I breathed deep before I exhaled. I did it again, and again. I clasped my fingers together and fidgeted with him, “All I remember from last night was getting there, doing a couple of shots, dancing with you and Matt, going to the bar, and ordering another drink. Then this girl came over and complimented my dress and asked where I got it. I told her how you’d gotten it for me for Christmas, and pointed in your direction so she’d know who you were. I turned back around, the bartender had given me my drink, and I took it and walked off. That’s it.”

She frowned, “And then?”

“And then I woke up this morning…in another city. I had no fucking clue where I was. I…I…”

“What is it? You can tell me, babe,” she stated encouragingly.

I knew she’d freak out. Hell, I was freaking out. She wouldn’t look at me the same again after this. If anyone ever found out, they would do the same. I was ruined. Absolutely done for.

“I woke up this morning in another girl’s bed…naked.”

She blinked, “You…you what?”

I sighed and closed my eyes, “I said—“

Her laughter cut me off, “Holy shit, I cannot believe this!”

I gaped at her, “Are you…are you laughing about this?! This is not a fucking laughing matter!”

“The fuck it’s not!” she cried hysterically, “Of all things that could happen to you when your drink gets drugged, and you hook up with some random girl! Do you see how much worse it could’ve been? Girls can’t even have sex together!”

I glared, “Yes, they fucking can!”

She continued to laugh, “No, they fucking can’t! Not really. What the hell do you do if you both have vaginas?”

“I don’t fucking know,” I spat angrily, “But I imagine they get the job done somehow, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many lesbians in the world!”

“Britt, this is really nothing to worry about,” Lyndsey chuckled with a shake of her head, her brown eyes glittering in the sunlight, “Who doesn’t drunkenly hook up with chicks at least once in their life? Shit happens. Be glad it was some girl and not some old, smelly man.”

I was quivering with anger, “Nothing to worry about! I’m fucking straight! I’m not into girls, and vaginas creep me out! I fucking—“

“It’s not a matter of being straight or not,” Lyndsey rolled her eyes, patting my back, “When you’re under the influence, you just do shit. You do whatever feels good. And obviously, something about a female’s touch feels good to you—“

“Dammit, I’m so done with you!” I growled, moving off the bed and stomping out of the room, “I tell you that and that’s all you can fucking say? Really, Lynds?”

I ignored her laughter from upstairs and briskly walked into the kitchen, ignoring both Brian and Matt as well as I began pulling out ingredients to make breakfast with. I was sure that Matt hadn’t eaten since I hadn’t been home to cook, and while he’d probably already found something to eat by now, I needed something to take my mind off of everything at the moment.

I set to work, tuning both men out as the quietly muttered back and forth. No doubt some of their conversation was about me, but I just didn’t feel like hearing it. I pulled out the large skillet and began mixing batter for pancakes. Some were plan, some were blueberry, and some were chocolate chip. I liked variety.

As I had several pancakes on the skillet, I began getting out drinks. I grabbed orange juice and milk, and then set up some coffee. It would be finished by the time I was done cooking everything else. Lyndsey appeared next to Brian while I was cooking, but I paid her no mind. I loved her, but right now, she was aggravating me. It wasn’t her fault, but I just wanted someone to be mad at. I would admit that much.

Within ten minutes, I had finished several batched of pancakes and had managed to scramble some eggs, make grits with cheese, and cut up some fresh fruit to eat. Brian and Matt were all but salivating over the food. After cutting off all the appliances, I washed my hands once more and began plating the food.

“Will you two be staying for breakfast?” I asked airily, refusing to look anyone in the eye as I moved briskly around the kitchen.

Brian grinned, “I’d fucking love t—“

“Actually, we need to head home. We have…brunch with my parents,” Lyndsey spoke up, eyeing me carefully.

Brian blinked at her, “What? Since when?”

“They called this morning,” she answered slowly, fixing him with a stare that we probably weren’t supposed to notice.

“Uh, no one called this morning. Remember, we were—“

“Dammit, Bri, just get in the car!” she rolled her eyes, smiling apologetically at Matt and I. Matt cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, reaching for the plate I handed him and grabbing some syrup, “Well, we’ll see you guys later.”

“Can’t she just make me a plate to go?” Brian whined as Lyndsey pulled him out of earshot.

Matt looked on after the couple, chewing thoughtfully, “That was weird.”

I didn’t say anything.

“Something on your mind, sweetheart?”

“No,” I answered automatically, casting my gaze to he tiled floor.

“Are you sure?” he checked.

“Yes.”

“Are you lying to me?” he asked slowly, and I could feel his fiery gaze on my face.

My palms began to sweat, “I-I…I…”

“You don’t have to lie,” he sighed, setting down his fork and watching me, “If there’s something you don’t wanna talk about, just say it. It’s not gonna hurt my feelings.”

Once again, I was feeling shitty, “Sorry.”

“You apologize way too much, sweetheart,” he chuckled, “Sit down and eat this badass food you made.”

***

Matt watched in amusement as his redheaded friend circled the living room for the third time with a dust rag and bottle of Pledge. She’d been scrubbing away at the furniture for the past hour now, even though the maid had been in earlier to clean. Hell, she’d even cooked the maid a meal and forced her to sit and eat while she took over her chores.

He wasn’t stupid. Something was on her mind, and it was something she hadn’t yet told him. He could see that it was bothering her tremendously. Though he hadn’t know her very long, he’d picked up on certain tendencies she had. One of them was constantly moving and keeping busy when something was eating away at her. He just wasn’t sure whether now was a good time to approach her, or if he should wait until she’d calmed down.

Another half hour passed by. Brittany had been through the living room with the dug rag a total of six times, and was once again scrubbing more dishes in the kitchen sink. He didn’t understand that, considering he had a dishwasher right next to where she was standing. The carpet in the living room had fresh vacuum tracks, and the hardwood floor in the dining room had been mopped twice. She’d even organized his movie collection by release date as well as alphabetical order.

Finally, he’d had enough. He couldn’t take another second of her constant cleaning, not when he knew how upset she was. He didn’t like the fact that she was keeping things from him. Since he’d met her, she’d always been open with him. He knew she didn’t like letting her walls down and being vulnerable when they hadn’t known each other long, but he also knew that she didn’t like to bottle up her feelings, either.

“C’mon,” he murmured, gently taking hold of her hip with one hand and taking the rag from her with the other, “This place isn’t gonna get any cleaner.”

She didn’t say anything to him as she sighed and allowed him to toss out the rag and set the Pledge on a nearby table. Matt kept an eye on her as he reached for her arm, pulling her in the direction of the couch. Again, she stayed quiet. He had a feeling that she knew she’d been caught.

“I wish I could be one of those people who say, ‘I know you don’t wanna talk, so I’ll wait’. But I’m rather impatient, and I know you need to get whatever it is out of your system,” he stated plainly, looking her firmly in the eye, “Go change into your bathing suit and meet me down by the pool. We’ll talk then.”

His voice left no room for argument as he stood and left the room, heading in the direction of the master suite. Once inside, he closed the door behind himself and quickly stripped so that he could change into a pair of trunks. He could faintly hear the door across the hall open and close, so he knew that Brittany had listened to his instructions. It was something odd her found about her. She was an argumentative, defiant person by nature, yet with him, all that seemed to change. He wasn’t quite sure why that was, or if she even realized that she did that around him. He didn’t mind it, however. He found it to be intriguing.

He worked quickly, grabbing a couple of fresh towels from his bathroom before heading down the hall and down the long, winding staircase to the kitchen. He wasted no time in pouring a glass of pineapple juice before mixing it with vodka, something he knew was one of the girl’s favorites, and grabbed a simple beer for himself. Balancing the towels in the bend of his arm, he carried the drinks outside and set them down on a small table near the water’s edge. He moved two lounge chairs closer to the water’s edge as well and waited.

“You planning on getting me drunk, Mr. Sanders?”

A shiver flew down his spine at the way his name rolled off her tongue. Turning, he glanced over to see her leaned against the open patio door just yards away, arms crossed over her chest and a small smile spread across her face. He grinned as she stepped forward, revealing her bikini clad body.

A sight for sore eyes was exactly what she was. Her bright hair was tossed up into a bun, sitting high on top of her head, and her face was still void of any makeup. He preferred her that way. A metallic blue two piece adorned her petite frame, the color of the fabric popping against her brown skin. He couldn’t help but to stare at the ring dangling from her navel.

Without speaking, he stood and handed her the drink he’d made, grinning as she smiled graciously at him. She ignored the chairs he’d set out and simply sat at the edge of the pool, taking a ginger sip of the glass. A smile spread across her face as she tasted the drink, causing a smirk to cross Matt’s features.

“Good?” he asked playfully, eyeing her with interest.

“Very,” she nodded, flashing him a bright smile, “You remembered.”

He shrugged, “I know you.”

“You do?” she cocked an eyebrow, tilting her head as she glanced at him in curiosity.

“Indeed,” he answered simply, reaching forward and taking a drink of his beer before setting it back down.

“And what, exactly, do you know about me?”

“That’s for me to know, and for you to find out,” he smirked, jumping straight into the water. He allowed his feet to touch the bottom of the pool before he swam back to the surface. She was still right where he’d left her, eyeing him with an impatient stare, “Why the long face, sweetheart?”

She rolled her eyes as he taunted her, but smiled softly in his direction anyway. She made herself comfortable on the edge in front of him, crossing her legs underneath her and sipping away at the pineapple-vodka mix in her hand. He took this as his chance.

“So, are you feeling better?” he asked cautiously, looking at the sun that was beginning to set. He knew she’d answer up if she didn’t feel like she was being analyzed. If it seemed as if his focus was elsewhere, she’d let her guard down and be more open with him.

“What do you mean?” she asked quietly, setting her drink down beside her.

He shrugged simply, “Oh, I just…I could tell something was eating at you earlier. I was curious to see how you were feeling now that you’re a little more relaxed.”

“Well, I-I,” she was starting to clam up, but he would wait patiently, “I just had a rough night, is all.”

A growl suddenly rippled through his chest, “No one hurt you, did they?”

His reaction had scared her, “N-No. I’m perfectly fine.”

He softened his gaze, “What happened, sweetheart? You think I didn’t realize you were freaking out as you told my housekeeper to go on break and assumed her chores?”

She fidgeted, and he knew she felt as though he’d caught her. And he had. Now, he would wait for her to explain. She may not have wanted to, but he knew she couldn’t ignore his demands forever. She had a certain weak spot for him when it came to telling the truth and opening up.

He watched closely as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, almost as if she was preparing herself for what she had to say. Her brown eyes fluttered open once more, and he could suddenly see just how troubled and vulnerable she felt.

“Britt?” he asked carefully, noting the change in her demeanor.

She sighed, lowering her gaze to the ground, “You can’t get mad, okay? Or look at me any differently.”

He frowned at that, “Sweetheart, I could never be mad with you, or view you as anything but who you are; you know that.”

She seemed to smile a little at that, “I guess you’re right. I mean, I hope so.”

“I know so,” Matt corrected her, firmness in his tone as he swam closer to her, leaning his arms on top of her smooth, creamy legs, “What’s the matter?”

“I…I think that my drink may have been drugged last night,” she whispered, breaking their gaze as she looked down at her feet.

For a second Matt had thought he hadn’t heard her clearly, “You…y-what? What?”

His voice was beginning to raise, and that wasn’t good. They both knew that much. He was sure she’d said what he’d thought she’d said, but at the same time, he didn’t want to believe it. If that was true, anything could’ve happened to her last night, and she wouldn’t know a thing about it. Hell, things could’ve been much worse.

He felt his muscles twitch as a growl began to rip from the back of his throat. He was suddenly seeing red as he thought of all the things that someone could’ve possibly done to her while she’d been drugged. Someone had taken advantage of her, and he wasn’t okay with that. Not in the least bit.

“Who was it?” he spat angrily, “Do you remember where you stayed?”

She shook her head, watching him carefully, “I just wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible; I didn’t think to—“

Matt’s had whipped around as he stared incredulously at his friend, “Her? Did you just say, her?”

Matt stared in awe as she fell silent, avoiding his gaze. She was clearly embarrassed. Ashamed, even. And he could understand why. He definitely hadn’t been expecting a shocker like that to fall from her lips.

He stammered dumbly, “I..then…you mean…?”

She covered her face with her hands, “Yeah, Matt. I…I think we slept together. Or at least…did things together.”

The disgust in her voice was evident. She hadn’t been planning for something like this to happen, and she was upset that it had. But she wasn’t looking at the bright side of things, Matt noted. It had only been some girl who’d drugged her, not some sadistic motherfucker who could’ve done so much worse to her.

“And you’re not…you’re not hurt anywhere?” he asked, scanning her body for any injuries he could find. While he was thankful the situation wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, if he found a single injury on Britt then he’d track the bitch from last night down and wring her fucking neck.

That was when he noticed marks all over her. Hickies.

“Oh…wow,” he muttered, eyeing one large hickey on the inside of her thigh, “Just…wow.”

He could only imagine how they’d all gotten there. He could clearly picture Britt’s figure being straddled by some other woman, the stranger’s lips dancing across every inch of her skin. And maybe not now, but last night in her drugged state of mind, she’d enjoyed it. She may have moaned softly, wriggling underneath the stranger and begging for more. Sweat dripping down her body as the woman marked her over and over again, touching her in places a woman had never gone before—

“I’m fucking ruined!” came Britt’s distressed voice, “Even you are already judging me!”

He chuckled, “Sweetheart, if I’m judging you at all, it’s in a good way. Believe me.”

“What the fuck does that even mean, Matt?” she asked impatiently, frustration etched in her features.

“I think it’s hot,” he answered simply, bravely placing his hands back on top of her legs.

She blinked in confusion, “You think what’s hot?”

He laughed some, shaking his head, “You. Another chick. I’m a guy, Britt. We all think girl-on-girl is hot.”

She began quivering with obvious anger, “Well I’m a girl, and I don’t think that at all! I’m not attracted to women! I support girls who are, but that’s not who I am!”

He shook his head, “Babe, you just had a little shit in your system. Your judgment gets foggy, and you act on impulse and desire. That’s the world of being fucked up. On the other hand, it doesn’t make you any less of a good person. It was a simple mistake, and you honestly lucked out because it could’ve been worse.”

“But you’ll still think of that when you look at me,” she swallowed, hurt flashing through her eyes, “And so will anyone else who finds out about this.”

“That very well may be,” Matt answered honestly, “I’m thinking that from now on, I’m gonna remember that you’ve got a little freaky experience under your belt. You’re officially a little vixen, now. I find it attractive.”

She rolled her eyes at that, “You find anything with legs in a skirt attractive.”

He chuckled at that, “That may be so. I also find two pairs of legs in skirts attractive.”

“Matt!” she cried in exasperation, swatting at his arm as he playfully wiggled his eyebrows at her, “That’s not funny!”

“It wasn’t meant to be funny,” he shrugged, “So you hooked up with a girl, Britt. You’re single, and you can do what you want. And you’re among friends here. No one’s going to ridicule you, and as long as you’re staying under this roof, I’ll support whatever you choose to do. Just as long as you let me know when you’re not coming home so I don’t have to worry.”

A smile – a real smile – spread across the redhead’s lips as she slowly sunk into the water and swam towards him, wrapping her small arms around his neck in a hug. He pulled her into his chest and sighed, ignoring the burn in his stomach as her skin meshed with his, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He chewed his lip as she locked her legs around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder.

He loved the strange bond he had with her. While she was very cautious, particularly around him, she was also very comfortable around him. Even she did not realize just how much she trusted him. He relished in that feeling. She was beyond intriguing, full of secrets and desires, and tonight’s conversation only proved that.

However, she had some personal healing she still hadn’t acquired. But he would wait as long as it would take to make his move.

She wouldn’t be able to deny their chemistry for long.