Before Him Comes Me (15 page)

“Thanks but I just need to lay down for a bit. This was fun.”
Ella stands and gathers her camera. “Z, we’ll be downstairs.”

Zara nods.

Garrett stands and waits for Zara to stand. Before getting
up to leave, Zara looks around the table and says, “It was very nice to meet
all of you. Thank you for allowing us to join you today. And, Vivian, I really
do love my room. Thank you.”

The elevator ride was silent. It was not the comfortable
silence they had shared at the beach house. For Zara, it was strained.

I do not want to say goodbye again. Please, do not say goodbye.

“Little One, it was good to see you. You look beautiful. College
is definitely agreeing with you. Take care of your friend.” Garrett steps back
toward the elevator. “Zara, please eat.”

Zara stands there as he steps back into the elevator and the
doors close.

He left.

Liliana stops in her tracks seven feet from the exit. “Someone
is going to tell me why I just left The Club and Kegan before the end of the
game. Seriously, what the fuck just happened? PS, Zara, your boyfriend better
get us back in there for another game this season.”

With head lowered and eyes on the ground in front of her, Zara
whispers, “Garrett is not my boyfriend.”

“Oh, Honey. That man wants you badly. He may not be your
boyfriend yet but that is clearly on you.” Ella walks into Zara due to her stopping
so abruptly. “Zara… please tell me that you realize that he’s completely hung
up on you.”

Zara stands staring at her with her mouth open.

“He had no reaction when you told him about Dan’s party
tonight. If Garrett is interested, why was he not upset? Why would he allow me
to go to the party?” Zara asks as she kicks a pebble off the sidewalk.

“Oh, yes, Garrett would throw a temper tantrum and stomp his
feet. Maybe even tie you up and tell you that the party is off limits… if he
was fifteen years old. Zara, he obviously respects you. It seems he is
patiently waiting for you to pick him. I gave you an opportunity to do that but
you…”

“When?” Zara asks angrily placing her hands on her hips. There
was never a chance to pick Garrett. Ella had even told him about a party
another guy had invited her to.

“The party. I only brought it up so he would know he isn’t
the only guy interested in you. I figured you would choose to skip the party
and go with them. I thought you wanted to be with him by the way you two were
looking at each other. Plus, Lil here was all flirty with Kegan, so I was
prepared to take one for the team tonight.”

At the stunned look on her face, her hall mates start
laughing.

“You didn’t know I was lobbing the ball to you, did you? Well,
my bad, Zara. I did try. I got some great photos. Did you get the digits?” Ella
asks Liliana. “Number, Zara. Phone number!”

Liliana shakes her head, “Nah, no worries. I took one look
at Zara and I knew we needed to jump. What upset you?”

Knowing there was no stepping around this one, Zara mournfully
replies. “He just sat there and told me to have fun at a party with a different
guy. I thought it meant that he had no feelings for me. I just…”

“How many boyfriends have you had, Zara?” Zara rolled her
eyes miserably and Ella persisted, “Okay, how much do you like Garrett? Scale
of one to ten?”

“Twenty-six,” Zara whispers keeping her eyes lowered. Her
friends wrapped their arms around her from each side as they walk back to the
dorm.

“Only one thing to do,” Ella smiles. “We are going to a
party.”

Ella and Liliana wait behind Zara for her to unlock the
door. Ella pushes by and marches to the bathroom. Liliana moves the bead
curtain to the side and starts searching through the clothes. Once Ella
finishes, she joins Liliana to discuss the options for tonight.

They pull out and hold up one item after another. Once they
get to the shoes, the tone suddenly changes. Ella pulls out a pair of six-inch
black pumps with red soles. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE ARE??”

Relaxing on her bed while the pair ransacks her closet, Zara
nods. “Zara Faith, what are these then? And can you walk in them?”

“Heels? Yes, I am able to walk in heels,” she responds
feeling less confident than before, less certain that she has the correct
answer.

“These are NOT heels, as you so casually called them. These
lovely never-worn-before pieces of art are Christian Louboutin, specifically
Louboutin So Kate. They’re the most delicate of the pumps and guaranteed to
make any legs irresistible. These? These are your secret weapon. We are going
to take one more look at the lovelies and then put them back in their home.”

“Should I wear them tonight?”

“NO!” Ella and Liliana exclaim in unison.

“Those are the weapon you use when you go in for the kill. Tonight
is just the beginning of the hunt. Tonight you go with an ‘I didn’t put in much
effort but I look incredible’ outfit. These do NOT come out of the box until
you are ready to hear the words. Are we clear?” Ella looks as if she is
teaching a class and Zara is her prized student.

With a heavy sigh, Ella glides her hand gently over the two
pieces of art, closes the box and slides it back into its designated spot in
the closet.

“Here we go!” Liliana states in a resigned manner. She carries
two hangers with clothes on them over to the other end of the bed and sits down
expectantly as if there is going to be a show.

“El?” Liliana holds up a bright multi colored skirt and a
white off the shoulder top.

“Perfect!” Ella does her happy dance. Zara giggles at the
two of them. Watching them, Zara has an overwhelming feeling of being blessed.

“Thank you. You know, for everything,” Zara’s voice quivers
as she speaks but Ella cuts her off immediately.

“Stop right there. Don’t thank us yet. You have just
enrolled into the Lil-El boy boot camp. You better wait to thank us because
there may be some aspects that you regret. Now, we have a party to get to.”

The choice of flats is a good one. The six-inch pieces of
art would have been lovely, but the walk to the Theta House in them would have
been difficult. Reaching the frat house, Zara pauses to let Ella and Liliana
walk in before her. She is surprised to see they just walk in without knocking
or ringing the doorbell.

Once inside, the reason is clear. There are people
everywhere. Hard thumping music accompanies three guys who walk up to Ella. One
picks her up to swing her around. Another guy says hello to Liliana who tilts
her head in return.

“What are you guys doing here? I didn’t know you were coming
tonight,” the guy who said hello to Liliana asks Ella.

Ella points at Zara and waves her to come closer. “Our
freshman was invited by Dan and there was zero chance we were going to let her
come to this house alone.”

Wrapping her arm around Zara and giving her a half hug, Ella
looks around the house. “Not much changes around here, huh.”

“El, a lot has changed, and that happened in his apartment
not in this house. We DO focus education and we hold mandatory classes to talk
about it. We are all sorry. It is so good to see you back here. I think Dan is
in the meeting room. Make yourself at home. Your freshman is safe here, El. You
have our word.”

He is looking at Zara when he speaks but is talking to Ella.
She just stands there holding onto Zara. Liliana walks in between Ella and Zara
and the guys. “If you are too uncomfortable, we are out. No pressure. We will
leave when you’re ready.”

Ella nods, a smile plastered on her face. “Zara, I would
like you to meet AJ, Marcus and Russ. They are the head guys at Theta House. Two
rules when you are in this house. You do not ever go upstairs during one of
their parties. I mean it… ever.”

She waits for Zara to nod her assent. “Second, get your own
drink. Do not accept one from anyone. If you have to put your drink down, then
consider it done. Never pick it up and drink it again. If anyone makes you feel
uncomfortable, look for Lil or me. If you can’t see us, then find one of these
three guys. They will get you back to me unharmed. Do you understand?”

Ella turns to the men with a serious expression, “If
anything happens to my freshman in this house, all three of you will pay
dearly. Am I understood?”

“This is a party. Now that we have been served our orders,
can we get to the partying part? Let’s go get cocktails,” Marcus says as he
lifts Ella off her feet and carries her deeper into the house. Liliana and Zara
follow while the other two guys bring up the back.

Zara feels completely out of place. The only parties she had
ever attended had been collaring ceremonies. The Community had other parties
but her parents felt that her position as the daughter of a King Council member
negated attendance.

She and Sloane would organize their own private parties, gathering
food and making non-alcoholic drinks for themselves. A few times they dressed
up with makeup and up-dos, and even wore heels, even though they were just
chilling out together. Recalling their fun, Zara wonders if Sloane would enjoy
this party, but before her thoughts travel too far down that path, she forces them
away. There is no time for that tonight.

Squaring her shoulders, Zara readies herself for her first
college party. Walking past the stairwell that she had been forbidden to use
and down a hall, the hall opens to a huge room full of more people. The music is
different. It is harder.

Ella and Liliana are mobbed as soon as the one of the guys
announces “LOOK WHO’S IN THE HOUSE!”

Zara take a step back with each person that comes to greet
her protectors. Before long, she is several feet away from the only two people
that she knows and her level of comfort begins to decrease.

The heavy beat shakes the walls and a small circle of people
shout along with the words while jumping up and down. Turning to walk back, Zara
feels fingers wrap around her upper arm. She pulls away while turning to see
who is touching her. Dan is smiling down at her.

“Come on,” he says, drawing her deeper into the crowd of
moving bodies.

Dan has blocked her view, leaving her unable to look around
for Ella and Liliana. Zara looks at his hand grasping her arm.

Uneasy with being touched this way, Zara looks up into his
eyes trying to judge his intent. Dan takes a long drink out of a red Solo cup. When
he is done, he lowers the cup to Zara and offers her a sip. Shaking her head,
she tries to say she would like her own cup but the loud music muffles her
voice.

Zara resists the motion of Dan moving in closer to her and
pressing against her body. He lowers his mouth to her ear in an attempt to kiss
her. Zara backs away from him, but the crush of bodies and his arm around her
stop her from breaking free. Laughing at her discomfort, Dan puts the cup to Zara’s
mouth again.

Zara freezes when the lights go off and the crowd in the
room begins to cheer. Glow rings are lofted above the crowd, but for the most
part, it is pitch black in the room filled with undulating bodies.

Tossing his cup into the crowd, Dan pulls Zara to him, tightly
encircling her in his arms and pressing his hips into hers. She puts her hands
on his chest and begins to push away, her heart pounding so hard she thought
she could feel it through to her fingertips. His hands slide down her back to
her ass and he squeezes her hard.

Unsure what else to do, Zara cries out for help, but her
voice is lost to the roar of dancing bodies and loud music. Zara continues to
struggle as Dan leans into her ear and shouts he is glad she came because he
really likes her.

He runs his tongue down her neck and up to her ear where he
gives it a tug. In sheer panic, Zara slaps him crossed the face, and then suddenly
feels herself being ripped away from him. She is pulled from the mass of moving
bodies into the dimly lit hallway.

Moving blindly, tears streaming down her cheeks, Zara
realizes she has someone on either side of her. At the door, Zara begins to
register Ella’s screaming and Liliana pushing one of the guys that led her out.

“He’s been drinking. He was excited that she came. He really
likes her. He didn’t mean to scare her,” AJ says in a calming voice. “El, it is
not the same situation as what happened to you. Come on. She is fine.”

Liliana wraps Zara into her arms.

Ella continues to scream at the top of her lungs, “Nothing’s
changed in this place! Are you fucking kidding me… we were here for less than
15 minutes! I’m calling the cops!”

Liliana grabs Zara’s face in both of her hands. Blocking out
every other noise, smell and light, Zara focuses on her eyes and her words, “Did
he hurt you?”

Zara shakes her head violently, but knows the tears escaping
down her cheek are suggesting a different story.

“Zara, give me your phone.”

Reaching inside her handbag with a shaking hand Zara pulls
out her phone and hands it over to Liliana.

Watching her tap away on it, Zara shutters, “He wanted me to
drink out of his cup. Ella said no drinking. I tried to tell him I wanted my
own cup.”

Liliana slips the phone back into Zara’s bag and grabs her
into a tight hug and is surprised by the voice so close behind her. “Zara, you
are always going to be safe with Ella and me. We will never allow anything bad
to happen.”

“Lil… get her out of here.”

Several people were standing around them now curious what
was going on and asking if everything was okay when Zara hears Dan call her
name. Her eyes grow to the size of saucers and her shaking becomes visibly
noticeable. Before she can reply, Ella whips around on her heels and starts
yelling.

“Say one more motherfucking word to my girl EVER and I will
bring your entire world to an end… are you understanding me? You little piece
of shit. ONE SINGLE MOTHERFUCKING WORD! AJ… Marcus, one word and this house is
GONE.”

Zara is lead out of the house by Liliana and Ella as they
walk back to Yakeley, but she does not say a word. As they approach the spot
that Garrett had parked in a week ago, Zara breaks down crying and the girls
silently embrace her in a hug allowing her tears to fly.