Текст книги "Provoked"
Автор книги: S. Donahue
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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 9 страниц)
CHAPTER 4
Hailey
MELANIE COMES into my office to bring me a message. She bends down to pick up a paper that is sticking out from under my desk.
“What’s that?” I ask, wondering why she is crawling on my floor on her hands and knees.
“I don’t know. It was stuck under the leg of the desk,” she says, out of breath.
“Is it important?” She hands me the paper. Gee. I’m excited now. I thought I threw this out. It’s the invitation for the high school reunion. “Throw that out.”
“Why?” Melanie asks.
“I don’t want to go. It was a blast from my past, and I choose not to go.”
“You have something better to do? You are free that night. It’s in two weeks,” she nudges.
“Why do you care? I am not going. They made my life a living hell.”
“You’re different now. You need to do this. You need to move on from it. You need closure. Plus, I think they may have grown up. I don’t think there will be any bullying going on at the age of twenty-eight. Doesn’t it become illegal at some point in life?”
“Hmm, good point, but no. I’m not going. It says to bring your spouse. Um, I will be the laughing stock of the school again, since I’m single.”
“I’ll go with you,” Melanie says, trying to help.
“Who are you going as… my lesbian lover?” I laugh.
“I’m replying yes that you will be there… single.”
I give her a look. “Don’t even think about it. Just because we’re like best friends and I told you all about my previous life doesn’t mean you can think you are helping me. You are not.”
“You better pick out a nice dress. I’m thinking something red,” Melanie says, taking the invitation and calling the number to respond. “Hi, this is Hailey McCormick’s secretary. I’m calling to rsvp to the invitation for the high school reunion. Miss McCormick would be delighted to attend. Please put her down for one. Yes, great. She looks forward to seeing you as well.”
“Oh… you are going to pay for that. I don’t know how, but you are,” I say in a joking manner. Then I sit down in shock.
I have to go now. If I turn back, it will make it worse.
St. Cecelia’s, here I come… back for more punishment.
CHAPTER 5
Chase
SOMETIMES I WONDER what I was thinking when I decided to become a pharmacist. I graduated from New York University. I loved going to pharmacy school, but it’s the aftermath that is a killer. With the boost in prescription drug misuse, my job becomes more and more challenging every day. I deal with a lot of drug addicts who are looking for a quick and easy fix. They will lie, cheat, and steal just to get one pill. Some nights I come home from work exhausted. Tonight is one of those nights, but I promised Parker I would meet him at the bar for a few drinks.
I walk into the bar and see Parker sitting there with four women around him. He’s a very good-looking guy. When I walk over, they are about to start singing the song “Scrubs” by TLC. He knows there are going to be women leaching off of him… Why does he insist I come from work? He made it sound as if it was going to be just me and him, beers and guy talk. I know he means well. He is trying to get me over Megan. I am over Megan. I just don’t want anyone else right now, and he doesn’t get that. I do a lot of traveling, mostly on Sundays, but it takes up a lot of my time. Even though lacrosse is part-time, it still keeps me busy.
“P, I’m here.”
“Hey, ladies, this is my best friend, Chase. He’s a professional lacrosse player.”
I hate when he does that. Women have a thing for sports players. I don’t know what it is. One of the blonde women is eyeing me up from head to toe. Either she’s repulsed by me or she wants to take me home.
“Hi, everyone,” I say, giving my sexy smirk. I can be a flirt at times. “Buying a round for everyone,” I yell to the bartender over the music. Blondie is staring me down then walks over to me.
“Hey there, handsome. That was nice of you,” she says, giving me googily eyes.
“I aim to please. You drinking something special?” I don’t know why I’m flirting back with her. She’s not even my type. I just don’t want to hurt her feelings.
“Whatever you want to buy me is good with me.”
She orders a Captain and Coke. My kind of girl.
“What’s your name?” she asks.
“Chase. And you?”
“Chelsey.”
I see Chelsey trying to come home with me. I see me having to turn down another woman. I see Parker getting mad at me. Oh well.
“That’s a nice name. Can you excuse me for a minute? I just need to talk to my friend for a sec.” I walk up to Parker. He’s engrossed in conversation. “P, come here a sec.”
He walks over to the end of the bar. “What’s up?”
“I thought it was just going to be me and you.”
“I can’t help it if they found me.” He can be so stuck on himself sometimes.
“I’m tired. I don’t feel like entertaining women. I just got done with a long-ass shift at the pharmacy.”
“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’ll get rid of them.”
“Forget it now. I’ll have one drink, and then I’ll hit the road.”
“What’s wrong with the blonde? Do you not like women? I’ll understand. Just tell me. I’m your best friend since grade school.”
“I fucking love women, asshole.”
“Speaking of school, I talked to the chick organizing the reunion. She asked if you were coming. She said she didn’t get a response from you yet.”
“That’s because I’m not going, and it said to RSVP only if you were planning to attend.”
“She said I had to do whatever I needed to do to get the most popular guy there. I said, oh, don’t worry, he’s coming. Put him down for yes.”
“Why would you do that?” I’m gonna kill this fucker.
“You have to go with me.”
“I don’t want to see Carrie. End of story.”
“Forget her. You’ll be with your best friend. I’ll have your back,” he says, confident in his response.
“That’s the scary part. You’ve done so well up until now.” I can’t believe he responded yes for me. I am doomed. Carrie is going to stalk my life again.
I head back to Chelsey. I’m no longer in the mood to be here. Parker has pissed me off completely. Sometimes he just goes too far.
Chelsey starts to go on and on about how we would be good together. She talks about going to all my games and cheering me on. She says she’ll even wear little cheerleader shorts for me with my name on her ass. Where are all the normal women?
“It was nice chatting with you, Chelsey,” I say, grabbing my keys and cell phone off the bar. “I have to get going. I had a long day at work, and I have to be up early tomorrow.”
“Can we see each other again?” she asks.
“I’m really busy. I’m on the road a lot, and I have a full-time job as a pharmacist. I don’t have time in my life for a woman.” I feel really bad, but I just can’t… Not with her. I’m not gonna sleep with her, either, just for the hell of it.
“I understand,” she says. “I just wanted to sleep with you anyway.” Why do they always have to go there?
I just look her in the face and walk away. “P, I’m out. I’ll see you tomorrow at some point.”
I walk toward the door then see a woman from afar. She has long brown wavy hair. She is beautiful. She catches my eye. I smile, then she quickly turns her head. What the fuck? These damn women!
Why does she look so familiar?
CHAPTER 6
Hailey
I TURN TO THE LEFT and meet the eyes of a gorgeous man. In a split second I realize I am looking into the eyes of Chase O’Brien, my secret crush in high school. I look away quickly. I don’t want him to recognize me… Not that he would. The last time I saw him, I was about eighty-five pounds heavier. The only person I ever told about him was Melanie. She sits across from me at the high bar table, giving me crazy looks.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asks.
“Nothing, why?” I lie.
“You’re acting all fidgety, and your face just turned a couple different shades of red.”
“I’ll tell you in a minute. I can’t look back right now.”
“So you’re staring at the wall?”
“Don’t turn around.”
Of course, she does. “That guy? Was he flirting with you?” She has no idea who it is, so it’s not her fault. “He finally walked out the door. You can resume normalcy,” Melanie says sarcastically.
“That was Chase. See that guy at the bar over there with those women? That’s his best friend, Parker. I went to school with them.”
“Chase is extremely hot. I can see why you have the hots for him.”
“Had… I had the hots for him a long time ago… A very long time ago.” I’m lying to myself again.
“Looks like you still do.”
“I do not. I don’t think he recognized me, so I’m safe. Now I know I can’t go to that reunion.”
“Too late. You already RSVP’d,” she reminds me.
“Damn you, Mel. Damn you.”
She laughs out loud.
“You’ll thank me one day.”
“I doubt it,” I say, chugging down my martini.
CHAPTER 7
Chase
“COME ON,WE’RE TAKING my car. Leave yours in the driveway,” I say to Parker as we walk out the door. Tonight is the high school reunion that I am so not looking forward to going to. I have some good memories and some bad ones. I’m hoping this night goes by very quickly. “P, remember that woman I told you I saw when I left the bar that night?”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t get her out of my head. Her eyes, they looked so familiar but so mysterious. I felt this attraction to her, but I have no idea why. I’ll never know who she was.”
“Can you just drop the love shit? They only fuck with you in the end. Look at what happened with Megan.”
He had to go and bring her up. I haven’t spoken to her since I kicked her out that night. It’s safe to say we are officially done.
I am nervous to run into Carrie at this reunion. We broke up on bad terms. We stayed together after graduation and into college. I went to NYU and she went to a local community college. She had dreams of being a Knicks dancer or something like that and didn’t want to go away to college or commit to something in case she got her opportunity. Pharmacy school was very hard and took up a lot of my time. One Saturday, she came up to my dorm, and of course, we had sex. We’d been together for four years at that point. We were lying in the bed afterwards, and she said she had something to tell me. Coming from Carrie, I could only imagine what it was she had to tell me. My life could have changed in an instant.
“I’m pregnant,” she said.
I just sat there in silence. I had no idea what this meant for me. Would I have to leave school? Would we get married? I didn’t even think I wanted to marry Carrie. I was speechless. I actually didn’t know what to say. I was only twenty years old. I always used protection with her, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I mean, I did know there’s always that possibility.
“There’s more,” she said, looking away.
“What’s going on, Car?”
“It’s not your baby. I got drunk at a party, and I cheated on you. I was pretty wasted and didn’t use protection.”
“How could you let this happen?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you keeping it?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
“No,” she said, crying. “I have a lot of things I need to do in my life.”
“Get the fuck out of my room. I can’t look at you. You made your bed. You make me sick. You’re an evil person. I put up with you for many years. I loved you. I hoped you would have changed, but I was wrong,” I yelled at her. I felt horrible after, but that was it for me.
We never spoke again after that. I felt too betrayed. I have no idea what she did with her life, and I really didn’t want to know. I have never seen her dancing at a Knicks game, so I guess her dreams didn’t come true…
“Chase, are you trying to kill me? You’re speeding, dude.”
“Sorry, I was lost in thought.” I pull into the parking lot of the school. “Couldn’t they have had this at a bar or something? Why did they have to have it at the school gym?”
“Can you just get happy for a second? We’re gonna see some of our boys who we don’t get to hang out with,” Parker says, excited for the circus.
I get out of the car and walk through the double doors. Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone” blares through the gymnasium.
“P, why don’t you go show them your moves,” I joke.
“I hope they have beer at this party.”
“I’ll go with maybe spiked punch.”
We check in at the front table where we are given stickers with our names on them… first and last. Great, now there is no hiding.
There are a bunch of guys in a circle by the bleachers talking. Parker and I walk up to them. I recognize most of them. We start talking sports with them and bullshitting. A couple of them are already married and have kids. They have a glow about them when they talk about their families. I can’t even get someone to remain faithful to me for two years.
“Can you guys excuse me for a minute? I’m gonna get a beer and go to the bathroom.” I turn to head out to the hallway when I spot the woman from the bar. She is beautiful. She walks through the doors and stands there, just looking around.
I am shocked to see her. I must look like an idiot, the way I’m staring at her.
I go to the makeshift bar and order a beer, not taking my eyes off of my dream girl.
CHAPTER 8
Hailey
I REACH THE GYMNASIUM. I picked out the perfect red strapless dress for the reunion. It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, so red is appropriate. I accented my dress with a pair of silver Marc Jacob heels and dangling silver earrings. My hair is free-flowing down my back with large bouncy curls at the ends. I feel confident in my appearance. No one is going to bring me down tonight. It has been ten years, and I have matured into a sophisticated woman who can handle anything life throws at her.
The smell of the hallway brings some bile to my throat. My heart pounds out of my chest as I turn the door handles. I am about a half hour late for the party. I was debating with myself whether I should go or not up to the last minute.
I can hear the music coming from the room. Jesse McCartney’s “Beautiful Soul” is playing. The gym is set up like a school dance. This is mortifying, because I never actually ever went to these things in high school. The gym is dim with a glow from the mirror ball. I especially hated this room in the school. This was where the torture took place. The pain that I endured all comes flooding back…
***
It was 2005… Senior year.
I hated gym class. I had it third period. Our gym classes were co-ed, but the lockers weren’t. I dreaded having to go to the locker and change in front of the girls in my class. I had to keep telling myself that this was my last year of high school. I only had seven more months of this.
I could feel my body start to sweat. First it was my hands, then it was my armpits. I walked through the gym toward the back. Some of the boys were out on the court playing basketball while they waited for class to start. I was stalling, which was why I was running late. I was hoping everyone would already be out of the lockers by the time I got there. No chance of that happening.
Carrie, Paulina and Laney were all hovering in the corner, doing their hair and putting on lip gloss. They were gossiping about everyone in the school. I mean can you get any bitchier?
They spotted me. Carrie stood up.
“Oh look, girls, it’s Hailey the hippo,” Carrie said.
“I would be so embarrassed if I was you,” Laney said to me, laughing. “You can’t even run. You’re the laughing stock of the school.”
As much as it hurt, I ignored them. I didn’t want to get kicked out of school for fighting. I tried to walk away, but then Carrie caught me off guard with what she said next.
“Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at my boyfriend, like he’s some kind of piece of meat you want to eat. You can get those thoughts right out of your head, because he would never want to be with a pig like you.”
That pushed me over the edge. The tears started falling down my face. I couldn’t bear this pain any longer. I never wanted her to see me cry, but I just couldn’t help it. I knew a boy would never look at me like they looked at her. I knew I was destined to never have a boyfriend or someone who loved me. I’d never step foot in my senior prom because nobody in that school will ever ask me. I just didn’t want the popular bitch at school to point that out to me… in front of others.
I ran to the stall and cried my eyes out.
“Come on, girl. She’s a cry baby. She can’t handle constructive criticism,” Carrie said in a snotty tone as she exited the locker room with her cult in tow.
I was late for class. That day we were supposed to be playing dodgeball. I couldn’t go out there in front of everyone. They would all be staring at me. I couldn’t have Chase look at me like they did.
I decided that it really didn’t matter at that point. I changed into my clothes and put my bag into a locker on the other side of the room. I spent my life hiding from others. I exited the locker room and jumped into the line without being noticed, but how can someone like me go unnoticed?
“Hailey, you’re late for class. See me after,” Miss Carter said, embarrassing me in front of everyone. I heard snickers coming from some of the students.
Miss Carter was calling out the names of students who would be on each team, in alphabetical order. You know what that means? Chase O’Brien and Carrie Porter would both be on the same team as me. Carrie looked disgusted that I was on her team. It’s not like I picked the teams, because believe me, she would be the last person in the world I would want on my team. We were all near each other because they were only teams of ten with two different games going on. A total of forty students, and I got stuck with those two.
“I can’t believe I have to be on a team with you. You are useless,” Carrie said.
“Just stand behind me, Hailey. I’ll make sure you don’t get hit with the ball,” Chase said. That was the first time he ever spoke to me directly… Then Carrie had to go and ruin it for me.
“It’s not like they won’t be able to see her behind you, baby.” She smirked.
I was mortified. I could never look at Chase again. I ran out of the gym class into the hallway so no one would see me cry. My heart was torn. The ridicule had gone too far. I cried into the wall. No one was around; no one even saw me run out.
We were by the door when it happened. I got myself together and turned to go back inside. Chase O’Brien was standing behind me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I’m used to it,” I said, tears flowing down my face.
“Don’t let her get to you. She’s my girlfriend, but she’s a bitch.”
“Go back inside, Chase. Just let me be. I’ll be fine,” I whispered.
“I don’t want to see you like this.”
“You don’t know me. You are one of them, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I’m not one of them. I’m me, and I don’t like to see someone hurting.”
He reached his hand out to my face and wiped away my tears. “Be strong,” he said as he turned around and walked back to the gym.
I stood there in shock. The tears were still flowing. I got myself together and went back into class.
CHAPTER 9
Chase
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING over here?” Parker says, punching my arm.
“She’s here,” I say, taking a sip of beer.
“Who? Carrie?”
“No, the woman from the bar.”
“So we went to school with her. Who the hell could it be?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I don’t recognize her.”
“Where is she?”
“Over there talking to Mrs. Ward.” I nod in her direction.
“I don’t know her. We need to somehow scope out her name sticker.”
“What do you want me to say? Oh hey, I think we have a connection. Will you marry me and have my children, but I have no idea who you are?”
“How about you start with, ‘Hi, I’m Chase.’ See if she knows you. There you go. Do that.”
“I’m not going up to her.” I refuse to make an ass of myself.
Busting in on our conversation, I hear, “Chase, is that you?”
I turn around and recognize Laney. “Yes, hi, Laney. How are you?” I kiss her on the cheek.
“Better now that I got to see you.” She turns to P. “Parker, always a pleasure,” she says sarcastically.
P broke her heart. She was madly in love with him, and he played her Parker-style. I don’t blame her for hating him. She chased him, and he ran farther and farther away.
“Carrie was looking for you, so I hear,” Laney says to me.
“Oh really? That’s nice.” I give Parker a look that says I’m going to kill him for bringing me here. I look over at my mystery woman as she talks and smiles with the teacher. Carrie is making a beeline straight toward me. I want to run. I want to hide.
“Chase,” she calls out, running to me and pulling me into a hug. She looks run-down and trashy. Her hair is greasy and her teeth are messed up.
“How are you?” I ask, trying to be polite.
“Great… ya’ know.” That is her response.
She sure as hell doesn’t look great, but I would never say anything. Leave it to my best friend to open his mouth, though. He hates Carrie so much. He even hated her back in high school. He just tolerated her because of me.
“Been partying hard there, Car?” Parker asks her.
“Yeah, I’m always a good time. Maybe we can hang out sometime,” she says to him, looking at me to see my reaction.
“I’m good,” he says, making a crazy face. He whispers under his breath to me, “She looks like a crack whore.”
“I’m ready to get out of here,” I whisper back.
“Me, too. Let’s go pick up some real women at a classy joint.”
“It was great chatting with you ladies, but me and my boy here have to get going,” he says to them.
“Really,” Carrie says, pouting her lips. “The night is still young. By the way, Chase, I’m writing a romance novel about our time together and then my issues after. It’s my way of healing. I’m hoping to have a happily ever after, then get it published. I’ve been reaching out to companies.”
“That’s really awesome, Carrie, but I’m in a relationship with someone,” I lie.
“Wow, um... Well, fuck her. You were mine first. We were meant to be. Maybe we can go out and talk some. My mom can watch the kids.”
Did she just fucking say kids? Plural…!
“Listen, Carrie, I can’t. I have to go… really.”
“Here’s my number. Call me.” She takes my phone out of my hand and puts her number in. I take my phone back from her and literally want to spray it with Lysol.
“It was nice seeing you. P, let’s go… now.”
“Bye, Laney,” Parker says, winking his eye.
Laney and Carrie glare at each other and go their separate ways.
Parker and I head toward the door so I can make my escape.
