Lord in some way after college. I didn’t yet have a
direction, but I felt like Union was where God wanted me to go. She said she
understood after that, but every once in a while she would mention it again. My
answer always remained the same- no.
My parents went
upstairs to their room after dinner, leaving us alone in the living room to
watch a movie. Seth had brought over a scary movie even though he knew I hated
them. I’d never been able to watch them without having bad dreams. This one was
pretty violent and gory, so I clung to a throw pillow and kept my eyes covered
for most of the movie. When it was over, I felt a little queasy.
“You are
unbelievable,” Seth declared.
I turned to him, a
look of confusion on my face. “Why do you say that?”
“I picked this movie
so you would be scared and snuggle up to me, but instead you held on to that
pillow,” he said, snatching it out of my hands before throwing it to the floor.
I eased back into
the couch, hands raised in front of my body, instinctively protecting myself
for a blow that never came. “I’m sorry, Seth. I didn’t even think about that.”
He blew out a loud
breath, running his hands through his hair. “I know and that makes it worse.”
I swallowed back my
sharp reply and kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to cause a fight.
He reached into his
pocket and pulled out his phone, checking the time. “Do you think we could go
for a ride?”
“Uh, let me go ask
my parents,” I replied, slipping past him.
Seth sighed loudly
as he flopped back against the couch. I hustled upstairs and got permission. As
he helped me into the jeep, he sent someone a text message. I didn’t comment on
it, I wasn’t sure he would tell me who it was anyway.
Once he was inside, I
asked where we were headed but he didn’t answer, only smiled. He drove over to
the rich part of town and pulled into the driveway of a gigantic house I didn’t
recognize.
“Whose house is
this?” I asked, feeling an uneasy knot form in the pit of my stomach because in
the back of my mind, I already knew.
He gave me a smile,
as if sensing my unease. It seemed sincere, but in the darkened jeep, I
couldn’t be sure. “JT’s. He was having a few friends over, and I wanted to
bring you by.”
I stiffened in the
seat, my fears confirmed. I didn’t want to be anywhere near JT, but if I wanted
to spend time with Seth, I would just have to deal with it.
“Okay, but I can’t
stay long,” I insisted.
He led me inside
through an elegant foyer, past a state-of-the-art kitchen, and into a spacious
game room. Several kids I knew from school stood around with plastic cups in
their hands, full of what, I didn’t want to know. Music blared from hidden speakers,
and curse words flew from the guys sitting on the couch with controllers in
their hands. They were battling it out, their army men fighting to the death on
a giant flat screen television mounted to the wall. It was almost more than I could
handle. My senses were overloaded. I’d never been to a high school party, but I
assumed this was what they were all like . Where are his parents? Just as
the thought entered my mind, I spotted an older woman, cup in hand, leaving
bags of chips on a nearby table. Noticing me, she smiled and gave me a small
wave before sashaying away. Well, I guess that answers my question.
“This is great,
huh?” Seth shouted in my ear, startling me.
In taking in all the
new sights around me, I’d forgotten he was there. “Uh, sure,” I replied, just
to keep him happy.
As I looked around,
I saw a handful of guys huddled around a pool table. JT was one of them. Seth
left my side to join the game, so I scurried over to an empty couch facing the
pool table and sat down. I watched them all bump fists before one of them
passed Seth a cup. JT laughed at something Seth said and glanced over at me. I
kept my face unreadable. I wouldn’t let him get to me. Ever since he accosted
me outside the
direction, but I felt like Union was where God wanted me to go. She said she
understood after that, but every once in a while she would mention it again. My
answer always remained the same- no.
My parents went
upstairs to their room after dinner, leaving us alone in the living room to
watch a movie. Seth had brought over a scary movie even though he knew I hated
them. I’d never been able to watch them without having bad dreams. This one was
pretty violent and gory, so I clung to a throw pillow and kept my eyes covered
for most of the movie. When it was over, I felt a little queasy.
“You are
unbelievable,” Seth declared.
I turned to him, a
look of confusion on my face. “Why do you say that?”
“I picked this movie
so you would be scared and snuggle up to me, but instead you held on to that
pillow,” he said, snatching it out of my hands before throwing it to the floor.
I eased back into
the couch, hands raised in front of my body, instinctively protecting myself
for a blow that never came. “I’m sorry, Seth. I didn’t even think about that.”
He blew out a loud
breath, running his hands through his hair. “I know and that makes it worse.”
I swallowed back my
sharp reply and kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to cause a fight.
He reached into his
pocket and pulled out his phone, checking the time. “Do you think we could go
for a ride?”
“Uh, let me go ask
my parents,” I replied, slipping past him.
Seth sighed loudly
as he flopped back against the couch. I hustled upstairs and got permission. As
he helped me into the jeep, he sent someone a text message. I didn’t comment on
it, I wasn’t sure he would tell me who it was anyway.
Once he was inside, I
asked where we were headed but he didn’t answer, only smiled. He drove over to
the rich part of town and pulled into the driveway of a gigantic house I didn’t
recognize.
“Whose house is
this?” I asked, feeling an uneasy knot form in the pit of my stomach because in
the back of my mind, I already knew.
He gave me a smile,
as if sensing my unease. It seemed sincere, but in the darkened jeep, I
couldn’t be sure. “JT’s. He was having a few friends over, and I wanted to
bring you by.”
I stiffened in the
seat, my fears confirmed. I didn’t want to be anywhere near JT, but if I wanted
to spend time with Seth, I would just have to deal with it.
“Okay, but I can’t
stay long,” I insisted.
He led me inside
through an elegant foyer, past a state-of-the-art kitchen, and into a spacious
game room. Several kids I knew from school stood around with plastic cups in
their hands, full of what, I didn’t want to know. Music blared from hidden speakers,
and curse words flew from the guys sitting on the couch with controllers in
their hands. They were battling it out, their army men fighting to the death on
a giant flat screen television mounted to the wall. It was almost more than I could
handle. My senses were overloaded. I’d never been to a high school party, but I
assumed this was what they were all like . Where are his parents? Just as
the thought entered my mind, I spotted an older woman, cup in hand, leaving
bags of chips on a nearby table. Noticing me, she smiled and gave me a small
wave before sashaying away. Well, I guess that answers my question.
“This is great,
huh?” Seth shouted in my ear, startling me.
In taking in all the
new sights around me, I’d forgotten he was there. “Uh, sure,” I replied, just
to keep him happy.
As I looked around,
I saw a handful of guys huddled around a pool table. JT was one of them. Seth
left my side to join the game, so I scurried over to an empty couch facing the
pool table and sat down. I watched them all bump fists before one of them
passed Seth a cup. JT laughed at something Seth said and glanced over at me. I
kept my face unreadable. I wouldn’t let him get to me. Ever since he accosted
me outside the
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