Pretending Hearts Read online

  Georgie looked around the room before turning back to me with an apologetic expression on her face. “I hope it’s okay that I unpacked. My parents needed to go to some boring convention in Boston today, so they greased some palms to get me into the dorm early.”

  “It’s fine,” I said and ventured further into the room. My father sidestepped me and unloaded my suitcases and bags onto the free bed. Once his hands were free, he looked toward Georgie and me. When they both stared in my direction, I belatedly realized they were waiting for an introduction. “Georgie, this is my father Thomas.”

  My father held out his hand while Georgie shook it with enthusiasm. His hand stayed circled around Georgie’s for a beat too long and I forced myself to not react. He smiled at her until the skin around his eyes creased. After a pause, his eyes started to wander and I felt hyperaware of her exposed skin. I circled around my dad to stand between them. My smile was wide enough to hurt my cheeks. I addressed my dad first. “Why don’t you head down to the car and grab a few more of my things? I’ll be down to help in a sec.”

  “Of course, hon,” he said and ruffled my hair. I relaxed as I observed him closely. He looked the same as always and I hated myself for doubting him. He had lost weight in prison, but gained it back in the year since his release with his paunch returning. His receding hairline had retreated further in recent months, but his face remained youthful despite all of the hardships he faced while imprisoned. Quietly, I watched his retreating back disappear from view. Eventually, I turned back to face Georgie when I realized she had been talking.

  “I bet you can’t wait for him to leave,” she was saying.

  I was caught off-guard and my smile slipped. “Huh?”

  She arched an eyebrow and gestured toward the doorway my father had just departed through. “Your dad. I bet you can’t wait for him to leave. I was counting the seconds until my parents split.”

  I nodded absentmindedly. I did want him to leave, but my reasons were likely different from hers. “I better go help him.”

  There would be time to get to know my new roommate later. I was growing paranoid with each second my father stayed on campus. His ex-convict status wasn’t visible to all, but I suddenly felt like a sign was hanging around his neck advertising his purported crimes. I believed in his innocence, but my opinion didn’t matter much in the public school of opinion. I didn’t want to be ashamed of being Thomas Bridges’s daughter, but Autumn Dorey hadn’t given me much choice.

  ***

  My dad lingered after unloading his car, but I hustled him out of the dorms. I explained my need to bond with my new roommate and he eventually left after I promised to call him later that night. I couldn’t help but note the crushing sensation making it hard to breathe had dissipated some once my dad was gone. Again, I felt like I was a disloyal daughter.

  Georgie was a talker and regaled me with story after story of her city upbringing. She only required I nod from time to time as proof I was listening. From what I gathered, she was painting me a caricature of who she was and not giving me her real biography just yet. Georgie’s story featured herself as the wild child whose parents forced her to pick a college in a rural setting as a way to tame her. But Georgie planned to relish her newfound freedom and had already found out the scoop on the best frat parties on campus.

  “Hey, do you have an early class tomorrow?” I shook my head and Georgie continued, “Great. You can come with me to the Alpha Gamma Rho house. They’re having a party tonight.”

  “I’m not sure. If the frat house is off-campus, how are we going to get there?”

  Cook didn’t have fraternity and sorority houses on campus. Instead, the brothers and sisters rented houses throughout the surrounding town of Fairfort. The fraternities were known to have parties often since they weren’t policed by the campus administration.

  “I have a friend who is a junior and she can drive the three of us. You’ll still have plenty of time to settle in. She’s not picking us up until after ten.” Georgie’s full lips broke into an inviting smile. I was wary, but found myself smiling back. Over the course of the day, Georgie had been growing on me. I liked her fearless attitude and her readiness to embrace the college experience.

  The truth was female friendships had never come easy to me. I never seemed to know the secret manual on the ways of female solidarity. Growing up, I thought I was the cool girl with a lot of guy friends—being a hanger-on with Blake and his buddies as they watched the Sunday game. But I wanted girlfriends—friends I could cry with when I became disposable to the latest boy in my life. Georgie could be the one to help me open myself up to new experiences.

  Georgie let out a whoop when I agreed to go. At the very least, a party would be a distraction. I’d been checking my phone religiously since arriving on campus. If I stayed in the dorms, I would only obsess over whether or not my brother would take time out of his busy schedule to call to see how my first day at Cook was going.

  Blake not being around as much hurt more than I let on. He had been my surrogate father for so long, and my natural instinct had been to seek him out whenever I had a problem. He’d been the only one to keep me sane when reporters were hiding outside my window and trying to snap a photo of my father.

  ***

  By the time I finished unpacking, the sun had long set. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed. But with my phone silent, I understood I would only lie awake waiting for my brother’s call. The reality was the call might never come.

  Georgie was attractive in her casual clothes. But as she finished getting ready for a night out, she became even more startlingly beautiful. She had put on a floral camisole top embroidered with fringe and a pair of high-cut black knit shorts. The outfit accentuated her flat midriff and large chest. I wore a pair of denim shorts and a cream-colored lace tank. I dressed up the outfit with a layered silver chain necklace and the charm bracelet my brother had given me for my birthday. Since the temperature was still in the high eighties, I decided to keep cool by securing my blonde hair in a clip at the base of my neck.

  My palms were sweaty as Georgie and I locked up our dorm room. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but my insides were twisted up over being thrust into a completely foreign social situation. But as I took a few calming breaths, I decided to slip into my latest role. Instead of Delia Bridges, daughter of the scandalized teacher, I could be Delia Bridges, new wide-eyed freshman.

  Georgie grinned in anticipation as I followed her down the stairwell to the dorm building’s parking lot. Earlier, she had given me the lowdown on her friend from back home who’d be picking us up. According to Georgie, Fallon Johnston was a junior political science major and a closeted kleptomaniac. Georgie and Fallon had their ups and downs—a cycle starting two summers ago when Fallon would steal jewelry and cash each time she came over to Georgie’s summer home. Fallon was the daughter of a senator and her addiction to stealing was apparently her way of getting her father’s attention. But since Fallon was at Cook and had access to a car, Georgie decided to look the other way when it came to Fallon’s shortcomings.

  A black Range Rover pulled up next to the curb and honked. Georgie waved and I followed behind her. A girl in her early twenties rolled down the window and bared her teeth in a way that somewhat resembled a smile. “Hey whore. Need a ride?”

  “Sure thing, bitch,” Georgie laughed in response. When Fallon barked out a short laugh, I joined in as well. I was trying to fit in, but I did feel a little out of place around Georgie. I knew nothing of summer mansions, Fendi handbags, and convertibles as sweet sixteen birthday presents.

  Fallon introduced herself as I climbed into the back seat of her car. She was striking, but lacked Georgie’s softness. Fallon’s tight features were accentuated by her bob haircut and severe bangs. She appeared overdressed for a frat party—wearing a black cocktail dress and a string of pearls. As I considered Georgie’s gossip about her friend, I wondered whom the pearls belonged to.

  “Where
’s Wyatt?” Georgie asked as she fastened her seatbelt.

  Fallon turned to Georgie and gave her a bored look. “You know my brother. He only considers me his sister when he’s failing his International Relations class and needs me to write his term papers.”

  Georgie met my gaze through the rearview mirror. “Wyatt is Fallon’s brother and a senior.”

  I nodded before turning my head to look outside as we drove away from campus. I pulled my phone out of my purse and quelled my disappointment when I noticed the only calls and texts I received were from my parents. I replied back that I was fine, my roommate was nice, and I’d call them both in a few days.

  The Alpha Gamma Rho house was minutes away from campus. I didn’t recognize the neighborhood and figured we were on the opposite side of town from my brother’s off-campus apartment. Although I had visited my brother frequently, I was only familiar with the Cook campus and a few landmarks near his place.

  I heard the fraternity house before I saw it. A deep bass thrummed from a two-story colonial in a heavy state of disrepair. The cement stairs were crumbling in several places and I could see roof shingles missing. One of the front windows had shattered and was boarded up. The only thing missing was a condemned sign hanging on the front door.

  “Our first frat party!” Georgie squealed and I couldn’t help but smile. Even if the party turned out to be a bust, I was still psyched over the possibility of making new friends.

  Fallon could only find parking down the block—making for a long trek back to the frat house. A car double-parked at the curb in front of the house and let out a group of people. Georgie, Fallon and I followed them through the front door.

  At the door, a fraternity brother was collecting ten dollars from the guys, but letting the girls in at no charge. He eyed us with interest, and Georgie smiled coyly in response. Once inside, I kept close to Georgie as I surveyed the party. I tried to rewind to the last party I’d attended, but I was drawing a blank. After my father’s downfall, I wasn’t invited to many high school parties. However, I assumed they were similar to the one before me: bodies crushed together in a cramped space, the smell of alcohol and smoke permeating the air.

  I looked to Georgie for guidance. I really hoped she didn’t plan to ditch me since I didn’t know anyone yet at the college. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but my hope was Autumn wouldn’t be caught dead at a frat party and I wouldn’t have the misfortune of running into her.

  There had been a short mixer earlier in the day with our dorm’s floormates. We met our resident advisor and did a few cornball icebreakers to get to know the other freshman on our floor. I peered around the party to see if I saw any familiar faces, but came up blank.

  “Let’s get a drink,” Georgie suggested. With a sly smile, she sashayed across the room. The house had an open floor plan with a connecting living room, dining room and kitchen. The layout was convenient since we were able to quickly locate the keg in the kitchen.

  A few guys had glanced our way as we pushed through the crowds. I felt on display—as if my naïve freshman status was tattooed on my forehead. Georgie took two plastic cups of beer being handed out at the keg and offered me one. I steadied my trembling hands as I took a large gulp. The beer was warm, but I wouldn’t mind a buzz to get over my nerves.

  I was definitely of the cheap date variety. I usually only took a couple of drinks to lose my inhibitions. I hadn’t attended many parties, but I’d been drinking with the “boyfriends” I had in high school. For our dates, they would steal bottles from their parent’s liquor cabinets and mix us up a few poorly made drinks. I guessed a lot of boys saw me as easy and thought I’d be spread eagle on their beds after plying me with a couple long island iced teas. When you had a dad like mine, the expectation was I shared the same sexual appetites.

  I wasn’t a virgin, but my sex life had been greatly exaggerated by the small-town gossips in Clark. I had lost my virginity at sixteen and had been with three other guys after him. I didn’t bother naming the guys in my head because they weren’t anyone special. I had sex because I wanted to—simple as that. I wasn’t looking for a relationship or to fall in love. I didn’t change my relationship status on Facebook the day after I slept with a guy. And I didn’t wait by the door for my flowers and candy delivery. Saying I was cynical was putting things mildly.

  I thought being the cool girlfriend would make guys stick around, but the relationships always fizzled out. According to the boys I’d been with, I was too cold and sarcastic. They wanted girls who would swoon in their presence and shower them with false flattery. Boys wanted warm and fuzzy. They wanted girls like Georgie Cartwright.

  “So what do you think so far?” Georgie lifted her cup and gestured around the house.

  I laughed. “It’s been a long day, but I’m glad you asked me to come here with you.”

  “My parents have had me collared all summer long. I couldn’t wait to move out. I get in one tiny car crash with my dad’s Porsche and they act like it’s the end of the world.” Georgie shook her head in disgust. She held up her cup in the air. “To a kick-ass year with a kick-ass roommate.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” a low and deep voice rumbled behind me. I turned around and got momentarily caught up in a gorgeous pair of chocolate-brown eyes. I zoomed out and took in the rest of the stranger’s features. The guy was an artist’s dream: a straight nose, defined jaw, angled cheekbones. His smile was bright and wide as he stared at me. While I remained speechless, he ran his hands through his thick black hair.

  “Christ, Wyatt, can you stop staring at my roommate like a huge freak?”

  His stare moved away from my face and he looked in Georgie’s direction. “It’s nice to see you too, Georgia.”

  Georgie jammed her thumb in the newcomer’s direction. “Delia, this is Fallon’s brother Wyatt. Wyatt, this is my roommate Delia.”

  Wyatt was a far cry from the high school boys I’d been reminiscing over. He was an inch or so above my height, a feat in itself since I towered over most of the boys in my graduating class. Although he was casually dressed in a loose t-shirt and jeans, I could still make out how well-defined his body was. I noted the hard planes of his chest and torso when he twisted to face me. He made a sympathetic face. “Just to let you know, they give you two weeks to put in a room change request.”

  Georgie gave him a whack on the arm. “You’re still the same jackass as always.”

  Wyatt wrapped his arm around Georgie’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. Georgie continued to glare at him. “You’re only mad because I wouldn’t hit that ass over Memorial Day weekend,” he said.

  “You wish,” Georgie snorted. “I have standards, you know.”

  “I’m messing with you, Georgia. Relax.” He made eye contact with me and opened his mouth to speak again when I heard his name shouted from behind. A guy from across the room was waving frantically, trying to get Wyatt’s attention. Wyatt frowned when he noticed the interloper. He said to me, “Stay right here. I’ll be back.”

  Before I could reply, he hustled over to where his friend was standing. I gave Georgie a questioning look. She sighed. “Sorry for the weirdness. Fallon and Wyatt are a couple of years older than me and since our parents became friends, they’ve both treated me like their annoying younger sister.”

  I purposely studied my fingernails. “Is there anything between you and Wyatt?”

  Georgie giggled in response. She covered her mouth with her hand to quiet her laughter. “No. I don’t look at him in that way.” Her look was shrewd. “Why? Are you interested?”

  “No,” I answered quickly. “We talked for like ten seconds. I was only wondering how you knew him.”

  “Sure you were.” Her words were dripping with sarcasm. “Hey, I don’t blame you. Wyatt’s hot and he knows it. Plus, he’s the son of a senator and an amazing soccer player. He’s earned the right to be a little arrogant.”

  I watched Wyatt out of the corner of my eye as he talked with his fri
end. Wyatt was the exact kind of guy I should set my sights on. He was handsome, athletic, and most importantly rich. His clothes were casual, but I was positive his designer t-shirt and jeans cost ten times more than my outfit from Forever 21. He seemed custom-designed by Cassie Bridges herself. A quality I had yet to decide was a good thing or not.

  Chapter Three

  Fifteen minutes later, Wyatt found Georgie and me aimlessly wandering from room to room. He led us away from the crowd to a quiet hallway around the corner from the keg. A meaningful look passed between Georgie and Wyatt and seconds later, Georgie left us alone in search of Fallon. I didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended Georgie was giving her friend the go-ahead to make a move on me.

  Wyatt didn’t say much at first, simply watching me over the rim of his plastic cup. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his face. I was searching for any small flaw to bring him back down to earth with the rest of us.

  After a long exhale, he asked, “What made you choose Cook?”

  “I hear the soccer team is amazing,” I said in a mock awestruck voice.

  Wyatt laughed. “So Georgia has been talking me up. I did slip her a fifty before when you weren’t looking.” His eyes shone with mischief. My heart picked up speed and I tried to stop myself from swallowing hard. He added, “I hope she’s told you all good things.”

  “Just the bare minimum. You’re a senior soccer player who goes after young and impressionable freshman girls.”

  “Sounds like a good assessment. Are you impressionable, Delia?”

  I shook my head. “Not in the least.”

  He moved in closer and lowered his voice. “Are you sure? Because I can be very persuasive.”

  My face hurt from smiling back at him. He was an obvious flirt, but I was enjoying the attention. He felt out of my league. The rich and handsome boys of Clark never gave me the time of day unless I was willing to keep things between us a secret. The golden boys didn’t want my family to tarnish their impeccable reputations. My family’s scandals were public, but I was certain the wealthy Clark families hid plenty of their own dirty secrets like the hypocrites I suspected they were.