Page 52 of SnowBound

I leaned away and dragged a hand over my face. This was such a bad idea. Whenever Joe got involved in my love life, it always backfired.

“Hurry up. The clock is ticking.” He smirked, and I knew he wouldn’t let go until I agreed.

“Fine. Gimme fifteen minutes, I need to shower.”

He pumped his fist and let out a loud cheer. “My man is back.”

I shook my head. “Whatever.” I locked myself in the bathroom and shut down all the voices in my head nagging me to continue searching the internet and social media feeds in case I caught sight of Abby.

Joe’s words rang true, though. I had become a pathetic version of myself this semester. It was about time I shook myself out of this state and got on with my life. Or else, I’d be miserable for the rest of the time.

* * *

Joe, a bunch of guys from our vocal training class, and I walked into the party at Delta, Phi, Epsilon. A small, two-story white cottage with royal-blue shutters near campus.

Loud music blasted through the speakers and deafened me as soon as we entered the place. At full capacity, there were half-dressed bodies showing curves and cleavages everywhere. Some girls were busy mixing drinks in the kitchen while two guys fixed a keg by the side door. The overpowering scent of sweat and a mix of aftershaves and perfumes made me dizzy. A girl I recognized as Camille, Bethany’s roommate, brought me and the guys beer cans. She folded her now empty arms under her chest, pushing her tits up on purpose. “Oh wow, Anderson Ford has decided to join us. I thought you were dead. No one has seen you in months.” She batted her eyelashes at me. When I didn’t give her pushed-up chest any attention, she anchored herself to my arm, pressing her soft breasts into my side. “We missed you. I missed you.”

From beside me, Joe cleared his throat, and I threw daggers at him when our eyes connected. He elbowed me in the ribs and said under his breath, “You deserve this, man. Some harmless fun. And a blowjob. Live it up.” He turned and followed a girl with a pink pixie cut, who beckoned him with a finger.

“Really, man?”

He watched me over his shoulder and shrugged. Best therapy to get you back in the game, he mouthed, unable to tame his shit-eating grin.

I returned my attention to the girl, still attached to my arm. “Is Beth here tonight?” Camille was too clingy, and I had no intention of ever pursuing anything with her.

Her lips transformed into a pout. “Why? You don’t wanna spend time with me?”

“Maybe later.” Later meant never. I wasn’t the kind of guy who pushed people away without a second thought. And the last thing I wished for was hurting her feelings. While Camille was clingy, whiny, and always on the lookout for a good time, Bethany was more level-headed, introvert, and focused. She was studying ballet and just like me, wasn’t sleeping around for the sake of it. Last fall, at the beginning of the semester, we went on a few dates that never led anywhere since she was still hurting from when her cheating ex had done a number on her. One night in December, she knocked on my apartment door and told me she was ready to commit to a relationship if that was what I wished for too. We talked a few times and made plans to go out, back in January, once we both returned to class. Following my airport fling, not in the mood the spend time with another girl, I never returned her multiple calls when classes resumed mid-January. After a while, she stopped trying to reach me, and I stopped feeling guilty about ignoring her.

Bethany had always been honest with me, and she deserved some explanation as to why I ghosted her all semester.

Camille’s face fell. “She’s on the back deck. Not sure she wants to see you, though. You flushed her from your life without an explanation. She’s mad at you, Andy. You’ve been warned.”

I yanked away from her grip and shoved my hands in my pockets. “Well, I’ll deal with it. Thanks, Cam.” I finished my beer and dropped the empty can in the recycle bin, looking for the girl I had to apologize to. Even though I told Joe earlier I wasn’t interested in rekindling anything with Beth, now that I was here, the idea didn’t repulse me as much. I was tired of chasing a ghost. And maybe I really had to dust myself up and move on.

With her long chestnut hair braided in some sophisticated do and deep brown eyes, Bethany was there when I reached the back deck, chatting with a group of people, holding a red cup in one hand.

With determined steps, I neared her. A girl standing next to her nudged her side when she saw me closing in on them.

“Hey Beth,” I said when her eyes met mine. “Can we talk?” I balanced on my heels, my hands deep in my pockets.

She looked away, ignoring me. Seconds later, her stance relaxed, and she angled herself to face me. “What do you want, Anderson? Until now, I thought you were dead.”

I offered her a half-shrug. “To talk to you.”

“Not interested.”

“Please. There are things I need to tell you.”

She huffed and nodded. “Fine. You have five minutes.” She turned to her friend. “I’ll be right back.”

We weaved through the group of drunk classmates, looking for an empty corner where we could talk privately, and ended up in the laundry room. This would do.

Bethany crossed her arms over her chest, her posture strained. “Talk. You have four minutes left.”

“Long story short. I met someone on the first day of my winter break. There was a storm, and we got snowbound at the airport for a night. We didn’t exchange contact information. I’ve been trying to find her for weeks now. Without success. I didn’t wanna ghost you. You did nothing wrong. It’s all on me. I’m done chasing someone I can’t find. Here, this is the whole truth. It wasn’t a you but a me thing.”

Her brown eyes widened. “Not you but me. Wow. Classic excuse.” She snorted and glanced at me with an unimpressed glare. “Couldn’t you come up with something more original?”