A Dangerous Secret

Chapter 3

My alarm went off at 7 am, waking me from a dream that involved Nic. I rolled over and turned the alarm off noticing that my best friend hadn't returned home from the party. Her bed was still made up from yesterday. I smiled and sat up in bed. I wanted so badly to tell her about my run in with Nic last night. Instead, I got out of bed. It was a little after 7 now on a Saturday. Most college kids head home on the weekends or sleep in. Not me.

I proceeded downstairs to make some coffee before my daily run. I always run in the morning before classes or especially on Saturdays. As the coffee was brewing, I proceeded to get dressed. I pulled my long hair back into a pony tail. Last night turned out to be an intresting night that's for sure.

The sorority house was mainly empty. Those who didn't go to the party went home for the weekend or slept over with the boyfriends or hookups after the party. There were only two other girls in the house as I finished getting ready. One of them was Ali.

"Mind if I join you on your run?"  Ali asked.

"Sure, I guess." I said taking a sip of my coffee.

"Fun party last night, huh?"  She said trying to make small talk.

"Yeah, I guess. I left early. Parties aren't really my thing when your ex is involved." I said.

"I think just about everyone heard what happened to Mike. He's such an ass. You can do so much better if you don't mind me saying."  Ali replied.

"He really did show himself last night, didn't he? That is one of the reasons we broke up among the many. He is was way too posessive and controlling.  I don't stand for that. I am not that kind of girl.  Not to mention the fact that he flirts with every girl when he thinks I am not looking or can hear him. He only kept me around because his parents adored me."

"That must have been tough." Ali responded.

"I liked his parents and I liked dating Mike for the first 4 months we were together but that's when it all started to change. I just saw him for the real him. Those 4 months was a lie. He never loved me and I fell hard." I sighed. "But that's life I suppose."

We finished our coffee and headed out for our morning run. I decided I wanted to run down the street and on some side streets that led near the campus. Ali was up for it.

As we ran by the Delta Sigma Phi house, Nic was out on the front porch. It looked like he had a book in his hand. He was up early. Ali waved to him as we passed by.

"So, what's the story on that Nic guy?"  I asked.

"Story? I don't know what you mean?"  Ali asked.

"Come on. I saw you two together last night. You two looked pretty cozy." I asked pressing for information. Nic had piqued my curiousity.

"Cozy?"  She laughed.  "We are just friends. He is a nice guy but I don't have time for a relationship. Why do you ask?" 

"Oh, I don't know. The guy is quiet. He sits in most of my classes and never says a word. Then, last night he saves me from Mike and offers to walk me home. But then he hardly even speaks to me. I saw him talking to you and just assumed..."I trailed.

"You know what they say when you assume something?"  Ali asked.

"I know, I know. It makes an ass out of you and me." We laughed.

"From what I know he is fluent in French and transferred from some college in New York I think. That's it. Oh and he is 22." She said.

"You got all that out of him?"  I asked shocked.

"You just have to know how to talk to people."  She smiled.

We ran for about an hour. As we passed back by Nic's house, he was gone. I don't know why I kept thinking about him. My thoughts about him ended when we arrived back at our house and Maya was home. She was hungover, but home.

"Well, it's about time."  I said plopping down on my bed.

"Shh. My head hurts. What was I thinking?" Maya said.

"You were thinking of Terrance."  I said laughing.

"Yeah, what happened to my best friend stopping me from drinking last night?"  She said placing a pillow over her head.

"Again, thinking of Terrance. You shooed me away last night but you probably don't remember that." I said throwing my pillow at her.

"Boys. Alcohol. No more."  She said.

"So I take it that you sleeping over at the frat house meant that  you and Terrance are..? I trailed.

"There is no me and Terrance. He ran off with some cheerleader. I passed out and woke up in Nic's room an hour ago."  Maya replied.

"Nic's room?"  I asked shocked.  "Did he...?"  I didn't get out.

"Nothing happened. Or at least I don't think it did. He assured me nothing happened. He found me on the couch in the living room and says he carried me upstairs so no one would hurt me. Nic slept on the floor. Pretty Chivalrous of him."  Maya said.

"Indeed." Well, I have news about him myself."  I said. "I tried to tell you last night but you know, there was Terrance."  I laughed.

"Shut it!"  Maya said throwing the pillow back at me. "Spill."  She said sitting up in her bed.

"Oh, now you want to hear me out."  I laughed.

I told her everything I had learned. She sat in silence for a minute. I was wondering what she was thinking about the situation.

"If I didn't know any better, I think that you are starting to like Nic." Maya said.

"What? No way!  Besides, I just got out of a bad relationship."  I said shocked she would mention something like this.

"I don't know but we'll see.  I haven't heard you talk about a boy like this since when you first started dating Mike." Maya replied.

"Whatever."  I rolled my eyes. It was true though in the fact that Nic was all I could think about today. I have to shake this feeling but can I?