Depths of a River

Chapter 11- The Message

"Goodnight, Adelynn." He said to me and before he could say anything else I hugged him.

I surprised myself. I took off his hoodie from my shoulders to give it back to him.

"No, keep it. I will get it from you the next time I see you." He said to me.

Such a cliché, I thought, but I liked the idea of it. He hung the hoodie around my shoulders again and hugged me.

"You are giving the hug back?" I asked him he laughed loudly at me.

"Sleep well." he said before he walked back to his car and got inside.

I walked up to my front door and unlocked it. I closed the door behind me and ran to the window to watch him drive away. Mr. Rodriquez Valdez...

I woke up on a very sunny Saturday morning. This was the first morning in a long time that I could wear summer clothes.

I put on shorts and a tank top and went to my backyard. I lied down on the lounging sofa in my backyard. I stared at the grass. It was so green. My cats played in the back yard catching insects flying around the lawn. I picked up my book, holding it above my face to block the sun and started reading a new chapter. My phone vibrated next to my leg on the couch. It was Galilani.

"I need to talk to you." Her message read.

"I'm at home, come over." I replied her message.

"I'm already outside your door." She sent back.

I got up quickly and ran to the front door. I opened the door and she walked inside.

"I'm sitting in the backyard. It's so sunny outside." I said after I had hugged her.

"I'll pour us some wine." Galilani said then walked to the kitchen and opened the wine cabinet as if she lived here.

"I'll meet you outside." She said as she poured the wine in two glasses.

I had walked outside and sat on the sofa where I did before she came over. She came outside and handed me one of the glasses. She sat down on the chair with the other glass in her hand. It was ten in the morning and Galilani drank alcohol, something must have been up.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her.

"No, actually not." She said looking down at her glass.

I looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"What happened last night?" She asked me looking into my eyes.

"Why? Who said what?" I asked her sounding surprised.

"Just tell me your story, Addie." She said sounding concerned.

"We the truth is... Duke isn't my type of guy. I think he has some serious control issues or could be over jealous. I don't know him well enough to judge but, he got a bit physical with me last night." I said looking away from Galilani.

I felt guilty for not telling her but it only happened yesterday.

"And then? Why didn't you call me? Did he try anything with you? I swear..." Galilani said before I interrupted her.

"Nothing happened after. You remember the guy I met at the hotel, Rodrique. He walked in on Duke getting angry at me. He stopped him and asked him to leave. Duke wanted to get physical with him as well, but left before they could." I said to her.

"Why did he do that to you? She asked me.

"It was apparently because Jason came to hug me, he said that if I was with him, I don't make a fool out of him while flirting with other guys." I explained to her.

"I have to tell you this. Clayton said that they had a messaging group with all the guys from the football team. Duke and Clayton were active on this group, along with fifteen other guys." She said to me.

"I'm listening, what does this have to do with last night?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, Duke posted this, after last night." Galilani said while holding her phone out to me.

It was a message from Clayton. It read: "You have to see this. I had nothing to do with this but I don't think this is true." Attached was a screenshot from the Group, 'Fielders'. The message at the top was from Duke. It read: "Guys, be aware. This girl isn't so innocent. She asked me to hook up with her again; after I found out she has a boyfriend, two as matter of fact. I declined her offer because I already did hook up with her. Once was enough, Thank you. She has no shame!" Underneath the message was a photo of my Facebook profile picture.

I felt a shiver down my spine, and I broke out a sweat.

"That ignorant, lying pig!" I said at Galilani's phone.

"I swear nothing happened! But as a matter of fact, while we are talking about the pig, he tried to get into my pants the night we met. He wasn't very happy when I declined him." I said, really angry.

"I believe you. Clayton even believes you, and Duke is his friend. We just have to get him to tell the truth." Galilani said looking straight into my eyes.

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