Page 69 of Broken Butterfly
“Enough about me. What’s been going on with you? How’s Trevor?” There’s a knock at the door and then it opens.
“Speaking of Trevor.”
“Heard my wildcat is back.”
“Trevor!” I squeal and jump into his hug. He squeezes me tight and lifts me up. “How did you know I was here?”
“I texted him,” Meredith says.
“Heard my brother kidnapped you.”
“Other way around. I kidnapped Fallon. Do I need to apologize to you too?”
“For what? Taking a trip?” He sets me back down and grabs the beer Meredith holds out to him. She’s younger than I am. How does she have a secret stash of booze in her dorm room?
“That trip pissed a lot of people off.”
“Well, that’s just stupid as fuck,” he says.
“I hurt a lot of people with my sudden disappearance, but I appreciate your comment.”
He tilts his head to the side taking me in, and it reminds me so much of Fallon that I can’t help but smile. “I like your hair,” he says in amusement.
“I did it,” Meredith chirps happily.
I sit back down on Meredith’s bed and Trevor takes the spot next to me. Meredith sits in her desk chair.
“Look what Elizabeth gave me.” She shows off her charm bracelet to him.
“I have something for you too,” I tell him, “but I wasn’t expecting to see you today. I’ll bring it to class tomorrow.”
“Tell him about Iceland. Actually, tell him everything. I want to hear it again.”
“A lot of it involves Fallon,” I tell Trevor.
“Yeah. Lay it on me.”
And I do. In the middle of my retelling, Meredith’s roommate, Sara, joins us. She was going to do my Halloween makeup before I left with Fallon. I apologize profusely to her for bailing at the last minute, but she waves me off like it’s no big deal. The four of us sit and chat for a while, catching up on things. As I get to know Sara better, Meredith goes through another wine cooler or three. Sara’s from Iowa and is an art history major. We’re laughing hysterically at a cow-tipping story from her high school days, when my phone pings as a text comes in.
MyBoyfriend: Hey, babe. When u coming home?
I changed Ryder’s tag from Hellcat to MyBoyfriend yesterday. Fallon gave me back my phone the morning after Ryder arrived in Venice. I’ve been overly protective of it ever since.
Me: Didn’t realize the time. Have been here with Meredith, Trevor, and Sara. Leaving soon. Want me to pick up anything?
MyBoyfriend: Made dinner. Just waiting for u.
That wonderful man. I decide that he’ll get treated to a blowjob in the shower when I get home. Dinner can wait.
Me: Give me 15. Put food on to warm. U get dessert first.
MyBoyfriend: Dammit Elizabeth. You can’t say stuff like that to me when ur not here for me to get my hands on u. Hurry home.
I hit video call. Ryder’s handsome, unshaven face pops on screen. I don’t think I’ll ever want him to grow a full beard, but the stubble I like very much. I have stubble scratches between my legs and all over my torso from last night.
“Hey, baby!”
“Now you’re just being a tease. I said I wanted to get my hands on you, not look at you on a video screen.”
