Page 45 of Shattered Saint
Bianca and I watched as Nash escorted Raven back into the room. She pushed his arm out of the way before she took her seat.
Nash, Bianca, and I started talking about school, while Raven remained quiet. Bianca must have noticed it too, because she brought up the danger that surrounded Raven and then asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Raven shook her head and then said, “Could you take me back to campus?”
Bianca tilted her head, and out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Nash shifted in his seat. He didn’t seem comfortable with this idea, and I found that interesting.
“If there’s someone trying to kidnap you, it would make more sense for you to stay somewhere where no one would expect to find you,” Bianca replied.
“I don’t feel comfortable being here,” Raven tossed back, and that made me slightly worried.
“It would be no issue to take you back on my end,” I chimed in.
“Raven will be safer here, and I don’t want to put anyone on campus at risk if the kidnapper comes back and tries to finish what he started. We wouldn’t want any of her roommates getting hurt because we acted too hastily. We’ve both been excused from campus for the time being, so I think it’s wise if we stay here.”
Raven turned her head and looked at Nash, and the two stared at one another.
When Bianca and I finished eating, I said, “We should head back. Some of us are playing football tomorrow and should rest up.”
Nash shook his head and said, “Fine. Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll grab them after I walk you two to the door.”
Everyone but Raven stood up and started moving toward the door. It took a few seconds, but then she stood up too.
Bianca turned to Raven and said, “If you need anything, either one of you can text me, and I’ll try my best to help. I have no issue driving out here to do it.”
I coughed before I said, “Same here, but I’d prefer if it was without you though.”
“Enough,” Nash said, ending my argument with Bianca before it could really begin. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, but we’ll keep you updated.”
18
BIANCA
Itugged on the hem of my burgundy dress as I scanned the room around me. Eta Sigma Nu’s house was abuzz with activity as we tried to be gracious hosts for the women we were meeting today. I was trying to treat today like one of the events I attended with my parents and put my best foot forward. White string lights twinkled in several of the rooms, casting a warm glow and creating a welcoming atmosphere. The sweet aroma of the desserts we’d had catered filled the air, along with the sounds of people laughing and talking.
Jitters always accompanied the tirelessness that came with putting an event like this together. These types of events were an interview of sorts. Our guests were interested in learning more about sorority life and whether this was something they would be interested in, while we were interviewing them to see if they would be a good fit for our organization.
Being on the other side of the interviewing process now should have meant I wasn’t as nervous, but something within me wouldn’t let me relax. It was obvious that my nerves hated me.
"Hey, Bianca," a cheerful voice called out from behind me. I turned to find Emma, one of my sorority sisters, walking toward me with a smile that could light up a room. "Everything looks amazing! You've outdone yourself this time."
It wasn’t a hardship for a smile to appear on my face about that. I’d volunteered to be the point person for this event because our sorority sister who had originally been in charge had a family emergency and needed to go back home. "Thanks, Emma. I hope everything goes smoothly tonight."
Emma placed a hand on my bare shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine. You've worked so hard, and it shows. Everyone is really excited to be here. Now, go and enjoy yourself!"
With a deep breath and Emma’s words in the back of my mind, I did my best to keep my nerves at bay and tried to enjoy the festive atmosphere I’d worked hard to create. I took inspiration from my parents as I mingled with my sisters and guests, making sure to treat everyone that I came into contact with as if they were the only person here. I asked about what people were studying and what hobbies they had and repeated what they said further into the conversation to show I was interested in what they were saying. But even with the information I was gathering about the women here, I was still distracted.
Beneath the polite mask that was in place, my thoughts were anything but pleasant. Easton's piercing green eyes and teasing smirk kept flashing in my mind as I thought about how I was supposed to give him an answer today.
By the end of the event, I had identified five women who I thought would be a great fit for Eta Sigma Nu. It was a great feeling to connect with potential and new members because, in a way, we were cementing Eta Sigma Nu’s legacy and future on campus.
Temporarily, I could ignore the other problems in my life and think about the good I was doing here. But I also couldn’t wait for this to be over because I wanted some time to myself.
As I was walking back into the kitchen, Emma walked in behind me and said, “I just got a text about a party that is going on tonight. We were going to wear some wigs as a way to mix things up a bit. Would you like to come with?”
I was intrigued, and it would be a way to celebrate what looked to be a huge win with this event. “I’m down.” It didn’t take much to convince me.
“Excellent. We have a few hours, so we can meet at my place and then head on over?”
