Misjudged (8 page)

***

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, but I still noticed the looks that were being thrown my way during my afternoon class. A couple of the girls sitting behind me actually commented about the fact I’d punched Matt, and they told me he’d had it coming for a while. It’s good to know that not everybody was laughing at my expense.

It’s a little after seven when I
hear my cell phone buzzing beside me on my bed. At the same time, there’s a knock on my door, so without checking my cell, I clamber off of my bed and go to see who it is.

“Can I come in for a second?” It’s Neil. This is the first time I’ve seen him since the early hours of the morning, and I’m relieved that both his
tone and face seem a lot calmer now.

I
open the door wider so he can get by me, and as I close it, I see him sitting down on the edge of my bed.

“I heard about what happened during lunc
h today,” he gives me a sympathetic smile as I go and sit beside him. “I also heard Matt has a pretty nasty black eye already.” His smile turns into one of amusement as he chuckles softly, before he places his arm around my shoulder.

“You looked pretty pissed last night,” I
say while studying his face, and I see him nodding a couple of times in response. “If you’ve come to warn me away from Brandon, then there’s really no need.”

He tilts his head back
, and looks up to the ceiling as he lets out a breath, “That’s why you were asking me about him yesterday.” He looks at me with a small flash of bleakness in his eyes. “I didn’t come in here to lecture you, Alex. I came in here to thank you.”

“Thank me?” Well, I wasn’t expecting him to say that. “What are you thanking me for?” I’m confused.

“When you told me you saw Brandon acting suspiciously, I went over to speak with him so I could find out what he was doing,” he squeezes my shoulder gently before continuing to explain. “Alex. Brandon chose to study here so he can keep a safe enough distance away from Olympia, but still be close enough so that he can find out who did it.”

I
turn my body around so I’m fully facing him, and can feel my eyebrows furrowing with confusion. “Who did what?”

Oh
please, Neil, just cut to the chase because I don’t think I can handle being any more confused than I already am.

“Brandon admitted that if you hadn’t
have told me what you saw yesterday, then he wouldn’t have gotten Ryan or I involved, but because you did tell us, we can try and help him,” he’s smiling now, but I still have no idea what he’s talking about. “Brandon is trying to find out who set him up.”

“Someone set him up?” Okay, well I wasn’t expecting him to say
that.

“Alex, he’s
has never taken drugs in his life, let alone dealt them. Whoever did it was close to being caught, so they used him as a scapegoat because he was there when … he was one of the people there.” I can hear the emotion in his voice and see the glazed look in his eyes as he tries to explain.

“Neil, I’m
really not following…”

He holds
his head in his hands, and takes a couple of deep breaths as though he’s trying to control his emotions.

“Alex, someone died from an overdose eighteen months ago. Whoever supplied the drugs, planted the heroin at Brandon’s
place. It was confirmed to have been from the same batch. The cops knew Brandon was there the night it happened because he’d already given his witness statement. When they got tipped off and found the heroine, they took him in.”

Oh my God.
I’m shaking and feel sick to my stomach from this revelation. No wonder he isn’t the same person they knew back in high school.

“How
…? I mean, was he … was he charged with manslaughter as well as dealing?” I can’t get my words out. He was wrongly accused of dealing drugs and taking someone’s life?

“They couldn’t get him
on the manslaughter. They tried, they really tried, but they didn’t have enough evidence,” the seriousness in his voice is clear. “Listen, it’s best you don’t mention this to anybody because if anyone related to this finds out that he’s trying to prove his innocence, it’ll be game over.”

“You said you and Ryan are going
to help him. How are you going to do—?” Neil knows what I’m about to ask, so he starts to answer my question before I even have the chance to finish it.

“If Brandon gets seen by the wrong people in Olympia
, and they suspect he’s snooping around for information, well, God only knows what will happen. Ryan and I are going to go to Olympia if we need to get anything for him, in order to try and help clear his name.”

I’m worried now. If I hadn’t told Neil about what I’d seen, then he and Ryan wouldn’t have to be involved in something
unsafe. I think I want to throw up. “Is it really that dangerous?” He and I can both sense the concern in my voice, and his face turns grim.

“Alex, whoever did this
let an innocent guy go down for something he didn’t do. They went to extreme levels to keep their identity under wraps,” he looks angry, and I can completely understand why. “Just do me one small favor.”

“Anything,” I answer, alt
hough I have no idea what he wants me to do.

“Maybe
try and be friends with Brandon,” he has a look of remorse washing over him as he speaks the words, “but it’ll only end in heartache if you take things any further with him. I can guarantee it.”

“I know,” I say
, and my voice is laced with sadness. He gives me a small smile, before pulling me off of my bed and hugging me tightly. “Thanks for explaining, Neil,” I tell him as he moves back away.

“I
just want you to be happy, Alex,” he kisses me lightly on the cheek as he brushes past me. “I’m gonna head out.” He tells me, and I watch as he walks back out of my room.

Climbing back onto my bed, I try to think about everything Neil just told me. I can’t even begin to imagine the hell Brandon has been through over the past year or two. To have been accused of doing something like this, and at such a young age, it's no
wonder he seems so closed off. I’m beginning to think that he was telling the truth last night by the lake. Maybe that’s what he meant when he said he couldn’t have me, because he’s not planning to stay around for long. Either way, it still doesn’t excuse that he slept in another girl’s bed last night.

Ne
il and Ryan are both right. I shouldn’t get involved with him. I think it would be for the best to keep things how they are now, and stay away from him. I’m not going to change my mind just because he has had a rough ride. He scared the shit out of me yesterday, he admitted he felt something, and then he fell into bed with someone else.

I
hear my cell springing to life and remember it sounded out just as Neil came in to talk to me. I grab it from my blanket and open up the main screen.

Did U mean it? U wish U never met me? B.

Does he really want me to answer that question? Yes, I meant it. I wish I hadn’t met him because then at least I’d be concentrating on my classes, rather than having all of my thoughts consumed by him. No, I didn’t mean it. I’ve never felt so drawn to a guy before, but it just so happens he’s an asshole.

I
throw myself back on my bed and groan with frustration. Yes, it sounds like he has had a rough ride, but then it doesn’t give him an excuse to keep blowing hot and cold with me.

After a few minutes of trying to
clear my mind, there’s another knock on my bedroom door. “Come in,” I call while sitting myself up, but I immediately regret not checking to see who it was first.

“Hey,” h
e looks exhausted. “You didn’t reply, and I’m going out of my mind here, Alexis.” Brandon stands in the doorway and looks totally defeated.

“I told yo
u to stay away from me, Brandon,” I look away as I answer him. “I’m done with playing games.”

He steps inside before closing the door behind him. “Alexis, I’m no
t trying to play games with you,” he leans against the back of the door and closes his eyes, with his features looking pained. “Why did you say those things earlier?”

“Why did you lie to me?” I
counter him. He never answers any of my questions, so I refuse to answer any of his.

“You mean when I told you I didn’t feel anything?”
He asks as frown lines appear on his face. He looks confused by my question before hesitantly steps closer to me.

“No.
I mean when you told me you did feel something,” my voice is steady, which I’m grateful for, because I’m feeling anything but stable right now. “I thought that—”

“Alexis… I need to be st
raight with you about something,” he cautiously takes a seat on the edge of my bed, and most certainly looks guilt ridden about something. “Will you let me explain?”

“How about you explain why you went crazy at the bar with Matt, supposedly when it was something to do with me, and then end up in bed with someone e
lse after telling me you felt the same things that I did?”

“Alexis, I haven’t been able
to even look at another woman since Friday, never mind touch one!” He lets out a deep breath while lowering his gaze.

“So, I didn’t hear a woman asking if you were r
eady to go to bed last night, and I didn’t see the blonde you followed out the back of the bar the other night? I didn’t see any of those things?”

“Wow,” h
e scratches his temple with his thumb while bringing his eyes back onto me. “You really have a lot going on in your head right now, don’t you?” He looks perplexed as he asks.

“Brandon, I’m not some
naïve little girl! I realize I don’t have nearly as much experience as you so obviously do, but I’ll tell you this now. I will never fall for your bullshit again!”

“I used
you Alexis, I did. I admit that,” he looks saddened and his voice is barely a whisper. “But I never once thought I’d feel the things I did when we kissed, or when I touched you. Hell, I never thought I’d ever feel those things again!”

I
think I’ve heard just about enough from him, “How did you use me? You wouldn’t even let me touch you!” I am feeling exasperated and can’t even think straight.

“It’s not all about sex or who gets off first, Alexis.” He lets out a sigh and
places his head into his hands. “You made me feel normal again.”

I stand
, and begin to pace the length of my bedroom floor as I try to make sense of what he’s saying. He used me, it’s not all about sex, and I made him feel normal again?

When I walk past him, I
feel his hands lightly grip my waist. He’s still sitting on my bed, and turns me around before pulling me forward, so I’m standing in front of him. He slowly stands and I feel his body brushing against mine. His breath breezes over my face, which in turn, sends warm shivers through me from the contact.

“I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m lying. Sex means a lot to you, I get that. That’s why you haven’t allowed anyone to touch you, apart from me. Am I right?” His eyes are boring into mine, and I’m shocked
at how personal this conversation has become.

“That’s
really none of your business!” I raise my voice at him. Who the hell does this guy think he is?

“I’m right,” h
e strokes his fingers over my cheeks, and stares right into my eyes as he speaks in a low whisper. I let out a breath and nod my answer.

“The woman you heard me with last night, she’s been there for me through everything. We’ve both lost someone
special and helped each other through our darkest hours.” His voice is filled with anguish, and his eyes are beginning to glaze over. “The blonde at the bar is my boss’s daughter. She wanted to finalize some details with me about becoming the events manager.”

I
break our eye contact and realize that I may have,
may have,
been mistaken. He looks like he’s telling the truth.

“You don’t believe me,” h
e nods his head once, and looks full of regret while letting out a sigh, before dropping his hands from my waist.

He steps to the side
, and rakes both hands through his hair while regarding me warily. His eyes are filling with anxiety as he keeps them directed on me.

“When we kissed, Alexis, to me, it was like someone had just ignited a firework inside of me, and it was racing through my body a
t a hundred miles an hour,” he steps closer, so that his eyes are boring right in to mine. “It was like a deep fire running through my veins, and I didn’t think I would ever want the burning to stop.” His voice turns into a soft whisper as he traces his fingertips along my lips.

I close my eyes
and my breathing becomes light from his touch. “You did feel it,” I whisper and slowly open my eyes. He must have, because they are the exact same things that I felt. He looks impassive as I lean forward, and when I notice him tense, I see his eyes becoming empty. “But you don’t—“