Chapter 23: Sawyer

I’m not sure what’s going on but Bryn looks a little panicked and a lot worried. She seems to know what happened the night those photos were taken but she hasn’t explained anything yet and I can tell she won’t be able to. She’s still the same girl I used to know in so many ways. Like how she has this determined look on her face and hasn’t said a single words since we left the rink. She can’t right now. Her thoughts are racing and she’s replaying the whole situation in her mind like a repeating movie.

That’s how she used to describe it to me all the times I saw her do this. It was like her mind would zero in on something and nothing could break that concentration. I smile because she looks adorable like this. A feisty determined little bunny. That’s what she always reminded me of, a bunny huffing and stomping her foot with annoyance.

We reach the clinic and she throws her door open like a woman who means business and walks toward the front door without waiting for me. I quickly climb out of the death trap and take off after her nearly mowing down someone as they walk out. They start to go off on me but must recognize me because the start apologizing incessantly. I wave them off and keep my eyes fixed on Bryn. She at the reception desk speaking to the woman with her body tensed up and her cheeks pink with anger.

I finally get away from the person I ran into and step next to Bryn just as she starts to snap at the woman.

“This is too important to wait! He needs to be seen now before things get out of control!” She growl under her breath. “Unless you are okay with the schools biggest athletic investment is dragged through the mud and lose everything he’s worked for all because you want to be a pain in my ass?”

My eyes widen and I think my mouth drops open a little. Bryn never says words like ASS, she finds curse words to be pointless and unnecessary in conversation. She said if you feel passionate enough about something to use those words then there about a dozen things you could say instead. It was a ridiculous and wasted conversation between us but her face got red as she went on about it so I kept my mouth shut.

So for her to curse at this lady it must be really bad.

“I understand the urgency but I can’t make the doctor available simply because you ask. You need to wait until he’s finished with his patient.” The woman sounds like she’s trying to keep the situation calm but Bryn isn’t having it.

“Look!” I wrap my arm around Bryn’s waist and tune her away from the woman.

“Sorry she’s being a little dramatic. We’re good to wait.” I tell the woman with a quick smile and wink.

Meanwhile Bryn has pinched me on the arm a dozen times. I finally drag her to two of the chairs in the waiting room and force her to plop down next to me.

“What was that?” She hisses at me.

“You were making a scene and like the lady says, we can’t storm in and expect the doctor to see us instantly.”

She rolls her eyes and grumbles.

“Why are you freaking out like this?” I dare to ask.

She glares at me bur leans closer. “I heard that a few guys on the basketball team had failed their drug tests, but not for narcotics or anything like that. They were positive for Rohypnol. It was a low amount indicating they invested it within a day or two. They also said something similar to you and had photos with various girls sent to them. The other girls weren’t as bold as your little friend, and instead went directly for the guys themselves.”

What the fuck?

“You think someone slipped something into my drink? But how I’ve been spending basically every night with you.” What she’s saying can’t be right.

“I don’t think this was recent. Our campus isn’t the only one who’s been targeted. That picture…I recognize the room. It’s the same room in some of the other images that got spread around. It’s the same girl too!”

How does she know all this?

“Do you follow her on social media or something?” I ask because it doesn’t seem like her thing.

She scoffs in offense. “No! Someone else showed me. A lot of athletes were hit even community College teams. It was huge, but I hadn’t heard anything in a while. I didn’t know she went here.”

“But I haven’t been to any parties except that one where I got into the fight with that guy.” I remind her.

She shakes her head. “I don’t get it. Why would she post this one and only blackmail others? Are you sure you don’t know her?”

“No. Maybe its an old photo. I partied a lot at my old school.”

“If that’s true then any drugs probably won’t show up, but we should check to make sure. All athletes are required to take drug tests and we don’t want anything showing up on yours.” She says it with such determination that you would think it was her taking the test. “Nothing is going to mess this up for you.”

I smile at her and she rolls her eyes again. “You totally have a thing for me!” I tease.

She gives me a playful smile. “It’s purely physical.”

My hand goes to my chest like she’s fatally wounded me but we both laugh it off. Although her answer has me questioning things a little more than I would like to. It would be easy to ask her what it means now that she broke her no kiss rule. Does that mean she thinks we can be more than a regular hook-up. According to her Pretty Woman reasoning it does, but she hasn’t said anything since she kissed me this morning and ran out the door.

Aren’t girls the ones who like to define the relationship? Well, why isn’t she asking me to define us? My answer would be easy: You’re my girl and I will kill anyone that touches you.

See easy.

“Sawyer Becket?” I glance up at the sound of my name and see a young nurse standing in the doorway.

I stand and hold my hand up so she knows I’m here and her eyes widen slightly. Bryn stands as well and walks toward the door with me. It takes the nurse a second to notice her, but when she does her slightly shocked expression falls.

“Sorry you’ll have to wait out here.” She tells Bryn.

“Oh!” Bryn steps back but I grab her hand and thread our fingers together before turning to look back at the nurse.

“She’s my girlfriend. I want her with me.” I don’t bother looking at Bryn for confirmation because I can already imagine her face.

Big eyed shock and rosy pink cheeks. Classic flustered Bryn.

The nurse looks like she’s ready to refuse Bryn entry, but I throw her a wink and walk past her before she can stop us.

“Uh, the doctor will see you through here.” She says, passing us to lead the way.

“What was that?” Bryn hisses at me.

“What?” I play innocent.

“Your girlfriend!” She says that a little loud and the nurse looks at us over her shoulder with a confused look.

I don’t answer Bryn until we’re inside the exam room and the nurse has left us alone. I let go of Bryn’s hand and walk over to the window that looks out over the complex of buildings surrounding us. We’re in the medical building right now, and there are similarly large buildings set up for every possible subject available here. There’s a quiet moment where I try to ready myself for asking Bryn to be my girlfriend for real and where she’s probably confused as shit.

“Sawyer…” Her voice sounds tired and a little confused. “What was that? Why did you call me your girlfriend? And you’ve called me your girl more than once. Why do you keep doing that? People will talk and that could cause a lot more trouble later on when this thing between us ends.”

I turn to face her, and I see the slight hurt in her eyes. In her mind this is temporary but not in mine. I’m about to tell her that when the doctor walks in. He’s a middle-aged guy and has the whole professor look going for him.

“Take a seat.” He says without looking at us at all.

He walks over to the sink and washes his hands. “What brings you in today?”

“I was hoping you could do a drug test for him. There have been situations going on where some athletes have been put in compromising situations without any memories of it. Photos have been posted of him with a woman and he doesn’t remember being with her.” Bryn explains with a few more medical words thrown in.

I watch her explain everything and don’t bother stepping in. Her medical training is kicking in. I’m cool with it until I glance at the doctor and see him watching her too with a smile on his face.

“I see. Are you premed?” He asks Bryn and she shakes her head. “You should consider it.”

Did he forget I’m even here? Why is he smiling at her like that?