But, John graduated after my sophomore year and I felt lost without him. I was never a big partier; I kind of just followed the crowd, always trying to find my own footing.

  Now my world was even foggier after the weekend. I'd always thought Rico was a dick, but seeing the way he treated Betsy, just proved it. Yeah, he was one of my brothers and she wasn't a stranger around different guy's bedrooms, but that didn't mean he had to talk to her like that.

  And yet, she didn't even bat an eye. It was as if she enjoyed being treated like shit. I didn't get that with girls. They always seemed to like the assholes and nice guys finished last.

  I had to be back to the house right after classes, since the pledges were going to be in. The rumors, of course, were that we hazed the shit out of them, but it was nothing of the sort. Mainly, it was a lot of hanging out and 'bro time'. But I didn't want to be very brotherly when half the guys were straight-up assholes and I had another two months to live in the same house with them before graduation.

  "Hey, Short Stack, wait up." I barely heard Cali, but I learned to keep my music low enough that I could hear what was around me, yet high enough so that no one gave me shit if I just wanted to blend into the crowd and listen to music.

  I pulled my ear buds out as he caught up to me and matched my pace. "You heading back to the house?"

  I shrugged. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

  "Look, I know some shit went down with you and Rico at the party on Saturday and I just don't want there to be any hard feelings."

  I turned to fully face him, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me right now?"

  Cali had the full-blown California look and attitude of his namesake, even though the tanned blonde had never set foot outside of Illinois. "What? I've just noticed some tension between the two of you and I wanted to make sure everything was cool."

  "He was about to have sex with a girl that could barely stand on her own. The next day she came crawling back to him so he gave me a smug attitude. How the hell am I supposed to take it?"

  Cali blew out a deep breath of air. "Look, I know Rico can be a dick ninety-nine percent of the time. I still remember him as the cocky ass freshman who was my roommate in the dorms. I couldn't stand the guy, but he was the reason I rushed Alpha Mu and the reason I'm standing here, talking to you. He's really not all that bad if you just try to get past all the abrasiveness."

  He punched my shoulder. "And I know you kind of have a thing for Betsy, so you can't hold it against him if she wants him."

  I scoffed. "I don't have a thing for Betsy. I mean sure she's hot and all, but, no I don't have a thing for her."

  That was a lie and I was a horrible liar. I had been staring at Betsy Darling since the moment I moved into my freshman dorm. She lived on the same co-ed floor as me. I still remember the pink tank-top and short shorts she wore during move in and how her body wash always smelled fruity when we were next to each other in the showers. She hugged me and gave me the chastest kiss when she found out I got a bid to Alpha Mu, but that was as far as our relationship got.

  I moved into the house by second semester and she practically did as well, floating around and hanging out with different guys. I always wanted her to end up in my room, even if it was just to play Grand Theft Auto, but again...nice guys finished last.

  "Look, can you just keep cool about it, at least until after initiation? I think some of the pledges have caught a bad vibe between the two of you and I don't want it to scare them off."

  I just stared at him. Cali never wanted to make waves and wanted everyone to all hold hands and sing brotherly love songs, but that wasn't the reality of the situation. Rico was a dick and there was no changing that. Betsy probably wouldn't stop hanging around him, even if he treated her like shit. So, I guess I just had to get over it and move on.

  I forced a smile. "Sure, Cali. Anything for you bro."

  He grinned. "That's what I like to hear."

  Chapter 4

  The day had finally come for initiation and the biggest party of the year for the new members, as well as the guys that would be leaving.

  John Boy never came around to parties since he graduated and practically married his girlfriend right out of college, but he made an exception for me.

  "Fucking Short Stack!" He dropped his duffle bag in the middle of the Common Room and took me in a bear hug. The guy was massive, more like a pro wrestler than a guy who worked doing computer programming at an insurance company a few towns over.

  "John Boy. The man. The myth. The legend!" I patted his back as he let go of me.

  "Yeah, yeah. All in a day's work."

  "Did Melanie make the trip?" I asked.

  I always liked her. She wasn't like the other girls that came around the house. She was sweet, had curlier hair than I did that was always crazy. She also kept John in check, which no other girl ever could.

  He shook his head. "Naw. She stayed home. Her sister is about to pop out another kid and she would rather be up visiting her in Chicago, than crashing on your futon with me."

  "Well, it's technically your futon that you gave me when you graduated."

  He laughed, slapping me on the back. I had to suck in a breath so I didn't wince. "Yeah, Short Stack, you know that became yours the moment you fucked Missy on it when you were pledging."

  Now I really did wince and didn't want to remember the unceremonious way I lost my virginity, to a girl that I think really was looking to hook up with John. Instead, she ended up with the scared virgin, who threw up on her supposedly really expensive shoes right after.

  "I'm just giving you shit, lighten up," John said, patting my back again.

  "I am. Sorry. Been a rough week."

  "Yeah, is everything okay?"

  "Nothing. Just the usual."

  "Okay, man. You know I'm here for you if you need anything."

  John could say that all he wanted, but he wasn't around. Everyone had their own life to deal with and I couldn't expect him to be my personal counselor, especially when it came to girls.

  "So, are you actually going to hang out with me this weekend or will I find you out in the backyard, looking at the stars or some shit?"

  I shook my head but couldn't help but smile. I did tend to look up in the sky and go into my own world a lot. I don't know why I did it. Maybe some psychiatrist years from now would tell me that I was repressing some childhood pain of being the youngest of a bunch of boys and having a crazy Colombian mother that liked to yell at us all in Spanish, but all I could really think was, that I really liked looking at the stars. I liked knowing there was a hell of a lot more out there than what was right in front of me.

  I smiled. "Maybe you'll find me around."

  ***

  After the initiation, it was time for the party. The new members picked the usual Heaven and Hell theme. I hated the theme the most out of all of them, but I think the guys just enjoyed seeing girls dressed in skimpy white dresses and angel wings.

  I was sitting outside, as usual, watching the back door so no randoms tried to sneak in. We had a pretty strict policy about letting people in. Everyone had to come through the front door and show their student IDs and then lift their shirts up to show their waist band and do a spin. We did this so we didn't get random high schoolers', or other people who weren't actually students as well as to make sure there weren't undercover cops or just stupid fucks with guns.

  I could have gone back inside and hung out with John, or any of the new guys and made someone else take over watching the patio, but I liked it this way. Sometimes being alone was a good thing.

  "SHORT STACK!"

  I turned sharply to see Cali's blond head hanging out of the kitchen window.

  "Yeah?" I stood up and raised an eyebrow.

  "Are you sober, man?"

  I don't think I'd had anything to drink but water all day. Maybe a shot, after the long-ass time it took to get thirty new members through initiation, but that was it. "Yeah. I am. Why, what's up?"

  He jerked his head backward. "Just come inside and get your keys."

  I was going to ask more questions, but he shut the window before I could. So I did what I was asked and opened the back door and headed through the dinning room toward the kitchen.

  My eyes first landed on a trail of blood that went down the white tile floor and stopped at a girl, curled in the fetal position with a hand towel covering her face. As I got closer I noticed the mess of blonde hair and the long, tanned legs I'd been staring at since I first set foot on campus.

  I crouched down and saw more red than the blood on her face.

  "What did he do to you, Betsy?" I whispered.

  Her bright green eyes met mine but she didn't say anything. I didn't even know if she could say anything with the blood stained cloth covering her mouth.

  Cali knelt down beside me. "Rico said they were just hanging out in his room and she fell off his loft. I'd try and just bandage her up, but I think she needs stitches."

  I clenched my fists at my side. The guy, who probably pushed her, wasn't around. So much for a caring dude he was. It was a good thing he wasn't, because I was afraid of what I would have done if I saw him.

  "I'll go with you, man." I felt John's grip on my shoulder before I saw him, but when I did look there was an understanding in his eyes. Like he knew I was about to lose it.

  "Okay." I fished my keys out of my pocket. "Go start my car and I'll help Betsy out."

  He nodded. "Will do, little brother."

  "Do you think you can move okay? Does anything else hurt?" I asked Betsy.

  She slowly tried to sit up, but I put my arm around her middle and scooped her up into my arms. I wasn't much for strength, but it was as if another force took over. I lifted her into a fireman's carry and took her out the back door where John had my car idling.

  I grazed past him to the open passenger door, where I set Betsy down and slid the seatbelt around her before buckling her in. She didn't even look at me, just kept her head down.

  I closed the door and went around to the driver's side. I went to close the door but was stopped short when John pulled it back. "You sure you're okay to do this, man?"

  I nodded. "Yeah. Someone has to take her."

  He raised his eyebrows. "I mean, are you going to be able to keep yourself in check?"

  I shook my head. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

  I tried to close the door again, but John was stronger. "You're not going to take her and get all weird and emotional and confess your love, then come back and get all huffy about Rico and whine about it?"

  I dug my fingernails into the door and yanked it back, until John had to let go and it jerked backwards. "I'm fine. I'm going to take Betsy to the hospital and when I come back, I'm going to bed. I'll see you when I get back."

  Before he could get another word in, I sat down in the driver's seat and slammed the door. He stood there, in the middle of the parking lot, his eyes locked on the car.

  Yeah, he was probably right about everything he said. I knew I would still be all pissy at Rico, but someone had to save Betsy.

  Once we pulled out of the lot, I felt a cold swoop against my hand. When I looked down, Betsy's pinky was brushing against my knuckles. I glanced back at the road and when I looked back down her hand was on top of mine, on the armrest between us.

  That was all I needed to know, that even though I left John behind, I was doing the absolute best thing.

  Chapter 5

  I expected the waiting room at the ER to be packed, but we were the only ones in there. I thought that might have been a good omen and we would see a doctor quickly, but no such luck.

  We sat alone, in a small room with a bed, a bunch of machines and one really uncomfortable chair for what seemed like forever.

  Betsy didn't say a word to me, she just kept her hand on mine, squeezing it every so often.

  By the time we were through episode number two of Law and Order, a woman came through the curtain. I thought it would be a nurse, or a doctor, coming to stitch her up, but instead it was an older lady in plain clothes and large glasses. She had a hospital badge on with the words 'case worker' printed below her Polish name that I couldn't even begin to pronounce.

  She smiled at me, but it was forced. "Excuse me, sir, but do you mind if I talk to Betsy alone for a few minutes?"

  I stared at the woman long and hard before I looked back at Betsy. She only nodded at me and squeezed my hand.

  I cleared my throat and stood up. "Yeah. I'll go in the hall and text John."

  "Thank you." The woman nodded. "It'll only be a few minutes, then the doctor will be in to stitch her up."

  I stepped outside of the room, but stayed within earshot. The lady didn't seem to be paying too close attention, so she couldn't have been that worried about me.

  "Now, Betsy, if there is any reason that you don't feel safe right now, please let me know. I'm here to help," the woman said in a pseudo-soothing voice.

  I rolled my eyes. I wasn't the one the woman should have been worried about.

  I didn't think Betsy would actually dignify her with an answer. Hell, the girl hadn't spoke to me all night, so I was definitely surprised when I heard her speak.

  "No. Shor—I mean—Leonel would never hurt me. I feel completely safe with him."

  I gulped when I heard her say my real name. I didn't even think she knew it. Nobody but my mother and abuela ever called me by that. People back home just referred to me as "Leo" and never the full name. And the house, I don't even think half the guys knew I had a name other than Short Stack. Well, except when Cali gave me shit at Chapter and yells "Garcia-Shapiro." Stupid hyphened names. But when Betsy said my name, I suddenly didn't want to be called anything else.

  "Okay, Betsy. Can you tell me how this happened then? Leonel filled out the paperwork, but it just says that you fell. Is there more to the story?" The woman's voice was almost accusatory.

  "No. That's what happened. I fell off a friend's loft and hit my lip on the metal bar. I was drinking and laughing and should have watched for the edge. It was my own fault."

  I didn't even notice my hands were clenched into fists, until I felt a surge of pain rush up my arm and I had to let go. I knew that wasn't the whole story. I knew that fucker, Rico, probably pushed her for some stupid reason and obviously the lady did too because she kept asking her questions even when the doctor went in and stitched her up. I was out in the hallway for another hour before the woman finally opened the curtain.

  She smiled at me, but it was forced, like the kind people give you when they really want to punch you in the face. "You can go in now. She's resting."

  "Thanks." I nodded and breezed past the woman.

  I swallowed hard and tried not to look like I was staring at Betsy's face. The towel and blood had been covering most of it, but now seeing it swollen and bruised with the stitches going from her upper lip to her nose, had me seeing red. Along with that she had a long, red gash on her jaw line that was fitted with butterfly bandages.

  What the hell did he do to her?

  Slowly, I approached the bed and put my hands on the sidebars. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

  She nodded slowly. "Okay. I guess. They gave me some stuff to numb it so sorry if I sound like The Godfather." Her lips barely moved as she talked.

  "You don't have to talk. Just rest, okay? Hopefully, they'll let us out soon."

  She nodded before her eyes drifted shut and left me alone with my thoughts.

  ***

  It was another three hours before we got to leave the hospital and I was exhausted. I stayed up, waiting for someone to tell us that we could go, but a bad car wreck came in and it was like they forgot about us.

  I thought about getting a coffee on the way back to the house, but I didn't know what was open at that time. With Betsy's head on my lap while she slept soundly, there was no way I wanted to move her to get out of the car.

  I could have dropped her off at her apartment. I should have. But instead, I found myself pulling into the back parking lot of the house.

  She stirred awake once the bright back lights came into view. Slowly she sat up and pushed her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. She didn't say anything, so I got out of the car and opened the door.

  We still hadn't spoken a word to each other. As if there was something we were communicating without needing to open our mouths.

  She took my hand and just nodded. I took that as my cue to close the car door and lead her into the house.

  The party had ended some time ago, but the scent of stale beer and some god awful, rank body odor was still in the air. I led Betsy past all that, up the stairs and to my bedroom.

  This wasn't about sex. This wasn't about the fact that I had the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen holding my hand. This was about keeping her safe. This was about knowing where she woke up.

  And when she crawled in next to me, on my tiny twin bed and put her head on my chest, it just fit. We fit together.

  "Goodnight, Short Stack," she whispered, her lips vibrating on my chest.

  "Goodnight, Betsy."

  With that, I turned off the light beside my bed and drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, I thought I woke up to a dream. There had been many dreams I'd had of Betsy waking me up; of her blonde hair splayed on my pillow. But this was different.

  She was crouched at the end of my bed, like some kind of animal going for its' prey. Her hands were splayed next to my hips and she slowly bent down, running her bottom lip just below my belly button.

  "W...W...what are you doing?" It took me a minute to actually get any words in. My dick was screaming at me to stop talking and just push her head down.

  "Isn't this what you want, Leo?" Her voice was husky, just like it was in all of my fantasies about her.

  But my fantasies didn't include the black and blue contusions that were now parading down her face. As much as my dick protested and wanted her to keep going, my brain was telling me it wasn't right.