Kidnapped Love

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

The morning light had barely begun to peek through the blinds when I heard the eager tapping at my door. Trish, already buzzing with the kind of energy that only comes from a night spent on dreams and conjecture, burst into my room with an urgency that could mean only one thing - girl talk was imminent.

"Okay, spill it," she demanded, her eyes alight with curiosity as she flopped onto my bed. "Tell me everything about this guy."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at her impatience.

"How did you even get in here?" I asked through my laughter.

"Ron let me in." She scoffed as if I should have known.

I realized that I hadn't seen her since the night of the dance, so I had a lot to catch up on. As I recounted the night's events, her excitement seemed to match the tempo of my story, growing with each word. She hung on every detail, from the awkward encounter between Mike and Derek, to the intimate sleeping arrangement we shared at his house. By the time I finished, she was practically bouncing with glee.

"Girl, this is huge!" Trish exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight. "What a shame for Mike though." She said, changing her demeanor. "Don't you feel bad for doing that to him?" She asked.

"Of course, I felt bad, at first, and then I saw how amazing it felt to be with Derek. He's new and fresh." I explained, feeling the redness in my cheeks from thinking about it. She nodded her head, taking in every word. Saying it all out loud made me feel a little dirtier than I would have liked.

"I am so happy for you!" She exclaimed. Her enthusiasm was infectious, but soon enough, she turned her attention to my wardrobe dilemma. After much deliberation, she chose an outfit that complemented my best features: sleek black leggings paired with a purple tank top, with a sheer black sweater that added just the right touch of sophistication.

As the curling iron heated and Trish began to work her magic on my hair, the mood shifted subtly. The ceramic barrel twisted around strands of hair, emitting a soft sizzle that filled the comfortable silence between us.

"Ron asked me out for tonight," she said, her voice betraying a hint of hesitancy as she released a perfect ringlet and moved on to the next.

"Really? That's great! Are you guys...?" I trailed off, hoping she would fill in the blanks about where their relationship stood.

Trish paused, peering at me through the mirror. "We're just hanging out, you know, as friends."

Her deflection didn't fool me; there was more behind those words. I watched her face in the mirror, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You like him though, don't you? Like, really like him?"

She sighed, putting down the curling iron and meeting my gaze head-on. "I do, but what if things go south? I don't want to get hurt again." She sighed.

"Is this because of Landon?" I asked candidly. She pulled the hair away from the curling iron and looked at me in the mirror. Her eyes met mine and I could almost feel her pain. Her former relationship left her emotionally and physically bruised.

"I know Ron isn't like that." She clarified. "But I still have those flash backs and I'm afraid that I will forever be scarred because of one guy." She spoke softly, picking my hair up again to continue curling.

"Trish, you'll never know unless you try," I said softly, offering a reassuring smile. "According to Ron, he has liked you for a long time. He does a lot of stupid things, but I don't think he's dumb enough to let you get away." I said, looking at her from the mirror, she nodded her head in response clearly thinking it through.