university | lrh

24 - want you back

Luke Hemmings
————

I should've never opened the damn door to my apartment.

I was this close to ignoring the knocking, phone in hand, about to call Elise and bring her back here with me, but I'm an idiot, and I answered it anyways.

Cole was relentless in his pleading, and when Cameron and Zach joined in, I knew I was being dragged into one huge guilt trip, obviously planned out beforehand.

"Come on, man," Cole rolled his eyes. "You said you'd come."

I scoffed, feeling my phone in my hand and itching to call her. "I said I'd think about it, dumbass. And I did. And I'm still not going."

It was Zach's turn to play the nice guy. "Dude, please," He stepped further inside the doorway, next to Cole. "The guys miss you, and it'll be fun tonight."

"My idea of fun isn't a frat party anymore."

Cole scoffed. "What are you, fucking 30, now? Jesus Christ, what happened to you, Hemmings?"

"I grew up." I said, rather monotonously.

Cole just looked downright irritated at this point, but I wasn't sure why. "Oh? So it has nothing to do with the pretty little brunette you're screwing?"

I'm not exaggerating in the least when I say my entire body locked up at the mention of Elise.

"Shut the fuck up," I seethed, wanting nothing less than for Cameron and Zach to learn about her, too. "Not another fucking word, Anderson."

Cole raised an eyebrow at me, looking rather pleased with himself that he'd gotten to me. "I won't, if you stop being a prick and just come to the fucking mixer."

And it wasn't smart, but I was tense and I wasn't thinking straight once he brought up Elise, so I did what I thought would shut him up, and that's why I find myself back in the Delta house.

And I hate being here just as much as I thought I would during the drive over here.

I wish I could say I hadn't been here since the night I walked in on Sidney, but that would be a lie. I frequented this sorority quite often during my reckless years, for reasons that anybody could likely guess. I just wanted to hit Sidney where it would hurt the most, and sleeping with her sorority sisters seemed like a good enough start.

But that isn't me, and that isn't remotely the reason why I'm here tonight. I'm simply here for appearances, to appease the members of the fraternity I once ruled.

But more importantly, I'm here to keep Cole from running his fucking mouth.

"No fucking way. Hemmings?" I hear a voice from beside me, repeating the same words I'd already heard from countless people at this party. "I thought that was you!"

I turn to see a girl, one that I recognize rather quickly, clad in a short black dress and heels that are doing little to keep her inebriated self upright.

"Lindsey," I remember her as. "I-uh forgot you were in here." I scratch the back of my neck, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

She lets out a drunken giggle and wobbles just slightly. "Forgot me? Oh, come on, Luke, there's no way you forgot everything." She smiles and I cringe.

She was a nice girl, back when I met her, but I hadn't payed much attention to her seeing as she was just a younger sorority sister of Sidney's. In fact, the only time we ever had any real contact was just days after we broke up. Lindsey was at my fraternity, watching me drink excessively in heartbreak, and she had been the girl to console me, first. She told me that what Sidney had done was awful, and that I didn't deserve it.