When I saw him sitting there in my apartment, I wasn’t sure how I hadn’t vomited all over the carpet. My hands were shaking. I paced my bedroom, wearing down a path in the plush carpet as I tried my hardest not to have a panic attack.

I fucking hated Thomas.

They both just sat there staring at me as though nothing had ever happened. Like something was wrong with me. There wasn’t anything wrong with me… what the hell was wrong with them?

Especially my brother! What was Wyatt thinking bringing Thomas here? How dare he bring Thomas into our apartment! He knew better. What the hell had I done to him to deserve this kind of treatment?

Suddenly all the memories came racing back. I remembered everything that happened like it was yesterday. Thomas had been a senior in high school, and I was the invisible freshman.

One day, when no one else was around, Thomas started talking to me out of the blue. It didn’t take long for him to start saying things… hitting on me. I guess that’s when I should have known something was up, but he was so damn hot. Even though I hated to admit it, he still was. My brain must have malfunctioned.

Every day I looked forward to going to school. Every damn day. Even when I was sick, I wanted to go just so I could see Thomas.

It was almost an obsession. If I hadn’t seen him during the day, it ruined my day, but most days I had been able to see him. And most days I had felt very happy.

He’d pull me into the boy's bathroom and lock us into one of the stalls. It was crazy how hot our little make-out session became when we were enclosed in such a small space next to a toilet.

What I hadn’t realized back then were all the signs that something was off. The only time he really flirted with me was when no one was around. We hadn’t really talked, and we hadn’t ever gone on a single date. The only time we spent together was in the bathroom stall.

Several months later when he asked me to homecoming, I thought maybe things were taking a turn. We’d be exclusive, and maybe things would be official… but then I overheard him laughing and joking with a group of his friends.

He hadn’t known I was there.

He hadn’t known I could hear every word he said.

I couldn’t remember who was standing there with him. Either I never knew, or their images had vanished as time passed by.

I wasn’t sure if my brother had been there or not. I’d like to think if he had been he would have said something, but all I could picture was the random laughing faces.

“You all better bring your money tomorrow because I’m going to collect on the bet. Don’t forget,” he said with a laugh.

“It’ll never happen, man,” one of the other guys had said.

“You’ll have to prove it somehow,” another guy said.

They all laughed again.

“Oh, I know! Bring her underwear as proof,” the first boy said raising his eyebrows several times in succession.

Thomas was grinning and laughing along with them. He thought it was all a big joke. No, worse, he thought I was a big joke.

That’s when I ran. I left school and went home.

Later that day, I found out from my best friend Tallie that there was a challenge posed to several of the boys. They had to get a freshman to put out by a certain deadline, but it couldn’t be just any freshman… it had to be me. Thomas was one of the boys that accepted the challenge.

I hung up the phone and cried into my pillow. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t have slept with Thomas, hell, I probably would have, but knowing he was just doing it to win a bet sickened me.

He was an asshole.

I never went to homecoming. My mom told him I was too sick to go and as far as I know he went to homecoming alone. Not that I cared.

For the rest of that school year, I had done everything to avoid him. I’d gone from being excited to see him, to feeling sick when we even had to be in the same hallway.

He had tried to call once, but I refused the call. I didn’t even want to hear his voice.

Whenever my brother brought him over so they could hang out, I locked myself in my room. All I had to do was make it through the school year, and then after that, he’d be gone. Off to college.

I managed to completely avoid him most days. And of course, I never spoke to him again. I’d never even seen him again once he graduated… that was until just now when he was sitting in my apartment looking at me as though nothing had ever happened.

I grabbed my phone and called Tallie. She’d been my best friend for as long as I could remember. Tallie had been there in high school… she would know what I should do.

“Tallie,” I said quickly when I heard her answer the phone. I hadn’t even given her a chance to say anything before I went on. “You aren’t going to believe who’s in my apartment.”

“Huh? What? Who’s in your apartment?” she asked. I could hear what sounded like people talking in the background, but I could tell I had her full attention. Probably because Tallie always loved some good gossip, and that’s probably what she thought I was about to give her.

“Who’s there?” I asked.

“Nothing. Never mind, who’s at your apartment?”

I cleared my throat and lowered my voice. “Remember Thomas?”

“Thomas who?”

I looked at my phone and narrowed my eyes. There was no way she’d forgotten about Thomas… I was pretty sure she was playing dumb. “Thomas, from high school, Thomas.”

“I guess I sort of—”

“Well, he’s here.”

“He’s where?”

I shook my head wildly. Was she even paying attention? I bit my finger and glanced at the door as though I was afraid he was on the other side listening. “He’s inside my apartment!”

“That’s random. Why is Thomas from high school in your apartment? I thought you hated Thomas from high school.”

“Wyatt must have invited him. I think I’m going to puke.” I rubbed my stomach trying to settle it. “Although there isn’t anything in my stomach to puke up.”

“Wow. OK. What are you going to do?” Tallie asked.

“What do you mean what am I going to do? I’m going to sit in my bedroom until he leaves. At least that’s what I’ve come up with so far.” I looked at my bedroom door again. I couldn’t hear them out there, maybe they had left. “What should I do?”

“Dammit, Lacey! Just go out there and pretend nothing ever happened. Look at you! That hourglass figure and that gorgeous, flawless skin I’d kill for! He’s the one who should be kicking himself for screwing things up,” Tallie said, and my shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Aww! That so sweet of you to say, but I don’t want to see him!”

“Well, then don’t. Stay in your room and study like usual. But you have to tell me….”

“Tell you what?”

Tallie hesitated. “Is he still, um….”

“Hot?”

“Yes. Is he?”

I looked up at the ceiling and let my body flop back on my bed like a silly teenager. “Yes. Way hotter,” I said with a sigh. “Dammit.”

Thomas had always been into sports and working out— clearly, he still was. His body was so toned as if he hadn’t missed a workout since high school.

My stomach turned. Why would Wyatt bring him here? He had to have known… I was pretty sure everyone had known what happened. It was almost like I could still hear all the whispers.

I was about to ask Tallie if she knew whether Wyatt knew what happened or not. Although I didn’t know why Tallie would know or remember anything about it, other than random gossip she might have heard back then. Wyatt couldn’t have known, if he had, he wouldn’t have ever let him into our apartment.

Before I could open my mouth to ask, there was a knock at my door. My whole body jerked so hard my bed shook.

“I have to go.”

“Keep me posted,” Tallie said, but she didn’t hang up. She was hoping to hear something more. I clicked the phone off and stood next to my door.

I reached out for the doorknob but quickly yanked my hand back. There was no way I was going to open it unless I was sure that Thomas was gone.

“Yes?”