“Something isn’t right,” I muttered at Debra hanging up on me. I tapped my phone against my cheek and ran over the conversation I just had with her in my head. She couldn’t be offended because I told her plainly I wanted her again. Maybe I had been too blunt, but though she was initially shy, I didn’t take Debra for the woman who would get squeamish about discussing sex openly.

Or maybe I was reading too much into things. That couldn’t be it. She had hung up on me before I could confirm our plans for the night. She’d agreed to it before and now, she gave me the cold shoulder. Was she trying to get me back for being an asshole to her over the Christmas break? No, that was three months ago. I refused to think anything badly towards her again, especially without good evidence.

A knock on my room door distracted me and I went over to get it. Kevin stood outside with a six-pack of Corona he brandished in front of me.

“Hey, man, I thought we could game a bit,” he announced, stepping in. “You’re not doing anything, right?”

I scratched my head. “Not really.” The last person I wanted to be around while thinking about Debra and the cold shoulder she’d just given me was Kevin. At the same time, gaming would be a distraction. I would call her back a little later to confirm whether we would have a date night or if she had changed her mind. I didn’t want to think about her doing the latter.

Not after I’d done so much to try and patch things up between us.

“We can pick up where we left off on Madden,” I suggested. “Last time we played, I was kicking your ass.”

“Just a lucky day,” Kevin countered and shuffled through the games organized on a shelf near the HD TV that had better quality than the one in the lounge. My room had turned into a hangout spot for Superbowl. It had taken me about a week and a professional cleaning service to get the stench of beer, the mix of musky cologne, and the smell of cigarettes, greasy wings, and pizza from my room.

I’d vowed never again.

Kevin set the game up and we sat in folding chairs before the big screen.

“A couple of us guys are going clubbing later tonight at Club Vinyl,” he remarked once the game started. “It’s rumored The Fray will be there to perform live, although we’ve not been able to confirm. I think it’s just a way to get a crush crown tonight.”

“Can’t,” I answered. “I already have plans tonight or I think I do. Maybe if she’s up to it afterwards we can make an appearance, but the club is not too much her thing.”

“This the same chick you’ve been moping about?”

“I’ve not been moping, but yes. I think we may have a chance at being together. At least, I thought so until not too long ago.”

“Fuck,” he grunted as he fumbled the ball and one of my players secured it. “Why? What happened?”

“I invited her over and she refused,” I explained. “Then she hung up on me. I didn’t even get to ask her opinion on what we could do later.”

“Damn, man, is the relationship worth all this trouble?”

Hmm. Was it? “I think so.” And I did. I still held that something was different about Debra. She wasn’t like any other girl I’d been with and that meant a lot to me because I’d never been as taken with any other girl.

“Then why are you still here trying to play this game instead of going over to talk to her and find out what’s wrong?”

“You just want to back out of this game graciously because I’m still kicking your ass,” I commented, but I did hit the pause button and stood. “But you’re right. I mean literally, nothing is solved between us. I just know something changed between us last night but there’s still so much we haven’t talked about. I am not even sure if we are together or not.”

“Wow, bro, you and this girl need to have a talk. A long one by the sound of it. And try keeping your zipper up while you’re having the talk.”

I flipped him the bird and dragged a t-shirt over my bare chest. “I’ll be right back. If you leave before I get here, just spin the lock inside and it’ll close.”

On the short walk over to Debra’s residential hall, I practiced what I wanted to say to her.

Hey, Debra, I was thinking, are we in a relationship or not? No, that was too blunt.

Debra, are you still interested in us going out tonight? And if she said no, it would devastate me.

Maybe I should just ask her why she hung up on me and see where the conversation led from there. First, I had to know by the end of tonight if I was in a relationship with Debra Hoskins or not.

At her dorm, I knocked on the door and when no one responded, I tried the doorknob. Locked. Where was she now? She had stated she was doing some research. Was she in the library? I retraced my steps from the dorm room and rounded the corner, almost walking into someone.

“Sorry about that—” I started to apologize before I took in who it was. I’d only seen him once and that was for the brief moment he’d caught us in bed, but it was Debra’s father in the flesh. “Mr. Hoskins,” I greeted him, sticking out my hand automatically in a polite gesture.

He shook my hand and if there was reluctance, it wasn’t obvious. “Lucas,” he said with a nod before letting my hand go. “I’m searching for Debra. I was told this was her dorm but I’m not sure I’m even in the right place.”

“You are,” I answered. “But she’s not in. I’m not too sure where she is.”

“Hmmm.” The man mumbled something I couldn’t hear. “Did you happen to talk to her recently? Did she sound a little off to you?”

“Actually, she did, which is why I came by to find out if something was wrong.”

“Is there somewhere around here where we can talk in private?” Mr. Hoskins asked. “Man to man.”

A man to man talk with the father of the girl you were nuts about. Whew! Sweat broke out on my back but I couldn’t say no. Our first meeting had been disastrous, but if I lived through this one, maybe the first time could be forgotten or at least forgiven, if not forgotten.

“Sure, this way.”

We walked in silence, crossing the parking lot where I picked out the car I’d given Debra. If the car was here, where was she? I led the way over to a large area of lawn where little gazebo like structures were mounted to provide shelter from the sun while having a place to hang out. I located one that was vacant and we walked over, sitting opposite each other around the stone, white-washed circular table mounted between us.

I decided to take the initiative and start the conversation.

“Mr. Hoskins, I never got to apologize before about what happened over Christmas.” I knew my ears were burning with embarrassment but I had to get it out. “Debra and I—”

“It’s fine. Debra and I already hashed all that out,” he responded in a gruff voice. “But I do regret the way I acted. It could have been handled better. And—and the things I mentioned about Debra. They were all wrong. Debra is a good girl, has always been, and I kind of lost reason and equated her with her mother when I saw you and the car. I’d never even seen her with a guy before, then you showed up and you reminded me of what my ex-wife did.”

“I admit, I did take to heart the things you said,” I said hesitantly. “I mean, if you were able to think those things of her, why should I think differently when you’ve known her far longer?”

“I’m just an old fool still hurting over what my ex did.” His voice was full of sorrow. “And now, it may cost me my relationship with my daughter.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, not sure if it was any of my business but the man had asked for us to have a talk.

“All her life, I made her believe her mother wanted nothing to do with her,” he explained. “I was always threatened by wealth and had a dislike for anyone around who was wealthy because she left us to marry a rich man. I didn’t want Debra growing up and getting attached to all she had to offer while I had very little to give her.”

“And she learned that today?” That was why she had sounded cross with me on the phone. I felt relieved it had nothing to do with our relationship, after all. But she had to be hurting over what her father had done. I had to find her and get her to talk to me about it.

“Yes. I wanted to talk to her one last time before I leave Denver, but she wasn’t answering her phone. Will you do me a favor, Lucas? Give her this for me. It has the information she needs to find her mother.”

Debra’s father gave me a little black book, so small it could fit in my palm. I took it and slipped it into the pocket of my jeans.

“I’ll ensure she gets it,” I assured him. “If it’s any consolation, I believe she may be hurting now but she will come around and understand a little why you felt it necessary to keep her from her mother. She has a big heart.” Just as she had a big heart when she stood there and listened to me ranting at her about wanting my money and giving me a chance even when I believed the worst of her.

Her father nodded and then left. When he was out of sight, I ran towards the library. I checked all the floors, looking in every nook and cranny, even discovering a couple having sex on the stairwell where I’d rekindled the romance between Debra and me. She wasn’t anywhere to be found in the library.

I rang her phone several times and it rang without a response. Frustrated, I left her a voice mail.

“Debra, it’s me again, Lucas. I just spoke to your dad and he’s given me something to give you. It’s about your mother. Please call me.”

I got back to her dorm room and there was still no sign of her. Eventually, I headed to my room and discovered Kevin had left. I stuck around in the event she came over to visit, but she didn’t and by four, I felt antsy about her disappearing. She was still not answering, this time her phone not even ringing but going straight to voicemail.

“Deb, I’m freaking out here. I’ve no idea where you are and you’re not picking up. Even if you don’t want to talk to me right now, please send me a message that you’re okay.” I sent her another voice note, ending it before my curses were recorded.

About half an hour had passed when my phone pinged, revealing an incoming message. It was her.

I’m fine.

I waited, expecting another message, something explaining where she was, what happened, or why she disappeared, but nothing. I sent her back a message.

Where are you?

After several minutes passed without a response from her, I double-texted her, something I’d never done with a girl before.

Will you answer the phone? I need to talk to you and hear for myself you are okay.

Even with that, she didn’t respond. Desperate now, my hands flew over the keys in frustration.

Dammit, Deb. Why the hell are you ignoring me? I’m here fucking worried about you and you won’t even answer me.

Still nothing from her. In anger, I threw my iPhone against the wall and watched it shatter. I instantly regretted it. Shit, how would I know when she tried to call or texted me? I grabbed my car keys, determining that I’d need to get a replacement. Before I left the car to head to the nearest T-Mobile store, I dropped by her room again. This time, her roommate came to the door.

“Hello, can I help you?” she asked nervously.

“I’m looking for Debra,” I told her, trying to push my head over her small stature to peek into the room. She wasn’t inside.

“I’m sorry, but she’s not here at the moment.”

“Do you have any idea when she might be back?”

She shrugged. “She might have said something about going out of town for a few days. I can’t remember for sure.”

I frowned at her. What reason would Debra have for leaving for days? Debra would never voluntarily miss classes unless something was seriously wrong. This didn’t make any sense at all and I become even more concerned. I thanked her roommate for her help and walked away.

I had to get a new phone and call her again and again. Until she answered.