Page 27 of Without Bound
“If there are any of my baseball players in this house, you have five goddamn minutes to get your ass out of this house and into your fucking bed!” My voice booms above all the chatter and music, and like a record screech, everyone freezes.
In the distance a door slams and I assume it’s a back door. Feet pound down the stairs, and a sophomore scurries past me, his head down and body slumped. I wait another moment and when I don’t hear any more movement, I make my way up the stairs in search of Anais.
I spot my captain and her roommate sitting on the floor, their backs to a closed door and I lose my motherfucking mind.
“Move!” I bark, and they scramble to their feet.
“We tried to get them to open the door, but they won’t budge,” he explains.
I stare him down then try to be civil, knocking and say, “Open the door. Now!”
No noise sounds. No rustling of clothes or soft taps of feet. Theroom is absolutely silent. My anger boils over and I have no regrets about what happens next.
I take two steps back, then lift my foot and slam my foot into the door swat style. The frame splinters and the door flies off its hinges. I search the dark room for signs of them but they’re not here. A light shines from underneath a door and I walk over, gripping the knob and turning it.
I push the door open and spot Anais bent over the toilet, some douchey prick hovering over her and holding her hair back.
“Get the fuck out of here,” I yell at him, and he jumps at the volume and bite of my voice.
“Sh-she’s sick and–”
“And what? You’re pissed because now you can’t take advantage of a drunk, defenseless girl?”
“No. It’s not like that,” he stutters.
“Bullshit. Get the fuck out of my sight before I break your goddamn neck.” He quickly drops her hair and rushes past me, his eyes full of fear.
I take three steps to where Anais kneels, her arms wrapped around the porcelain bowl and her head hunched over. I squat and brush her wild curls away from her face. Sweat lines her hairline, and the fine baby hairs stick to her clammy skin.
Even sick, she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever been up close to.
“Anais,” I say, my voice gentle. “Think you can stand up?”
She turns her head towards me and I see her eyes full of tears and glazed over from the alcohol. She nods and I grip her side, carefully helping her to her feet.
I walk her over to the sink and turn on the water. I cup my hand under the running stream and hold it up to her mouth. “Swish and spit, darling,” I tell her.
Her soft lips press against my hand as she draws the water into her mouth. Her cheeks fill up and I see them working the water around. She spits and I reach for a hand towel to dry her face before I think better of it.
I swipe the moisture away and tell her, “Wash your hands. They were on that toilet seat and I don’t know whose ass it belongs to.”
Once again, I turn on the faucet and pump some soap in her hands. Her movements are slow, so I take one of her hands in each of mine and help her, much like a parent assisting a child. We rinse and I use my shirt to dry them.
“Can you walk?” I ask and she teeters her head side to side.
I wrap my arm around her waist and steady her to take a few steps. They’re wobbly and her knees shake. So instead of watching her drunk walk her way through the house, I reach under her knees and scoop her up into my arms.
She rests her head on my chest, and in a small, scratchy voice says, “I’m sorry.”
I breathe deep and press a soft kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay.”
I walk out of the room to find my captain, Wagner, and Keyara standing with nervous energy.
“I’m taking her home. Keyara, do you need me to take you to your dorm?”
She shakes her head rapidly. “No sir. We were planning to stay at Mindy and Alyx’s apartment.”
Her body trembles and I can tell she’s afraid of my reaction to all of this. I want to rage. I want to scream at her for being so careless and allowing Anais to get this drunk. But I save it all for another day because all that matters right now is getting Anais out of here so she can sleep it off.
