He catches me. “Are you okay?”
Still discombobulated by what happened, I avoid his gaze and mutter, “Yeah.”
“Did you have breakfast?”
“I’ll eat later.”
He looks at my plate and takes it from me. “Why not now?”
“I remembered I have to, um, text my roommate.”
I hurry past him and scurry upstairs to my bedroom. I sit on the bed and wrap my arms around myself as if I’m cold. I feel gross, violated, and disappointed in myself. I don’t like that I came across so helpless and felt so defenseless. Why can’t I be the sort of woman who’s quick on her feet, why can’t I be more assertive, why do I have to be so timid and weak?
I’ve read articles about women who’ve accused Eric’s father of sexual harassment. I guess the fruit doesn’t fall far from the proverbial tree.
“What the matter with you?”
I look up to see Sierra at my doorway. She’s wearing one of Eric’s shirts.
“Eric molested me,” I blurt.
“What?”
“He touched me, then grabbed me.”
Sierra stares at me, then rolls her eyes. “Is that all?”
“What do you mean ‘is that all?’”
“Get over it.”
“You think it’s okay that he did that?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “It’s not that big a deal. Think of it as a compliment. Afterall, it’s not like he assaulted you or hurt you in any way.”
I decide it’s not worth talking about it to Sierra. It’s only making me feel worse.
“Did you think you were going to be treated like some princess?” she asks. “Hello? You agreed to trade money for sex. What were you expecting?”
Maybe she has a point. Maybe I only have myself to blame.
But I know I don’t want to have to put up with it.
Tony appears, a frown on his face.
“I’m gonna change,” Sierra says before leaving.
“I changed my mind about going,” I tell him. “I should study.”
He doesn’t look surprised, and his tone is grim when asks, “What happened?”
The look of burning steel in his eyes makes me hesitate. I want to tell him the truth, but that might put Tony in a position of having to choose between me and Eric, and he’s supposed to befriend Eric.
“I was...I was just being touchy about something Eric said,” I say.
He raises his brows. “Is that all?”
I nod and put up a fake smile to mask the misery I feel inside.