Page 5 of Am I the Only One

“Can you talk to the university again and explain the situation? Your parents died; it isn’t as if your grades fell because you were out partying.”

All it takes is the mere mention of my parents to rattle my heart.

“I’ve been on academic probation, Luca. They gave me a semester to pull my grades back up, and I blew it. They aren’t going to give me another chance. The scholarship is gone.”

“Will your boss let you switch to full time?”

A defeated laugh breaks through. “Tuition is around forty grand a semester. Even at full time, it won’t come close to what I need. Unless I start hooking in the evenings, no one is going to pay me that amount of money.”

Luca’s oblivion to the cost of Georgetown annoys me. His parents are rich, alive, and pay for everything. I, on the other hand, have worked my ass off to earn my way into this private university on a full academic scholarship. But when my parents died in a car crash just shy of a year ago, my grades slipped. Despite his ignorance, I love Luca. He’s been my closest friend since I moved to DC.

We met freshman year, both of us majoring in culture and politics. Luca is assuredly attractive with his dirty blond hair, tall stature, and bone structure fit for the runway. He’s also a tomcat, which killed the hope I once had that he could be someone who could commit. The fact that we’ve never crossed that line made it possible for us to connect and build a solid friendship. Luca has always trusted me enough to be unguarded and transparent. I used to give him the same in return, but after my parents died, all that changed.

He takes my hand in his. “What can I do?”

“I don’t know.”

“You can stay with me if you need a place to live.”

As much as I hate feeling like anyone’s charity case, I understand that living with Luca is going to be my only option if I want to stay in DC after I get kicked out of my dorm.

“Thanks. I might just take you up on that.”

“If you need anything, you know I’m here for you. You’re my only true friend.”

“Whatever,” I tease, nudging his shoulder. “You’re a socialite; you have hundreds of friends.”

“Those aren’t friends. They’re just people.”

Through my sadness, a smile grows for the guy who’s holding my hand. It’s a strange mixture of emotions that dangle heavily in my chest as I speak around the knot lodged in my throat. “You’re all I have, you know?”

Luca moves in closer and holds me in his arms. He has become so important to me this past year, more than simply a friend. He’s my everything.

“I’m sorry,” I say as I pull back. “But I have to get going.”

“Where to?”

“I have my counseling appointment.”

Luca watches me as I pull on my snow boots and apply concealer under my tired eyes.

“Did you see her husband on TV yesterday?” Luca asks.

“I missed the speech but caught a few clips on the evening news.” I swipe on a little lip gloss.

“I bet you he ties his wife up during sex and spanks her.”

My jaw drops. “What?”

“Oh, come on, Em. A guy of power like that, you know he has to be controlling in the sack.”

Shaking my head, I laugh.

“Have you ever checked out her wrists?”

“No! God, that’s so weird.”

He stands to meet me face to face, and I can tell he’s happy to make me smile. Luca then rests a still kiss to my forehead the way he always does, and somehow, it soothes.