Page 12 of Surviving Slater

"As soon as I get a chance." It was vague.

"So how's it going?" she asked.

I wanted to keep the conversation short but I couldn't give her the brush-off. I began to tell her about my coursework and the workload.

For the brief few minutes of talking about college, the dark feelings inside me receded and I could talk without having to concentrate on my breathing.

"Any cute guys?" was her next question.

"Yeah," I replied, not wanting to go too in depth on this subject.

"Any special ones?" she asked, like only mothers would.

"Not really."

I wouldn't reveal there was only one guy on my mind. A guy who'd spun my world out of control and I was trying to fight my way back, holding on so I wouldn't get swept away. I closed my eyes briefly and an image of Slater appeared in my mind with those come-to-bed blue eyes. I shook my head to rid myself of the image.

"There's no rush," she assured me. "You have plenty of time to meet the right one."

I loved my mom but she lived in a fairytale, despite Father treating her like a doormat before he finally ran off with some girl young enough to be his daughter when I had been a young child. Even through all of that heartbreak and betrayal, she still believed in happily-ever-after.

I didn't. I had learned the lesson that people couldn't be trusted and that there would be no 'one' for me. I wanted to concentrate on my career and be successful. That's what mattered to me.

"I'm sure I'll find him one day," I mumbled, not wanting to hurt her.

"You never know. You may have already met him."

Chapter Four

When Friday night arrived, I was busy getting ready in my room. Sin and Taylor were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie. It was nice to see them together all loved up and happy. If anyone deserved to be happy it was them.

Seeing Sin was another reminder of Slater. I had tried unsuccessfully at keeping him out of my thoughts. But I was determined. I was going to find the 'right' outfit and I was going to go out and have a nice date with Steven. There was no room for Slater.

I still had no idea where we were going for our date so I decided to wear a pair of black skinny jeans with black shoes that weren't too high. After a few minutes of going through my tops, I decided on a red one that dipped low at the back and would show off my back.

I didn't go overboard with my makeup. I put a little mascara on, just enough to highlight my long thick eyelashes that framed my eyes, which I'd been told on more than one occasion were my best feature.

There was a knock at the door but I wasn't finished getting ready yet. A quick glance at my phone told me Steven was punctual; I was the one running late.

I walked out of my room in time to see Sin open the door. Sin was intimidating but Steven didn't seem too fazed when his eyes met mine over Sin's shoulder. He smiled appreciatively at me.

"Sorry, I'm running late," I told him as Sin reluctantly stepped to the side to allow my date inside.

"No problem. I can wait," he assured me as he walked into the living room and took an open seat.

Sin gave me a strange look before he sat back down beside Taylor.

Needing to hurry up because I was worried Sin would say something, I quickly smeared some lipstick on and I put on some simple earrings my mother had bought me for my last birthday.

Conversation flowed in the living room. I could hear Taylor talking but it was the sound of Sin's voice that made me hurry. I took just enough time to give myself one sweep of my reflection in the mirror before I left my room.

The conversation stopped as Steven rose to his feet when he saw me.

"The wait was worth it," he told me. His eyes swept over me. I smiled, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the way Sin studied him.

He was Slater's best friend but I had no idea how much they shared when it came to girls and stuff like that. Did he know what had happened between the two of us? Would he tell Slater about the guy I was currently dating? Would Slater care? Probably not.

My stomach twisted for a moment but I refused to allow it to affect me. Slater had made his choice and he had to live with it. And I had to move on.