But then an alarm goes off in the back of my mind.
It has nothing to do with my culture or how I was raised.
It’s not about the fact that I shouldn’t be alone with a man inside a yacht cabin.
It’s the realization that in the very near future, he’ll be committed to someone else.
“Let me go,” I whisper, pushing him, and he steps back immediately.
Confusion crosses his face, then hurt, like I physically struck him, and then guilt.
“Don’t touch me again, Rodrick. We both know I can’t have any kind of intimacy with a man I’m not committed to.”
I am the biggest liar to ever exist, because the desire I feel for him is stronger than any rule, any conduct, any duty.
It’s wild, uncontrollable, and because of that, dangerous.
He made me forget who I am and that just ten minutes ago, one of his potential brides was demanding his attention.
I need to stay as far away from him as possible, or I’ll make the biggest mistake of my life.
Taking advantage of the fact that he’s still staring at me like he doesn’t know what to say, I run out of the cabin without looking back.
Two weeks later
“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Linda tells me.
I don’t even know why I still hang out with her. Her company irritates me more than anything, but since Josephine works part-time to help cover her expenses, I occasionally go out with Linda after class—lunch, shopping, whatever.
I don’t know if it’s by Rodrick’s orders, but the bodyguards have been discreet.
He hasn’t called me again. Hasn’t even sent a text.
After running out of the yacht cabin at the party, I couldn’t stay there another minute, so I asked the security guard to take me back to the hotel Rodrick booked for us.
Josephine arrived soon after, saying Rodrick already knew exactly where I was, as the guard had told him, and that he’d sent her to check on me.
I told her everything that happened, and how embarrassed I felt for running like a scared child, but that I’d done what I thought necessary to preserve my dignity.
The next day, the bodyguards escorted us to the plane and brought us back to London. Rodrick didn’t fly back with us, andhe didn’t say goodbye. I keep telling myself it was for the best. Even though no news has come out about his engagement yet, it’s only a matter of time.
“Earth to Jazmina.”
“Um . . .I don’t think so, thanks,” I finally answer.
“I’m serious, Jazmina. He’s my brother. A great catch. CEO, handsome, single. What do you say?”
“My answer is still no.”
“Fine, fine. No date. But how about a boat trip in Marseille?”
“If I remember correctly, the last time you invited me somewhere, you stood me up.”
I never told her what happened at that fraternity party. While leaving me hanging wasn’t cool, none of what happened afterward was her fault.
Besides, the criminals were punished. I don’t know if Rodrick had anything to do with it, but there was a police raid on the fraternity and they found enough drugs to charge the members as dealers. Among them was the guy who drugged me, Richard.
Campus gossip says that even though they come from rich families, they might get sentenced this time because the university can’t cover it up anymore. It’s already in the media, and from there it snowballed.