To Love a Soldier Read Online Free PDF Page A

the test results showed traces of sodium oxybate. It also explained why he had been trying so hard to push a mixed drink on me earlier and why, when I came back from the bathroom, I started to feel really off. As I took in everything she told me, I recounted the events in my head one more time to try to make sense of what happened. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as soon as the realization hit me.
    “Why? Why would someone do this to me? Why?” I cried.
    Brady tossed a chair across the room, swearing he was going to get him and stormed out. Ri and my mother held me in their arms for the next thirty minutes. It hurt to cry, but it hurt more to think of what had happened to me. My mom and Ri assured me that he didn’t get the chance to rape me, but it didn’t feel that way. I felt so violated and vulnerable. I felt like I cried until nothing more would come out.
    They stayed with me the rest of the day, until my mom left to get us food. Ri stayed in, quiet, mostly texting the whole time. No doubt this was some major gossip and everyone wanted to know what had happened from the victim’s best friend. I stared blankly out into the hallway, watching nurses come and go. After a while, watching the same thing started to become blurry, until a figure entered the doorway. Rubbing my eyes, I had to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.
    “Remember me?” she asked.
    “You gotta be fucking kidding me!” I shouted in anger. “Do you ever give up? His girlfriend is in the hospital, and you have the nerve to come here to stalk him?”
    It was Mandy. Here I was , a complete fucking mess. I felt like a turd that was just shot out of a donkey’s ass and I probably looked the same way, while this bitch strutted in, looking like a damn model.
    “Liz, calm down,” Ri interjected, pissing me off. “You don’t understand.”
    “Ri, this slut has been stalking Brady since she saw us at dinner last night. I can’t believe she fucking came here,” I seethed through gritted teeth, making my head pound even more.
    “Liz, this is Mandy.”
    “Yeah, I know who she is. I just told you who she was. This is probably her fault; she was probably busy seducing my boyfriend so that he wasn’t there to help me!”
    “Actually,” Mandy said, as she stepped in closer, “I wasn’t with your boyfriend last night. I was too busy saving you from that pig.”
    My jaw dropped. Mandy saved me? It sent a shiver down my spine, bringing back another piece of last night. It was as if the lost memories were coming back to me in reverse. I remembered hearing a woman’s voice calling for help. I remembered thinking there was someone else in trouble with me. Then I remembered feeling helpless and disgusted.
    “You’re the one who called for help?” I asked, ashamed about flipping out on her.
    Mandy smiled. “Well, I’m the one who clocked that scumbag in the head with a 2x4 and dragged you out of the basement. Yeah, I also called for help while I was dragging you out. No offense, but you were a little heavy and I didn’t think I could carry you up the stairs myself. You know, like dead weight and all.”
    “Don’t worry, she’s not calling you fat, Liz,” Ri jumped in.
    “No, I get it.” I shook my head in appreciation. “I think I owe you an apology, Mandy.”
    “You don’t, Liz. Can I call you Liz?” I nodded. “I should apologize for kind of being a bitch. Listen, your boyfriend is definitely sexy, but I’m not interested. I was having a little fun watching your reactions when you came to the pizza place, and I couldn’t stop myself. It was just harmless flirting, more so because I and some other waitresses were having a laugh at your reaction each time I’d walk away. Then when I showed up at the party and happened to see both of you sitting there, I mean, come on.”
    I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. It was my fault for being insecure! “You’re such a bitch,” I said, but this time in more of a teasing manner.
    “I