Issue 7 of “Hopeless Henry”By Alice BennetTaken from the University GazetteSo, I finally lost my virginity.Near the end of sophomore year, Beth Anne, a girl from my speech class, asked me out, saying she was into the strong, silent type. I had no idea that was the impression I gave. After Reuben had stolen Avery and fucked Kerri out from under me, I’d just kind of shut down and stopped showing my emotions.Letting them hang out there on my sleeve for the world to see hadn’t done me any good. I’d only ended up with my heart ripped to shreds.So, no more.As a result, I had closed up shop, stopped interacting as much with people, usually stayed quiet in a crowd unless spoken to directly, and I basically avoided women altogether.Jacking off was so much simpler than aching and wanting something I couldn’t have, or making the attempt, only for some weaselly jackass to sleep with her first. But apparently, that made me come across as hard-to-get. It drove bolder girls crazy, and

I woke up, feeling good. Like really good.Sighing in contentment, I stretched on top of my lover and grinned as my naked flesh shifted against his. Mmm, he felt nice.Rested and more awake than I’d ever felt before when waking up, I checked the time, only for my eyebrows to lift in shock when I realized it was only five in the morning.“Hey… Wick,” I said, kissing him all over the face to wake him up too.When he grunted out a sound, telling me he was just barely stirring, I grinned and stroked my fingernails along his jaw. “Let’s go jogging.”“Huh?” He cracked open one eye.“Let’s go jogging,” I repeated.With a muffled groan of rejection, he slid an arm around me to tether me to him fully as if he feared I was going to jump out of bed that very moment and drag him along with me.“Let’s sleep in,” he countered.“Jog,” I argued with a grin, wiggling on top of him.Both his eyes opened this time, and he shifted in order to let me feel his morning wood. “You want cardio? I can

I had to hold Wick’s phone in front of him and use his face recognition feature to break into his contact information.When I went to his recent calls and saw that Cannon had been the last person he’d talked to, I hit send and rang his best friend, figuring that would do.“Dude,” J.J. answered on a hoarse groan. “This better be good. It’s after three in the fucking morning.”“It’s Haven,” I told him, my voice quivering with shock and fear. “Wick won’t wake up. Now get your ass over here and help me get him to a hospital.”“What? Oh, shit. Be there in ten.” He hung up on me, leaving me staring at an unconscious Wick and wondering if I’d ever see him alive again.“God, Wick. Please,” I begged. “Just open those pale blue beauties for me one more time.”He didn’t.Beginning to cry, I rushed around the apartment, ignoring the tears on my cheeks so I could change into some clothes and put on shoes, then gather my purse and Wick’s wallet. Then I unlocked the front door so I wouldn’t ha

They released me from the hospital two days later.After removing the tube, they sewed the area closed and scheduled me to get the stitches removed in ten days’ time.I’d never been so scared to look into a mirror in my life, but once I did, it wasn’t all that gruesome. They’d shaved a portion off the crown of my head, but I had enough hair everywhere else, I could probably cover the bald spot with not a whole lot of work. It wasn’t Frankenstein-worthy, but it wasn’t pretty either.All my friends visited while I was in the hospital, popping in after practice to check on me. They apologized for not realizing how bad off I’d been, but I told them not to worry about it. Who knew a little concussion would turn into a freaking epidural hematoma and a hole in the head?My family came in and out at all hours of the day, but Haven and Cannon hung around the longest. Izzy even had to stop by our apartment to feed Bingley because Haven didn’t want to leave my side. I had to say, I liked havi

“HayHay,” Wick whispered, his voice broken and full of pain and misery. He started to stand, but I held up a hand.“No, don’t get up. I think… I think I’ll just come down there with you.” And I sank to my knees right where I’d been standing in the doorway. Bingley wiggled in my arms. I let her down, and once she hit the floor, she bounded over to Wick, who picked her up and cuddled her gratefully.Gripping the tops of my thighs, I rocked back and forth and I watched the kitten comfort the man.“So,” I started, swallowing hard before glancing around the room and settling my gaze back on him. “You liked me three years ago? When we were freshmen?”“I…” Pain slashed across his features before he gulped and nodded. “I shared a class with you. The first time I saw you across the room, I thought you were pretty. So I told some of my friends on the team about it.”From the expression on his face, I knew he was downplaying it. Big-time.“Why?” I croaked, wiping wetness from my cheeks. “Wh