Which grade is it going to be, Miss Vaughan? Think about your future.
I wanted to scrunch the note in my hand and toss it in the trash. “This is so unfair. You have to expose him.”
“How? He has pictures of me! Pictures that could destroy me.”
“You have to tell Scott.”
“No way! I’m not doing anything to jeopardize the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” She frantically started piling together the photos and shoving them back into the envelope. “I just need to forget it ever happened and I’ll flunk out of Psych. It’s not the end of the world.”
“But it’s wrong, Piper. Cameron touched you without your permission. And a teacher at this school is blackmailing you.”
She shook her head, ignoring my pleas. “I don’t want to go to study group anymore.” She rubbed her forehead then looked over at me, fear distorting her pretty features. “But if I don’t go, will he do something else to me? What if he sends the pictures to Scott?”
“You have to tell him yourself.”
“Caity, I used to be a total wild child, okay? I just told you the mess I got myself into. What if he doesn’t believe me?”
I reached for her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Scott loves you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’ll believe you.”
“I don’t know if we’’ll survive this.” She gripped the envelope in her hand. “I want to burn them, but I know they have more copies. I don’t know what to do,” she ended in a pitiful whisper.
“Forget study group. Let me go. I’ll tell them you’re sick.”
She scoffed. “They’ll see right through that.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll come up with something believable.” I pasted on my brave smile, hoping she’d buy it.
Her face relaxed a little. “Thanks for listening, Caity.”
“We’re gonna fix this. I don’t know how yet, but I’m not going to sit back and let them do this to you.”
Piper shook her head. She didn’t believe I could do it. In all honesty, I didn’t know if I actually could either, but I sure as hell was going to try. I was more determined than ever to get the goods on those guys. Goods that would blow their whole operation wide open.
19
Eric
I took a swig of beer and rested it back on the table. Larry’s Sports Bar was a local joint, not far from campus. It serviced a lot of college students, made popular by its pool tables in the back and the fact that a sports game was always playing on the TV. That afternoon the L.A. Lakers were playing the San Antonio Spurs. It was a tight game with not much in it. The guys at the bar were noisily cheering on the Lakers.
I turned away from the screen, wondering how Connor had done at his away games. They were traveling back on the bus, hopefully victorious. I had to catch up with him and find out how it went.
Picking at the label on my bottle of Bud, I let out yet another sigh. My mind raced back to my fight with Caity. I hadn’t gone more than three minutes without thinking about it. It was driving me insane. I couldn’t believe she was being so stubborn. I hated the way she was so willing to just throw herself into danger with no regard for her own safety.
Why couldn’t I make her see that?
I felt like I was totally failing her.
I pinched my temples, then slammed my hand on the table and gulped back some more beer. The way her eyes had filled with tears when I’d grabbed her wrist, the way she whispered at me to help her and I’d just frickin’ walked away? What the hell was wrong with me?
“Hey, man.”
Scott’s soft greeting made me jerk. I wiped at the dribble of beer running down my chin and placed the bottle on the table. Scott climbed up in the seat beside me, looking glum and frustrated, his freckles darker than usual.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded then shook his head. “No.”
“What’s up?”
Collecting up the cardboard coaster on the table, he spun it in his long, thin fingers, not looking at me. He shook his head and clicked his tongue. Scott was usually so upbeat and positive about life; it was weird to see him so down. We’d been rooming together for nearly eighteen months and I felt lucky to call him my friend.
As his lips formed a deep frown, my insides flinched. I really didn’t want to hear more bad news. My life was filled with enough angst as it was...but he was my friend and I’d already had my fill of treating people badly for the day. I didn’t want to add him to my list.
“Come on, man.” I nudged his arm with my elbow.
Scott ran a hand through his ginger locks and scratched the top of his head. “Something’s wrong with Piper. She...something’s up and she just won’t talk to me about it.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know.” He flicked the coaster so it spun in the air. We both watched it land on the table. “You know, we’ve been through some pretty tough stuff together. It’s made us close. I’m not saying she’s the world’s easiest girlfriend. She can be pretty high-maintenance sometimes, but man, I love her.” He sighed. “I love her. I want to help her and fix all her problems and keep her safe and make her happy, but I can’t do any of that if she won’t tell me what’s wrong.”
He snatched up the coaster again and picked at the corner, folding it around so the thick cardboard began to split and break. I didn’t know what to say to him. I couldn’t think past the weight of guilt resting on my shoulders. I opened my mouth to tell him about my Caity woes, hoping a little empathy would make him feel better, but I didn’t want to make the conversation about me and what a jerk I’d been.
A cheer went up behind us as the Lakers scored a sweet three-pointer. Scott glanced over his shoulder to watch then turned back to me with a glum smile.
“We usually talk about everything. We’ve never kept secrets from each other before.”
“Do you...” I swallowed. “Do you think she’s cheating on you?”
“No.” He was adamant. “No, she wouldn’t do that to me. I trust her.”
“But how do you really know?”
A smile tugged at his lips, his hazel eyes glimmering. “I just know, man. The way she looks at me. I don’t doubt her love at all, which makes me think she’s trying to protect me from something. She doesn’t want me to get hurt.”
The guilt pinched pretty hard and I slumped under its weight.
I scratched my eyebrow, hiding my wince. “Have you tried asking her about it?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ve been calling and texting, trying to see her, but she just keeps pushing me away.”
“When did it start?”
Scott flicked the coaster and watched it spin and flop onto the table. “I noticed she was edgy a few days ago, but she basically went incommunicado yesterday. I don’t know what to do.”
It was eating him up. The tortured agony was all over his face.
I slapped him on the arm and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry, man. Can I buy you a drink?”
He glanced at my beer then shook his head. “No, I don’t...” He rubbed his mouth, staring at the table like it held the answers he needed. “You know, maybe I should just show up at her door. She said she was busy tonight, but maybe if I could just see her, hold her, talk to her...she’d let me in, you know?”
I nodded.
“If I catch her off-guard, she might not be able to resist my charms.” He grinned at his joke, but I didn’t miss the sadness in his smile.
“You’re not worried it might push her further away?”
“I really want to respect her wishes and if she doesn’t want to see me, then that’s fine, but I think she’s lying. I feel like she’s hurting, and what kind of asshole boyfriend would I be if I just let that slide?” He tapped the table and stepped down from the stool. “I’m gonna do it. I can’t keep going like this, man.” He slapped me on the back in farewell. “Thanks for the talk.”
I raised my beer and nodded, a little taken back by his comment. Li
ke I’d done anything. I just sat there and listened. He came to all his own conclusions without any help from me.
Grabbing the coaster he’d successfully mangled, I continued to damage it as my thoughts turned to Caity. She’d been hiding stuff from me too, and her reasons were a killer. She didn’t want to upset me or let me down...and instead of taking that in, accepting that it’d come from a place of love, I’d blown up in her face. I’d given her the exact reaction she’d feared.
I groaned, drooping my head into my hands. I could have handled that a thousand times better. I could have stopped, actually listened to what she was trying to tell me. I was so angry most of her words pinged straight off my rage. I should have taken her to our willow tree, sat her on my knee and let her spill all. I could have run my fingers through her luscious locks of hair as she told me everything.
But instead I was sitting at some noisy sports bar, all alone, lamenting the fact that I could barely remember why I’d yelled at her. I was being stubborn to protect her and try to push her out of this dangerous situation, but I barely knew what the situation was.
Drugs and Connor...that was about all I’d retained.
Yanking my phone from the back pocket of my jeans, I dialed Caity’s number. If Scott could make amends with his girl, then the least I could do was make amends with mine. I lifted the phone to my ear, wondering if she’d even answer when she saw my name come up on the screen.
“Hey, sorry I can’t take your call right now, but please leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” A beep followed Caity’s sweet voice and I pulled the phone away from my ear. It didn’t even ring, which meant she had her phone switched off. That was really unlike her...unless she’d run out of battery—way more her style.
I rolled my eyes then sighed. She probably turned her phone off because she didn’t want to hear from me. Was she seriously that mad?
“No,” I muttered, shaking my head and reaching for my beer again. Caity didn’t get mad, not really. After I stormed off, she probably went and hid somewhere so she could bawl her eyes out in privacy. The thought was like a dagger through the soul. I’d made my girl cry. I was such a freaking idiot.
Jumping from my seat, I pushed the phone back into my pocket and turned for the door. I needed to go find her. I needed to eat the biggest piece of humble pie known to man. I needed to tell her the truth...about Harvey.
I swallowed, hating that thought, but it had to be done.
I was nearing the door when a slender blonde brushed past me then stopped and grabbed my arm.
“Oh, hey.” She grinned. “Eric, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” I paused. “Tiffany, nice to see you.”
“You too.” Her eyes danced as she looked up at me. “Did you hear about the game?”
“Huh?”
“The Bruins.” She snickered. “They won, 102 to 64. Wiped them off the court.”
“Wow, that’s a huge win...and they won the first away game, too.”
“I know. The guys will be pretty pumped.” Her elation was kind of extreme considering it was just a basketball game. She must have been a bigger fan than I thought. “Connor played like a superstar.”
I couldn’t help a grin. “That’s awesome.”
“This is just all reports, of course; I’ll get the full run-down shortly. I’m heading to their after-party now.”
“Oh, so they’re back then?”
“Yeah. Do you want to come with me?” She started walking for the door and I followed her, holding it open as she stepped into the night air.
“No, I need to catch up with my girl. Say hi to Connor for me, though.”
“I will.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Bet you wished you’d placed a little wager, huh? You would have done well.”
I forced out a chuckle and cleared my throat. “Maybe next time.”
The twinkle in her eye held something more and I suddenly wished Caity was with me so she could do a quick read. Tiffany was more than what she seemed. I didn’t know why I thought that. I just had a feeling.
“Well, you take care, Eric, and remember, if you ever want to earn a little cash, you just give me a call.” She winked and turned away, flipping her hair off her shoulder as she went to slide her jacket on. I spotted a tattoo on her skin, but it disappeared beneath the fabric. It seemed familiar somehow, but I couldn’t think where I’d seen it.
I turned away from her, feeling unsettled and wanting to see Caity more than ever. I tried to formulate a little speech as I walked to her dorm. How would I start?
“With an apology, you dumbass,” I muttered as I checked the street and crossed the road.
I hoped she was in her room, although Scott was probably there looking for Piper. I didn’t want to step in on their thing. Maybe I could call Caity to come meet me. I pulled out my phone and remembered hers was off.
“Damn it.”
I squeezed the hardware in my hand and paused on the street to think it through. If Scott was with Piper, then Caity would split. That was just her way, which meant she was hiding somewhere else on campus.
My mind ticked over with the different spots I could try when the phone in my hand started buzzing.
I swiped the screen, not even registering the number. “Caity?”
“No, man. Hey, it’s me.” The voice was high and pitchy.
“Who is this?” I frowned.
“Connor, man.”
“Oh, hey. Congrats on the game.” My words sounded wooden. I couldn’t help it. My stepbrother was the last person I felt like talking to.
“I don’t feel...I don’t think...I just...can you...what are you doing now, man?” He sounded jittery.
My body pinged tight at the slur in Connor’s words.
“Are you wasted?” I snapped.
“I don’t know.” A spike of fear ran through his words. “I haven’t been drinking or anything, but I feel like shit. I’m at this party and I want to get the hell out of here, but I can’t find the door. I don’t know where the door is, man. It’s gone. The door’s gone!”
My eyebrows rose at the panic in his voice. “Where are you?”
“It’s one of the frat houses. Omega something. Dude, I’m not doing so good.” He puffed. “Help me. You gotta help me.”
There was a pleading to his tone that I couldn’t ignore. “It’s okay. Hang tight, I’ll come and find you.”
I stood on the corner of the street and for the next five minutes willed my Internet connection to work faster as I hunted out the different fraternities before finally pinpointing the location of Omega Sigma Tau. It wasn’t far, but from the way Connor sounded, I needed my jeep.
Breaking into a jog, I headed for my dorm to collect my car, hating that I had to put my reconciliation with Caity on hold...and praying that she wouldn’t get herself into any kind of trouble while I dealt with my wasted stepbrother.
20
Caitlyn
I couldn’t get that sick feeling out of my stomach. Those pictures of Piper and Cameron were beyond creepy. I felt so incredibly sorry for my roommate it actually hurt. My gut was in utter turmoil. How the hell could someone do that to another person?
And Professor Hoffman — I wanted to ring his neck and scratch that smirky little smile right off his face.
I was livid...and it took a lot for me to feel that way.
The day was beyond emotional. After my fight with Eric, my all-out sob session, and then Piper’s confession, I felt completely wrung out, but I couldn’t focus on any of that. I had a job to do.
Clutching the bannister, I made my way up to Room 205. I was a few minutes early. Tension was making me move fast. My muscles were tight and buzzing. My nerves were bouncing through my body like marbles being thrown down a stairwell. I was about to spend the next hour with sicko Cameron and had to somehow pretend that I was enamored with him. I could see that was what he wanted me to feel, and I had to give him that in order to get what I wanted.
&nbs
p; Pausing outside the room, I held my breath and was about to open the door when I heard Tyson’s voice. “The cabin?”
I frowned and leaned in closer to the wood.
“Last time I went up there I got totally lost. That place is impossible to find.”
“It’s supposed to be, dumbass.” Cameron sighed. “Hand me your phone.”
I listened to a little shuffling and then a long pause. I wanted to peek my head around the corner and see what was going on, but I didn’t dare.
“There, the co-ordinates are in now. Just follow that map and you’ll be fine.”
“Why do I have to go up to the cabin anyway?” Tyson complained. “The delivery is usually brought to me.”
“Well, we’re a driver short now. Someone needs to pick up the slack. You’ll need to go up this weekend. Chris wants it here by Monday...and wear your uniform when you go. It makes you look legit.”
What uniform?
I pressed my ear against the door, wanting to hear more, but my stupid move pushed the door open and both men looked up in surprise.
“Oh, hey.” I grinned, trying to hide my nerves. Was it working?
I whipped off their masks and noticed that it wasn’t.
“I’m sorry, am I too early? I hate being late for stuff.”
Cameron’s eyes lit with pleasure as he drank me in. “No, it’s fine. Come on in.”
I tried to think flirty as I stepped into the room, tucking my hair behind my ear and swaying my hips more than I normally would. I probably looked like an idiot.
Tyson shot Cameron a dark look, but Cameron stayed blissfully unaware. His eyes were zoned in on me. The lust in them made me quiver and I had to turn away. I looked over at Tyson who once again looked skittish.
“I didn’t know you were in this study group, too.”
“I’m not. I’m just chatting to Cameron.”
“About what?” I made my eyes big, hoping they’d look innocent.
Tyson’s lips twitched and he looked to the ground, running his hand down the back of his head. Sweat beaded on his bunched brow. “Just um...skiing. He’s got a cabin and uh, I’m trying to convince him to take me up there over Christmas.”
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