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“It’s nothing for you to worry about. But I, uh . . .” He scratches his head. “I have to go.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” I storm toward him and wrench his arm back before he can get very far. “You came here for a reason, and now I wanna know what it was.”
He hesitates, the muscle working in his jaw. I can tell whatever it is, he’s afraid to say it, which only makes me want to know more.
“Tell me.Now.”
He nods and shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I went to a party tonight with a few of my teammates, and Stanley was there.” He shifts his gaze, unable to look at me, which I take as a bad sign. “After I caught him sucking face with some chick, I also overheard him bragging to a bunch of his friends about having sex with you.”
I blanch, and my limbs go numb as the blood leaves my body, but all of it must rise to my ears, because I can barely speak through the rush of blood pounding in my eardrums. “He, what?”
“I believe his exact words were something along the lines of: you’re really flexible and willing to do about damn near anything he wants.”
I stumble back, stricken, before my shock slowly morphs to anger. The blood boils in my veins. I’m a pot spilling over as I imagine him, laughing and telling his friends all about our fictional escapades in the bedroom. “That son of a bitch,” I grind out, repeating Jace’s curse. “We kissed twice! He’s not even that good of a kisser. And he has the nerve to go around spreading rumors about me?”
“I’m sorry, but I just thought you should know in case you were thinking of—”
“No, I’m glad you told me.”
Jace nods, his expression stone. “Just say the word and I’ll take care of him. That asshole won’t so much as mutter your name again.”
“No.” I shake my head, my mouth a grim line as I lift my eyes to his. “No. I’ll handle him myself. If you think for one minute I’m not going to confront him about this, you’ve got another think coming.” I brush past Jace, heading for the door.
“You’re goingnow?”
“Is there a better time?” I ask, pausing to peer over my shoulder.
“I’m going with you,” he says, as I swipe my room key off Charlotte’s desk.
“I don’t need an escort. I can do this myself.”
“I know you can, but if you think for one second I’m letting you go to a frat party alone, late at night with a bunch of drunk dudes—including one who lied to his friends about having sex with you—you’re wrong.” He cuts me off, turning to block my path. “No arguing, Brynn. You can do this your way. But I go with you or you don’t go at all.”
I tighten my grip on the keys in my hand as I purse my lips, trying to act annoyed when really, I’m grateful. In truth, after what Stanley said about me, I don’t want to go alone either. But he doesn’t need to know that. It might go to his head and he’ll get a savior complex, then he’ll be unbearable. So, I try to act annoyed as I groan. “Fine.”
I step onto the porch of Psi Delta, and I’m hit with a wave of déjà vu. It was only a week ago I showed up here after Jace ruined our night at the club together in the hopes Stanley would give me another chance. Ever since our date at the coffee shop, I’ve been unsure of what to think about him. Sure, he looks good on paper and seemed to have all the qualities I wanted, but it turns out, my radar was right. Now I’m glad I kept my guard up, and even more thankful I didn’t go to the party tonight, because if I had, I might still be with him and I would have missed the opportunity to discover what a colossal tool he is.
Looks like I no longer have to straddle the fence with him. My feet are firmly planted on the side of the ground meant for moving on.
“Want me to find him and yank his ass out here?” Jace asks from behind me, obviously taking my hesitation for nerves.
I shake my head. “I texted him on the way here. He’s supposed to meet me on the porch.”Probably thinks I came for a booty call.
When the front door opens, music spills outside from within as Stanley steps out onto the porch, his smile wide as he takesme in. “Brynn . . .” he starts before he catches movement behind me, and his gaze falls to Jace and lands like a stone.
His expression sobers, which makes me question what Jace said to him before he came to find me. The air between us thickens in the silence, Stanley’s posture grows more rigid by the second until he finally steps closer. “Listen,” he says, hands out like he might spook me.
He’s going to explain this away; he’s going to lie. But he underestimates me.
My hand fists by my side, curling like Teagan taught me.
“Brynn, I don’t know what he—”
I pull my arm back and let it fly. My knuckles smash into his face, and I feel a satisfying pop before Stanley screams and bends over at the waist, cupping his nose. “You bitch!”
“That’s for lying about me.” I shake out my hand as he glances down at the blood covering his palm, recoiling at the sight of it.
“You’re fucking crazy.”
