Page 127 of His Reckless Freshman

“I won’t spread any rumors,” I assure her. “It’s not my story to share. I just… it’s… it’s so abhorrent. Such a violation. He shouldn’t have done that.”

“We don’t know if he did for sure.” She lets out a sad sigh. “But she’s not willing to risk it. And I wouldn’t be either.” A shudder runs through her.

“I understand.” I nod while her friend scoffs.

“He’s probably using it for a personal spank bank. The sicko.” Her look turns dark and lethal while her friend’s expression crumples.

“She’s probably hating herself for getting sucked in by him. What’s the bet he was sweet and charming and said all the right things, so when he invited her back to his place…”

“It wouldn’t have even occurred to her to say no,” I finish, because I know exactly what she’s talking about. I wince. “That happened to me too. I ended up…” Do I say it? A shaky breath rushes out of me. “I ended up sleeping with this guy. It was my first time, and it was awful, and I can’t believe I let him do that to me so easily.”

“Why are guys such assholes?”

I shrug and want to say they’re not all like that, but the professor walks in, calling our attention.

It’s impossible to listen to her when all I want to do is turn around and find out more information. I want to get to the bottom of this, find out who that man is and get that recording—if he did record it—so her friend can sleep at night without stressing.

What a sick, horrible person!

Squirming in my seat, I’m about ready to start writing notes to this woman behind me. I need to know who her friend of a friend is. I want to interview her—in a really nice way, of course. Gently, discreetly. I want to promise her that I’ll do everything in my power to expose this guy without her getting exposed as well.

As the professor keeps teaching, I frown down at my notepad, leaning forward and writing out my thoughts and questions.

I want to get to the bottom of this.

I need to find this horrible man and make sure he doesn’t do anything else to hurt this woman. What’s the bet that he’s done it before too? He’s probably got stacks of recordings hidden away, that secret camera of his pointed down at his bed. Maybe there are girls all over campus either oblivious to it or being held under his thumb by the threat of it. Maybe it’s not just a spank bank thing. Maybe he’s using it to control people.

My mind is racing as I keep scribbling down every thought running through my head.

I don’t take in any of the lecture and am still madly writing when the people around me start to close up their laptops and leave the room.

Shoot. I spin around to catch those girls again, but they’ve already shuffled down to the aisle and are leaving.

Gathering up my stuff, I shove it haphazardly into my bag, mildly aware that I have no idea what I missed in this class. All I can think about is that poor girl… and this niggling, unsettling feeling in the back of my brain. I don’t know what it is or how I’m going to unearth that thought, but something is sitting ugly back there, like a tumor… and I’m almost afraid to find out what it means.

40

BEN

Something’s up with Jolie.

I can’t pinpoint what it is. She’s just kind of quiet and distracted tonight.

I nudge the bowl of fries toward her. “Want any more?”

“No.” She shakes her head.

“You’ve hardly eaten anything. Are you okay?”

Her nose wrinkles and she tips her head. It’s like she wants to tell me something but doesn’t want to say it.

Covering her hand with mine, I rub my thumb over her skin. “Baby, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Her eyes dart around us, and now I’m really getting worried.

What the fuck is going on?

Leaning back, I study her expression and the way she can’t seem to sit still.