Page 132 of His Reckless Freshman

“Yeah, until he threatened to post our sex tape online.”

“How did you find out about it?”

She huffs, but then it turns into this whimpering sound again. “He wanted me to write a glowing review about him for this assignment thing he was working on. He needed proof from his peers that his work was impeccable and was collecting character references. I can’t even remember what the assignment was about, he just needed quotes. He told me exactly what he wanted me to say, and I wasn’t comfortable with that, so I told him that I could write something, but it needed to be my own words. He didn’t like that and told me I had to use what he’d written or he’d expose me. I had no idea what he was talking about, but then he showed me, Jolie. He pulled it up on his computer, and he showed me our sex tape.” She starts crying again, and I sit on the bathroom floor, leaning my head back against the door and closing my eyes. “He told me he’d post it on all those porn sites where you can upload stuff for free. You know the ones? The ones that anyone can access!”

I’d never watched them, but I’d heard of them.

“I could barely think straight. I was so horrified that I just agreed, and he told me I was a good girl and sent me on my way.” She cries some more, losing her words for a minute.

I just sit here in horrified silence, unable to say a thing.

Why didn’t she tell me any of this? How was I so blind that I didn’t even notice her distress or what she was going through?

“I hate that I did it. I hate that my name is attached to him. He wrote the nicest things about himself, and they’re all bullshit,” she hisses. “Why did I let him do that to me, Jolie? Why!”

“I…” I wish I could give her a decent answer, but I can’t. I can barely form a coherent thought, let alone words out loud.

“The next time he called me into his office, he wanted me to trick one of my professors into saying something that made her sound racist. He wanted me to record the conversation so he could use a sound bite. He had a script written out and everything. He was halfway through coaching me, and I just lost it. I told him I wouldn’t do it and I was out.” She sniffs. “I left the next morning, and I’ve been scouring porn sites for my video. I haven’t found it yet, but it haunts me, Jolie. It seriously haunts me.”

Letting out a shuddering breath, I lick the tears sliding past my mouth and finally manage, “Maybe he’s just all empty threats.”

“I wouldn’t risk it. Has he asked you to do anything yet?”

“Just that research I wasn’t too keen on. When I didn’t supply it the way he wanted me to, I could tell he was annoyed. He asked to see me in his office, but I bailed while he was talking to someone else. I’ve been avoiding going back ever since.”

“Don’t go back.” Her voice pitches in fear. “Do not enter that building again. Don’t give him the chance to use you the way he used me. Don’t do it.”

I nod. It’s not a hard request to agree to.

I’m staying as far from Kieran as I possibly can.

Except that…

“He ran you out of here,” I whisper. “Julia, he ruined your college experience. And he just ruined another girl’s as well. How many recordings does he have? How many women is he coercing? Scaring? This isn’t right. We can’t just ignore this.”

“How are we ever supposed to fight it without risking our complete humiliation? I won’t do it, Jolie, and neither should you. Just shut up, quit the paper, keep your head down, and stay the fuck away from him!” Her harsh tone and biting words make me flinch. “I mean it, Jolie. Do not think you can beat him, because you can’t.”

“Julia—”

“No, I won’t be part of this. If you start sniffing around, he might post every video he has just to punish us all. Do not do this. I will never speak to you again if you pursue this. I will never forgive you if my video ends up online.”

And with that, she hangs up on me.

I pull the phone away from my ear, blinking down at it. My eyebrows dip, a buzz of annoyance ripping through the middle of my shock and horror.

He can’t get away with this.

If we stay silent, then he’s going to keep on doing this.

That’s not right.

But how am I supposed to stop him without risking all the girls he’s done this to?

Without risking myself?

42

BEN