Page 180 of Forever Relentless

“Bullshit.”

I didn’t flinch at Dante’s anger.

“As I said, you don’t need to like it.” I looked at them all, and I nodded. “I need to go speak to her. I told him I’d have your agreement by morning.” I glanced at Dante one more time. “Let me know, but everything we think we know, he knows it. This is the best way to keep ourselves and the people we care about safe.”

I headed to the door.

“You made this decision without us,” Dante said quietly.

I didn’t look back. “It’s what leaders do — we lead. You told me that.” I walked out and closed the door behind me.

As I walked over campus to Briar’s building, I wondered what they’d do. I hoped they’d see reason. I hoped they’d not be as reckless as I felt.

Had we won?

No.

Would we ever have won? I didn’t know what the winning outcome was. In football, you win if you score more points. I wasn’t sure of the scoreboard here.

I think this could have been a draw.

A draw is still a result.

Neither side needed to like it, but it wasn’t a loss, and knowing we hadn’t lost had to be enough.

I knocked on her door, and when she opened it. I knew that whatever I said next was maybe going to be the last conversation I had with Briar Sterling.

“Hey.” She stepped back to let me in.

“Hey.” I didn’t sit. I didn’t move closer to her.

“What’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Briar gave me an uncertain smile. “I didn’t think I looked that bad today,” she tried to joke.

“I spoke to Coach Sutherland.”

“Oh?”

“He knows everything.” I kept my face neutral. “About you, who you are, Mason, the posts, the fact we were looking into things.”

“Shit.” She sank down onto the couch.

“Yeah.” I moved away from her. She was too close, too within reach, and all I wanted to do was reach.

“We’ve come to an agreement.” I couldn’t say we made a deal. That made me feel dirty. I should feel dirty. I just didn’t know why.

“What kind of agreement?” Her voice turned cooler.

I told her everything — about Tiffany going into the locker room, the underwear, the photos of me coming in and leaving here, and the interview he agreed to give Hadley that would clear Mason.

The room was quiet when I finished, and Briar didn’t look at me. The minute passed quietly, and I was considering just leaving when she turned towards me. Her eyes were shimmering with tears.

“You believe him?”

Three words shouldn’t sound so much like betrayal.

“About Tiffany. Yeah, I do.” I saw her wince. “He’ll give Hadley the story, it will clear Mason.”

“Mason doesn’t give a fuck.” Her anger was potent.