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“Hello? Did you not hear me the first time? Get out.”
I wheeled around and stalked down the staircase by Patrick’s room. I needed to get home before anyone else recognized me. Rain splattered my face, and I was grateful for the sting.
Someone was running up behind me, their feet squelching on the wet grass.
“Christina,” James panted. “Look, I— I’m sorry.” His eyes flicked away from mine. “You shouldn’t walk back alone. I’ll go with you.”
“Screw that,” I muttered. “I’m fine.”
“I said I’ll walk you back.”
“I said I’m fine!” I snapped.
James stopped short, shock on his face.
“What, now I can’t be upset? I can’t be angry that the man I want has dumped me?”
“Dumped?” James’s expression faltered. “I thought—”
“Whatever you think, whatevertheythink, you’re wrong. That’s not how it was.”
Who was I kidding? That was exactly how it was. Except it wasn’t. What had gone down between me and Patrick wasn’t the cheap, ugly thing his fraternity brothers made it out to be. It was…beautiful, in its way. Transformative—
But the money. The fucking money.
“How’d they know?” I forced the words out.
James flushed and tugged on his collar.
“How’d they know?” I repeated. “How didyouknow?”
He rocked on his heels. “There was a video.”
“From the game?” I snorted. “That’s old news. And it doesn’t—”
“A different video.” He turned to stare at the back of Kappa Sig. “You and Patrick. You were outside. You were talking, and, uh — it was pretty explicit.”
My stomach pulled in like I’d been punched. The night of Scene on the Green, by the tree. When Dexter had spied on us. Our most private moment, our feelings, were cheapened into a crude show.
I clenched my fists. “Dexter posted it?”
James gave a stiff nod. Gingerly, he put his hand on my shoulder. Afraid to touch me, like I had a disease he’d catch, when all I had was heartache.
“I know it sucks to be…dumped. I went through it. You were there. I can be there for you…” He trailed off. I could see how uncomfortable he was.
Trying to get my breathing under control, I unclenched my fists and went in for a awkward hug to reassure him. Or maybe I just wanted to be held — to feel cared about. When he flinched, I stepped back.
“You don’t need to walk me home. “
I kept to the shadows as I hurried across campus. Every so often, I passed people and heard scraps of swirling gossip. Dideveryoneknow? Dexter’s sinister little smile and flat gaze flashed through my head, and I shuddered.
I felt raw, scraped open.
Who could I talk to? Allison? She was just a study buddy. Maria and Ashley? They were loyal to Syd. The girls on cheer squad? They’d never look at me the same way again. I’d probably be kicked off for good.
I fingered my phone in my purse, desperate enough to consider hunting down Jess Janicek, Patrick’s ex. She knew what it was like to break up with him.
“Did you guyshearabout that cheerleader?” some girl squealed at the end of a row of apartments. A group was getting out of a car.
