“I woke up and was super excited. I love Applewood smoked bacon because it’s so sweet, and when it’s cooked just right it’s a little soggy with some fat marbling around its edge. The potato panca—”
“Get to the point,” Chanced interrupted, knowing he’d have to do all the talking. My throat had reached another level of pain, dry and thick, too strangled to form words.
“I left the dorm room and saw Gray. He was running down the hallway toward me and I’d said, what’s up man? Potato Pancake Day and he’d said, just worked out… I’m grabbing some water… I’ll be down in a little while. You had this stupid shit-eating grin on your face, shirt off wearing just your running shoes and boxers, but you took a left into the alcove to the snack machines which I thought was strange. The water fountain was across the hallway. Well, maybe you just wanted a bott—”
I faced him. “So help me God, Fernando. If you don’t get to the fucking point I will call your Grandma Louisa and tell her what you really do on Sundays instead of church.” He spends Sundays in his boxers watching Doctor Who reruns.
“No need for threats, Peters.” Fernando twisted deeper in his seat and wrung his hands. “I stopped at Chance’s room for a minute and he blew me off too, and once I got to the elevator I saw your dorm door open. I ran over, thinking you were back, and Nick was standing over some sleeping girl in your bed—Sydney, I guess, because she had that guitar stick thingy tattoo on her neck—then I’d whispered to Nick, what are you doing in here? I barely had the words out before he’d pushed me outside the room and slammed the door.” Fernando stopped, cautiously shooting me a glance.
“That’s it?” Chance questioned, as the truck stopped at a red light.
“Well, before I could ask Nick again, Ashton Williams came strutting down the hall, proud as a peacock. He was always so cocky. I remember Ashton had said, ten on the pussy scale. What about you, Nick? I’m in the lead so far.”
My chest tightened, nearing a full on cramp, and I closed my eyes, lying my head back on the headrest.
Fernando continued. “Then Nick had answered, I got two. He’d knocked on Gray’s door and said, Quarter point on the pussy scale for that dirty bitch in there, but I took her to Pound Town. She’s learned her lesson.” Fernando mimicked Nick’s stoic tone and I took in a deep breath.
“You’re an idiot, Fernando,” Chance broke in, slamming his foot down on the gas pedal. “You didn’t think to mention this before now? Didn’t you think it was weird that Nick was in Gray’s room?”
Fernando pursed his lips together, deep in thought. “Now, I guess it seems weird, but Ashton had asked him where Gray was and Nick had said, verbatim, I told Peters to take a hike, so he stayed on the couch in the rec room.”
“What next?” Chance snapped, jabbing Fernando with his elbow.
Fernando smacked him back and said, “Then they both laughed, and Ashton asked, What about the other one? Nick answered, Brittany? She earns a ten.” Fernando gave me a slight nod and stared out through the windshield. “So yeah, they slept together, Peters. I thought you knew… You were the one sleeping on the rec couch.”
Drunk off my ass and now pissed as hell, I gave Chance a don’t-fuck-with-me look. “Where does Ashton drink?”
Chapter Forty-Three
Allison bought me time via her explosive diarrhea ruse, but I was stumped. I’d found zero dirt on Katharine DeSonna. I started to make a list of ways I could blackmail her, but every time I put the pen on the paper, I thought of Gray.
He’d hate Pittsburgh, right? It was probably colder there, less rain but colder. His parents lived in Portland, and from the personal stories Della Peters showered me with at the game, Gray would rather chew off his throwing arm than leave them. And what about the children? Think about those little hearts he’d be crushing at MacArthur Middle School. The children, Peters!
I slammed my head down on the desk.
Who was I kidding? Certainly not myself. Everything ached. I was sore in places I never thought could be riddled with pain. The fact that I still loved Gray made me sick to my stomach.
I realized what I felt in the fifth grade for Jacob Deris scored a two on the Sydney love scale.
Gray hit a ten.
But for me, I needed both trust and love, and Gray ruined that.
Allison had left shortly after the game to stay the night at Jack’s. I had a good laugh when she pulled on her sweats, grabbed her sleeping bag from under her bed, and snatched up some Disney movies. They were having a tween slumber party. Their happiness staved off some of the unbearable throbbing in my chest, but it was still there waiting for when I was alone.
Dropping my pen, I gave up and grabbed my shower caddy. The dorm hall was eerily quiet tonight. Everyone was out celebrating Northern’s big win, and no doubt Gray was somewhere doing keg stands at this very moment.
Hopping into the shower, I closed the blurry glass door and swung my towel over the edge. I had just started the water when I heard the door creep open.
“I’ll be done in five minutes,” I yelled through the stream of water.
Then my towel was ripped off the stall door.
“What the hell?”
“You don’t know me.” A small voice rose with the steamy air, followed by a string of mumbles.
“What?” I asked, turning off the shower and covering my lady parts. “I can’t hear you. Give me back my towel.”
I heard an aggravated sigh followed by a throat clearing. “You don’t know me,” the voice said louder. “But I know who you are, Sunday Lane.”
At first, my mind was racing and my heart was beating just as fast. I was going to get a prison-style beatdown in the dorm shower. Then I replayed the voice in my mind.
“Lily Tanaka?”
“Goddammit,” Lily said from behind the glass, and my towel was tossed back over. I quickly wrapped it around me and opened the door.
Lily waited, arms crossed over her wool blazer, leaning a hip against the sink edge. “How did you know it was me?”
“You’re in my Sexual Evolution class. You talk all the time. How could I not know it was you?”
She straightened her back and glanced warily at the door. “Shh… you don’t know me,” she reiterated, emphasizing each word and slowly nodding her head.
“Okay.”
Stepping out of the shower, I stood in a puddle of water as she circled me like a lion does its prey.
“Be quiet,” she warned. “Are you familiar with the term Panhellenic?”
“That’s a disease from the sixteenth century, right?” I tucked my towel closer around my waist.
Lily rolled her eyes. “No, Sydney, it’s not,” she snapped. Her eyes flashed red, then resumed their normal midnight black. “Panhellenic is the national council charged with monitoring the activities of fraternities and sororities.” She jabbed a thumb against her buttoned white dress shirt. “I’m the secretary of the Northern Panhellenic chapter.”
“Okay,” I uttered, not understanding where she was going with this.
“It was brought to our attention Katharine DeSonna plans to release information on you. Information that will damage your little reputation,” she said with a hint of disgust in her voice.
“Get to the point, Tanaka.” Grabbing my caddy, I headed for the door, but she whipped her back against it, blocking my exit.
“Fine,” she said, straightening her matching wool skirt. She looked like an anime schoolgirl. I half expected her eyes to bulge out of her head and a hovering rainbow surfboard to carry her out of the room. Reaching into her bag she produced a small digital recorder. “We want to help you, Sydney.”