“I guess they thought with some drinks on board, we’d be into it.” Her voice drops even lower. “When things started going in a certain direction, I flat out said ‘no.’ My friend did as well. Things went south from there.” Arya shakes her head. “My friend can be wild in that way. She thought I’d told Bray. Which I never did. Back then, I didn’t even know. It was before she confided in me. Anyway, those guys thought she would go along. Even after we said no, Bray let them take her.” Her eyes are unblinking as they lock with mine.
“He dragged me to his room to ‘convince me.’” She blows out a breath. “I’m strong, and Bray’s so fucking skinny. You’d think I could’ve easily broken free of his grip, but I couldn’t.” Arya shakes her head sharply. “I threw myself against him, knocking us both to the floor. He hit his head hard enough to lose consciousness. I went straight to the other room. I literally had to break the door open. My entire upper arm was purple the next day. Wilson had her on the ground. She was struggling and begging him to let her go while he yanked down her panties. I grabbed a bookend and hit him in the back of the head. I didn’t want to kill him, so it wasn’t hard enough. It didn’t knock him out. He kicked me, and I fell. She was trying to scramble away, and he reached out to grab her. This time, I wanted to stop him for good. So,I did. I can still hear his screams.” Arya shudders. “I knew the way to the back stairs, and I got us the hell out of there as fast as I could.”
Gritting my teeth, I shake my head. “Delmer. That fucking asshole never should have had you to begin with.”
Her head tilts, watching me.
“Sorry.” Popping my knuckles, I grimace. “Jealousy rearing its ugly head. Finish your story.”
Her brows rise. “You jealous of Brayden? Why would you be?”
My teeth grind, and I cock my head. “He had you… which I did not like.”
She tilts her head, looking confused. “What are you saying?”
“He didn’t deserve you. Neither did Sosa. Always a sore spot, since I wanted you myself.”
“You wanted… you’re such an idiot,” she whispers. “You could’ve had me.”
“No. In the beginning, you had a boyfriend. When one of the other players asked you out Freshman year, that’s what you said. And later, you weren’t speaking to me.”
“I was trying to get out of the relationship with Luis almost as soon as it started. I was just trying to figure out a way to do it safely.”
“I gave you the out.”
“And put me and my whole family at risk.”
“No. His family’s days were numbered.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I know, but I couldn’t tell you.”
Our eyes lock again. If I’m going to confess, I might as well go “balls to the wall.”
“Even if he’d recovered from the beating before events transpired in Boston, he couldn’t have gotten to you. Someone…” My finger presses against my chest. “Watched you to make sure.”
Her lips part in surprise, and I lean forward, pulling the connection between us tighter. “Here are two other things I know that you don’t. First, we made fools of the Lambda Deltas by getting them to pay fifty thousand dollars for what they think is rare bootleg whiskey but is actually worth about fifteen dollars a bottle. Unbeknownst to Shane, I picked them as a target not because they’re pricks—though they certainly are—but because you dated one of them and I resented it.”
I draw in a breath, fighting to keep my cool. “And second, if I’d known Brayden Delmer caused you to get knocked down and kicked by that asshole Wilson, both he and Wilson would’ve paid the price for what they did that night.”
The rage bubbling through my blood is hard to contain. I’d like to smash Delmer and Wilson into a million bloody pieces. “When either of them and I cross paths again, he’ll get what he deserves.”
“Hey,” she whispers as she puts her hand on the opposite side of my face. Her lips move near my ear, so her breath tickles my skin. “No, but thank you. Seriously.” She kisses the side of my face and then my jaw. “Just knowing you want to is enough.”
I shake my head. “They hurt you, Arya. They should pay for that.”
“Oh, baby,” she whispers against my lips. “I wish I’d realized how you felt sooner. I’d never have dated Bray… or anyone other than you.”
My heart bangs inside my chest. I finally realize what kind of woman Arya really is. Fighting her way out of frat houses to rescue her friend? For fuck’s sake. Delmer should’ve protected her. And after he didn’t, he’s got the fucking balls to touch her the way he did on The Hideaway stage? If I had known that night…
Clenching my teeth, I glance away. His days are numbered now. Arya’s mine, and I’ll end his fucking life before hebreathesin her direction again.
“Erik, listen. Let’s not cause trouble for ourselves. The Lambda Delta Kappas are protected. The dean was a Lambda Delta. So was Drew Ralston. We are not getting into it withthem. I promised my friend. So the thing that happened in the past… let’s let it go.”
“Arya,” I say strongly. “I’m not your little sweetheart of a friend. Ralston and the dean may intimidate Octavia, but they don’t scare me. That’s the advantage of doing the things I’ve done.”
“I know you’re dangerous,” she whispers. “But that’s behind you, right?”
