“Look,” he starts, not wasting any time, “I don’t know all the details, but there’s more to this whole competition than what you’ve been told.”
I frown, skepticism vibrating over my whole body. “Why would you turn on your supposed friend?”
His jaw ticks. “He hasn’t been a real friend to me. He’s a liar. He’s lying to you too.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
“He’s been lying to you since the beginning of this competition, and I have proof.”
My stomach drops, and an otherworldly aura settles over me. The world around me grows dark and fuzzy.
I knew this was coming. I knew Tristan was out to get me from the beginning.
So why does it hurt so much?
CHAPTER 9
Amy
“I knew it.” My words float through the air, disembodied, as if they were whispered by a ghost.
“Smart girl,” Nick says. “You were always smart. I’d never trust Harper after what she did to you.”
His words jerk me out of my daze. “What do you mean?”
He frowns. “You went from being part of the family to basically a stranger overnight. I knew it was all her. You would never abandon our family like that. Not when we were going through something so hard.”
My throat grows tight. “No, I wouldn’t.”
He nods, his expression growing pained. “She tried to blame you for it. She said you didn’t give a shit that our dad was dead, and that her being sad all the time annoyed you.”
My heart jumps into my throat. “That’s not true.”
He smiles faintly. “I know. I never believed her.”
I let out a long sigh. The weight of six years is finally starting to melt away. I can’t say that I’ve thought about Nick very oftenover the years. Still, it’s a balm to hear that he sees me as blameless.
Why have I harbored a small measure of guilt when it comes to Harper? I would have been friends with her forever if she hadn’t cut me out. But maybe she really believes what she told Nick. Maybe I didn’t say the right things when their dad died, and she really thought I found her grief annoying. It sounds crazy, because I cared about her and her family, but people in deep pain aren’t always rational.
“So what’s Tristan’s plan?” I ask Nick, recalling the reason he brought me here.
He shakes his head. “I’m not sure exactly, but I know he filled out your application for the game. And he made sure the admins picked you. He told me that point-blank.”
I nod. “I know he did. I suspect he’s trying to humiliate me.”
“I’m thinking he might be too. After your five-minute date, we were all teasing him at the frat. We said you were his favorite. He was acting all cocky about it, like he usually does, and he said… Fuck, this might hurt your feelings.”
I wave a hand, though my throat grows tight. I can only hope it’s not too cruel.
“He said shy nerds are crazy in bed, and he’ll be fucking you by the end of the game. He said we’ll all hear you screaming and calling him God from his bedroom. He has a betting pool going, and it’s up to five K now. A few of the other guys said they’ll sleep with you before he does.”
I grimace. “They’re all fucking disgusting.”
“They are. I wasn’t the only person to speak up for you. Some of the other guys think it’s out of line, but that’s not even the only thing Tristan’s done.” His eyes cloud over. “I found… I should have told you this before. I found…something a year ago.”
My pulse races. “What did you find?”
He lets out a breath. “I found pictures of you. Lots of them.”
