A group of guys exit the dorm as I’m walking in. They nod at me, and one holds the door open.
“Mom, can we talk later?” I take the stairs two at a time to the fourth floor.
“Adam.” Her motherly tone stops me in my tracks. “I love you, and I know why you’re doing it. But please think carefully about it. You’re messing with your future, and I’m not okay with that.”
I pop my head against the wall in the stairwell, feeling like I’ve disappointed her. In part I have. Drug dealing isn’t going to win me a spot on an NFL team. It’s going to land me in jail if things go south. And that’s what she’s worried about. Not a day goes by that I don’t think the same fucking thing.
“Remember,” she says softly. “You’re no good to us in jail.”
My heart sinks to my feet. “I know, Mom. I love you, too. I’ll see you on Sunday.”
She tells me she loves me again before she hangs up.
Sam flinches when I walk in, shutting his computer screen down like he’s hiding something—which he is.
A crease forms between my brows. “What’s going on?” I ask, eyeing his computer.
He spins around in his desk chair. “Sit down.” He waves to my bed without looking at me.
Hesitantly, I do as he says only because I’m afraid of what he’s about to tell me. It’s been par for the course since Emily shared what Wes has on her. And it’s one of the main reasons I’ve been a bear to live with or be around. I’m surprised none of the guys on the team, or Coach, has noticed. Coach is the only one who snaps at us, but I took a play out of his book today. I lost my shit on Garrett for not following the play we were trying to perfect before the game tomorrow.
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “You found something on Wes?” Sam and I fought about him looking into the fuckwad. I know Sam doesn’t want his name anywhere close to this, since President Parker could put a hurt on us.
But Sam saw how strung out Emily was the other night, and he can’t sit idly by and not help. Like me, he’s afraid Wes will do something drastic, and as vulnerable as Emily is, he doesn’t want that on his conscience, and fuck, neither do I.
But it’s more than that for me. I want to protect her. To shield her from Wes and anyone who would try to manipulate her. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so strongly about any girl. Especially one I haven’t even kissed yet. But Emily Parker has gotten under my skin, and I like feeling her there.
Most of us on campus know Weston Blakely is a dick and treats girls like shit. I’ve witnessed it a couple of times at parties even before I saw how he treated Emily at the frat house.
Sam purses his lips. “I know you have a thing for Emily even though you won’t admit that. Are you sure she’s worth the potential trouble you could get into? Think NFL, dude. The Bears. Your future.”
I close my eyes briefly. “I could say the same to you, man. Your future is bright.” I scrub a hand down my face. “She’s worth it, Sam.” Sure, I’m attracted to her. I want to feel her naked body against mine, want to taste her, tease her, and devour her. It was so fucking hard not to do any of those things when she slept in my arms.
Changing her out of her clothes and into my T-shirt was hell; I’m not going to lie. I looked, but I didn’t touch, because I’d never do that to any girl who was so out of it. Right now, this thing with Emily is not about our obvious attraction. I won’t let any guy blackmail a woman into dating him.
Sam snaps his fingers. “Earth to Adam.”
I blink. “Sorry. Look, no girl should be subjected to a guy like Wes. He’s vile, and he has zero respect for women. I’d kill any guy who’d dare to treat Phoebe like that.”
His face darkens. He adores Phoebe, and I know, even after we graduate, Sam will always be a part of our lives.
I pop to my feet and pace. “We need to stop him.”
He grabs the back of his neck. “I agree, but you don’t need to be punching walls or anyone. You have a game tomorrow.”
I crack my knuckles, the sound exploding in the silence between us. “What did you find?”
Sam shakes his head. “I’m not sure you want to see this.”
I cross my arms over my chest, leveling him with a ‘get real’ look. “Sam, I’m a big boy.”
“Wes has upped the blackmailing stakes.” He gnaws on his lip, and my heart stutters in my chest. “He sent her a video, anonymously, but it wreaks of that asshole.” His nostrils flare, and fire flashes in his eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sam so mad. “It’s not pleasant viewing. You’ve got to keep your shit together. Promise me.” His tone drops a notch.
I settle behind him, my pulse jumping erratically, as he opens his computer screen. “I promise.” I want to believe what Sam’s about to show me can’t be worse than what Emily already shared with me, but his reaction is scaring me.
He taps a key and video begins to play.
It takes me a second to register what’s going on—naked bodies, group sex, strung-out junkies, and what the fuck...
