Didn’t blink.
Just stared at the blank screen, my hands curled into fists.
Nate wanted a war?
Fine.
Let him bring it.
The screen flickered back to the news anchor, her expression shifting from scandalized to something sharper. "We're getting word that Billie Donovan is hosting some—" She paused, checking her earpiece. "I think it's a live on social media?"
My heartstopped.
Paige already had her phone out, thumbs flying. Gideon snatched it from her, his face twisting as he pulled up the stream.
There she was.
Billie sat on the edge of her bed, hair damp like she’d just showered, Crestwood hoodie pulled over her knees. The camera was shaky at first, then steadied. Her eyes were red-rimmed but dry. No tears. Just fire.
The live counter ticked up—5K viewers. 10K. 20K.
Gideon’s breath hissed through his teeth. "She’s going toruinyou. To ruin the fucking Serpents. We can't survive another goddamn scandal."
I didn’t answer.
Because Billie wasn’t looking at the camera like she was scared.
She was looking at it like she wasready.
"Hey," she said, voice steady. "Since everyone’s so interested in my life lately, I figured I’d save you the trouble of digging."
A beat.
Then she smiled—sharp, humorless,real—and started talking.
The screen blurred.
Gideon’s office faded. The hum of the city outside the windows, the distant clatter of Paige’s keyboard, the way my own breath burned in my throat—none of it mattered.
Only her.
"I take full responsibility for the relationship between myself and Coach Shaw."
Her voice didn’t waver. Didn’t crack. But her eyes—fuck, her eyes—were glass. Too bright. Too empty. Like she’d already mourned whatever came next.
"It was consensual. It was real. And the decision was mine."
The press pool erupted. Cameras flashed. A reporter in the front row—some smarmy bastard fromThe Athletic—shouted, "Did he pressure you? Were there threats?"
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t even look at him.
"Absolutely not," she said. "If anything, I took advantage of him."
"You realize you could get kicked off the team if you initiated in a sordid affair?" someone asked.
"I understand the consequences, and I’ll accept them."
My chest caved in.
