Page 37

The entire thing was so quick and easy, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with what had just unfolded. It was sickening, especially considering that the TA could lose his entire career if this ever had to come out.

“Thanks,” Trace said, but he was standing all by himself.

The TA had already vanished into a hallway a few doors down and had probably picked up his pace after that. He was already worried about this to begin with, so I was sure that he wasn’t going to take any more unnecessary chances.

I didn’t move or make a sound. My eyes remained locked on Trace and the pocket his secret piece of paper had vanished into. My pulse picked up again, but this time it was even more pronounced because now I had seen the entire thing unfold. I hadn’t just made a story based on rumors or looked at countless online reports. It happened right in front of me.

Trace turned back toward me and instantly caught the look. “What?”

I tilted my head slightly and allowed my expression to sharpen as my curiosity burned right through everything else.

“Nothing,” I said, trying to be as nonchalant as humanly possible.

But my mind was racing with possibilities because whatever had just happened was most definitely something.

14

Trace

The paper the TA gave me didn’t look like much, but I knew that was the whole problem. I sank down on the edge of my bed and rested my elbows on my knees as I stared at the study guide in my hands. I honestly hoped it would magically transform if I looked at it long enough, but it stayed what it was.

A few pages stapled together and typed in a neat font. There were a few highlighted sections and notes in the margin that weren’t made by my hand. I wasn’t going to lie and say it wasn’t helpful. The thing was that it was far too helpful to be good.

I flipped the page and scanned the headings. There were key themes, sample questions, and even a breakdown of likely exam topics. It was clear that whoever put it together knew exactly what they were doing, and that meant that it hadn’t just come from nowhere.

I exhaled slowly, considering the implications. The TA hadn’t said much, just that I should look at it later, and that was it. The TA provided no explanation or context, but after reviewing it, I didn’t need either.

This was Frank’s doing. It had his stench all over it, and that really upset me because it played right into Dakota’s hands. He was trying to buy me, and he knew that if I failed the exam, I was out. There would be no eligibility, no field, and no chance to prove anything.

But if I passed… I leaned back slightly, and the paper crinkled in my grip. Is this what having support looks like? Or is this something else, like Dakota said? A sharp, impatient knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.

At first, I didn’t move, but then there was another knock, and this time it was louder.

“Hold on,” I muttered, pushing myself up and crossing the room in a few steps. I pulled the door open and—

Dakota didn’t wait. She pushed past me without an invitation. She moved straight into the room and then she turned on me before I could even process it.

“We need to talk.”

I blinked once, thrown for a second before irritation snapped into place. “Have you ever heard of waiting to be invited in?”

“I knocked, but you took too long.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“There it is,” she said, her eyes glistening with delight. She’d spotted the paper in my hand, and her expression instantly sharpened.

“Get out.”

“There’s no way you’re getting rid of me this time.”

“Seriously?” I asked, already moving toward the door. “Whatever this is, I’m not going to be doing it.”

I opened the door and motioned for her to leave, but she refused. Instead, she stepped in front of me and did the one thing she knew annoyed me to death. She blocked my path, as she had done countless times before.

“That’s what you got from the TA,” she said, trying to grab the page.

My jaw tightened. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”