Chapter 23 Iwas screwed. I resisted the urge to strangle the strap across my chest and followed Delilah from Stephen's office. We'd played things off, but I had no idea how much Delilah saw. She'd walked in after Stephen stopped our kiss. Still. There was something about the way she looked at me that caused my instincts to take flight. "Why did Leighona change the meeting to tonight?" I shifted the bag around so it rested better on my hip. Delilah shrugged. "Why does Leighona do anything?" "Because she can." I laughed, hoping Delilah would join in. "Seriously, I'm sorry I missed your texts." How could I ask her what she'd seen without coming right out and admitting the truth? She waved me off. "It's fine. I was in the area, and I know you've been working super hard on your grades. I hated to interrupt." She shot a side-eye my way. "You two looked pretty intense." "He scares me." It was easy enough to admit. Stephen intimidated me, even after sleeping with him. He'd admitted he liked spending time with me. A grin threatened. I held it back, rolling my lips together and shaking my head. Delilah laughed, shaking her head the whole time we crossed the quad. Several students sat at the tables lined up beneath the trees. One guy called out to Delilah, and another whistled. She flipped them off, rolling her eyes. "Fuck off." They hooted and whistled again. Delilah took my arm and steered me toward the sorority house perched on the other side of campus. I'd walked this morning, hoping to use the time to clear my head. "How much longer are you going to need tutoring?" Delilah kept hold of my arm, her grip tight but not painful. She looked left and right before we walked beneath the canopy of limbs that cast the sidewalk in complete darkness. A single light shone ahead, the streetlamp illuminating the parking lot where I usually left my car. I almost shrugged, but chose to answer instead. "I don't know. But from how things are going right now, it looks like I'll pass this semester. If I can keep my grades up." That was the part I worried about. Passing these last few weeks were great, but I had a few months left that could still fail me. "You'll pass." Delilah gave me one of her brilliant smiles as we left the shadows and stepped into the yellow light. Our sorority house was at the end of the block, close enough that I could see the brightly lit windows from here. "I hope so. I can't lose my scholarship. This is my chance to make my life better." "And you have to do everything you can to make sure that happens," Delilah said in a rush while staring straight ahead. "I get it. You don't want the weight of it to land on your mom." "I won't let her try to pay for school. This is my problem, and I'm so glad things are looking up." I meant every word. I'd worked my ass off for these grades. Yes, I was sleeping with my professors, but none of them raised my grades because of it. Matthew had even said they wouldn't hold it against me if I chose to walk away. I had no compulsion to leave any of them. What had made him say that? If they were getting tired of me, one of them would say so. Delilah stopped and hugged me. "I'm happy for you." A dry laugh rattled the air when she released me. "You seem to have all the luck." I hurried after her when she sped ahead of me. "What do you mean?" My rushing steps slapped against the concrete. A few guys stood outside one of the frat houses on the other end of the block. I loved this part of campus. It was always alive with activity. The frat boys were annoying as fuck sometimes, but they made afternoons amusing. Especially when they stood outside and pretended not to notice Delilah moving past them. They never paid me any attention. I preferred it that way. The only attention I wanted came from the three professors I was falling in love with. Delilah waited until we stood on the stoop, the closed door cutting us off from the laughter I heard inside. "You're spending all your time with hunky professors." She winked and threw her head back in a laugh that rippled through her entire body. "Do you have any idea what we'd all give to have any one of them tutoring us? And you have two giving you free private lessons." I should have a response for that, but nothing came to mind. "It's just odd, you know? Why are they giving you free tutoring lessons?" Delilah twisted the doorknob. As a favor to Matthew. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from admitting that out loud. It wouldn't help and would only incriminate me further. She was right. It did look bad. I tried to shift gears when she opened the door and led the way to the living room where all the other girls had already taken the available seats. I perched on the edge of the couch in front of Jessica and listened to Leighona drone on and on about the values of the sorority house. "We're all in this together," Leighona said. Her voice had a roughness to it that I'd noticed more often lately. She winced and rubbed her throat. "You're in this sorority because you agree that your career is more important than anything else." "Which means we do what we need to keep on track." Jessica shifted on the seat, which caused her knee to bump my hip. "Like Harmony. She had a problem with her grades, and she found a way to overcome the problem." A groan stuck in my throat. Please don't let them devolve into another talk about how lucky I was to work with the Dream Team. If the tables were turned, I might have been likely to make jokes too. I understood it on another level now, and I vowed not to be that person in the future. "That's right. And remember, we're here for each other." Leighona smiled easily, but it didn't reach her eyes. She scanned the room with a shrewd look. "We should be each other's support. When you need something, you can come to any one of us." She probably meant it, but I also knew that asking any one of these women for help came with its own set of consequences and possible problems. I couldn't talk to any of them about the musical. As Leighona's understudy, their loyalty was to her. She had seniority and had been part of the sorority longer than anyone else in our group. Anything I said would be rejected, turned into a problem with Leighona, and extrapolated into an argument. I hadn't anticipated any of that when Delilah convinced me to join. Delilah was the only one I'd ever fully trusted, and now I was hiding things from her. The knot of unease I'd carried since I started sleeping with my professors weighed heavier than ever. The bright pink curtains covering the front windows fluttered when Leighona stood and walked past them. "Now that we have that out of the way, does anyone have anything else to discuss?" A solemn quiet reigned over the room. Other than the chug from the air conditioner in the window behind Leighona, not a single sound broke through. My stomach twisted tighter. I'd never admit anything to them, especially about my professors, but there was a part of me that kind of wished I felt like I belonged in this group. We had the same core values. My career was the most important thing in my life. At least, it had been. "Well, if that's all, then let's dismiss." Leighona clapped her hands and waved. "Good night." I stood and beelined to the kitchen for a snack before I retreated to my room. I'd missed dinner again, but there was no way I could tolerate a full meal. Delilah stayed behind to talk with Jessica and a few others. I stopped at the counter, enjoying the blessed emptiness the kitchen offered. A deep breath helped ease the guilt clawing at my insides. I owed it to my mother to do better, to make something of my life. She'd worked too hard-we both had-for me to throw it all away. That was why I worked so hard to bring my grades up. Was I just deluding myself in thinking that I'd put in the effort and that was why my grades were better? I dug a banana from the fruit bowl, cracked it open, and took a bite. The soft flavor spread across my tongue, and I polished off the fruit in a half dozen bites. Lifting the lid on the trash can, I threw the peel inside. It landed with a plop on top of a Styrofoam container with my name across the top. My stomach twisted when I recognized the leftovers of my pizza bowl. Someone had thrown it away ... and it hadn't gone bad. I opened the refrigerator, my curiosity on high alert. Every other container from that night sat on the middle shelf. Every single fucking one except mine. Someone had taken it upon themselves to throw away my leftovers but no one else's. The text I'd received a few nights ago flashed in my mind. I had an enemy. Throwing away my food was a petty move, and it might have nothing to do with the text, but it was odd. I'd never had trouble with anyone in my sorority. Sure, they ordered Thai even though they knew I didn't like it. I didn't expect them to cater every dinner according to my taste. This was different. I closed the door with an audible thud. My vision blurred. Fuck. I refused to cry over something so ridiculous. I ran the back of my hand under my nose and left the kitchen. The living room was empty, and I made it all the way to my room without running into anyone. Good. I didn't want to talk to them anyway. I crossed to the cheap leather chair tucked beneath my scratched and dented desk I'd rescued from the curb the day I moved in, and I sank into the cracked upholstery. My eyes burned, but I still refused to cry. My phone dinged. I almost ignored it, but the what-if forced my hand into my pocket. The same anonymous number had sent me another message. I locked my jaw and opened the text thread. Stay away from the Dream Team. I snorted and shoved the phone away. It dinged again. This time, they'd texted in all caps. IF YOU DON'T, EVERYONE IS GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT A SLUT YOU ARE. SWEET, INNOCENT HARMONY. WHAT WILL EVERYONE THINK WHEN THEY FIND OUT YOU'RE BUYING YOUR GRADES WITH SEX? My hands shook. I read the message twice to make sure I hadn't gotten it wrong. My entire body turned numb. I yanked off my sneakers, throwing them toward the closet, then dug my feet into the rough carpet. A prickling sensation swept over the soles of my feet, but that was it. I picked up my phone, dropped it, and picked it up again, holding tight with both hands. The coldness spread to my fingers, making them feel thick and clumsy on the keys. I had to defend myself. Otherwise, I gave them what they wanted. I proved them right, and I showed them that I wouldn't fight back. My thumbs skated over the keys. You're an asshole, and I'm not doing anything wrong. I tapped send before I lost my nerve and put the phone on silent. I wouldn't be able to sleep, but at least I could pretend I'd won. I shook out the cold feeling in my fingers and headed into my bathroom for a long, hot soak in the tub. It might not clear my thoughts or give me a direction, but if I stayed in my room, I'd end up falling into the trap the messages created. A single mother returns to the city she left seven years ago after breaking up with her ex to seek treatment for her son’s leukemia. Upon learning of her return, the ex immediately searches for the lo...