Chapter 71

The next day at cheerleading practice, I had hoped that the girls would be sharing news of Brent’s apologies and admissions of guilt.

Instead, they were only talking about Joseph and Asher’s challenge.

“I can’t wait to see Asher in action!”

“Joseph’s sure to get annihilated.”

“I don’t know. He seemed pretty confident when he was sharing the news. He said not to underestimate him.”

“Sure, but against Asher? He’d need a miracle to win.”

I tried to ignore them. I didn’t want to think about the way Asher had looked at me last night, like I had betrayed him by being unsure who I had hoped would win the fight.

He still walked me home, of course. Even if it had been in uneasy silence.

To turn their attention to something else, and because I was tired of waiting for them to mention it, I approached the chattering group of my fellow cheerleaders and asked them directly.

“Have you heard any rumors about Brent?”

“Brent?” Elena replied. “Is that your latest conquest, Cynthia?” She laughed, a hint of malice in her eyes.

Conquest? I didn’t have conquests. But the others joined her in laughing.

“You sure run through them,” one of the girls said. “Asher and Joseph hadn’t even fought yet, and you’re already onto… what? Your fourth fling? Fifth?”

Fling? Where were they getting these ideas? Was this the rumor that Nicole had heard? That I was… promiscuous?

No, that couldn’t be all there was to it. Nicole had never judged me for my experience before. If anything, it only made her more eager to talk to me, to ask me questions.

“I heard something about Brent,” Nicole said now, blessedly changing the subject. “A girl on his same floor told me that Brent refused to leave his room today, even when some of his team came by to grab him for practice.”

“So he’s sick and can’t leave his room,” Elena said, narrowing her gaze at Nicole, likely annoyed that Nicole had ruined Elena’s fun prodding me. “That’s not news.”

Nicole lifted one shoulder, then let it drop. “She said he was crying, and saying something weird about a baby.”

Elena rolled her eyes. “He probably has a fever.”

“Delirious,” said another girl. “I hope someone called a doctor.”

“That’s all she said,” Nicole finished and returned to stretching, ignoring the rest of us.

Disappointment speared me as I sunk my body into my own stretches. The rest of the girls returned to talking about Joseph and Asher, but my mind remained on Brent.

With how afraid he had been, I’d thought for sure that my plan had worked. And I’d been relieved.

Exhaustion still pulled at my mind. If he needed another dose of fear to convince him to do the right thing, I wasn’t sure I could do it again so soon.

But Aimee was running out of time.

Maybe if I could get more information.

I tried wedging myself back into the girls’ conversation. I asked, “Do you guys think that’s strange, about Brent?”

The ones who bothered looking at me did so with bored expressions. The rest gave me the cold shoulder.

Only Elena addressed me directly. “Seriously, Cynthia. Get your life together.”

I slunk away from them, a bit miffed, though mostly embarrassed. I wouldn’t find any help there.

They were being much colder than usual. Typically I was neither liked nor despised. I was just another girl on the team. Were they still mad about the competition?

Or was it, as I feared, related to those rumors about me that Nicole had mentioned?

Since I couldn’t do anything about it now, not knowing what those rumors were, I tried to concentrate on my stretches and on practice.

It worked for a while.

Obviously, what I had done to Brent had not been enough. Likely he needed another encounter with the ghost of his deceased child. The thought of forming that apparition again made me feel queasy, but to save Aimee, I would find the strength.

At night, I returned to Brent’s dorm, wishing I had Asher with me again. But I was too ashamed to speak with him, after last night. So instead, I pushed through the front door on my own.

I stuck close to a group that was entering at the same time, hoping the superintendent wouldn’t look too closely at all the members if they recognized a few.

Nervous sweat dripped down the back of my neck as we walked past the front desk. The superintendent glanced once, but then not again.

Relief surged as I started to break away from the group I’d infiltrated. The hallway was otherwise clear as I headed to the stairwell.

Victory!

Until the stairwell door opened and Joseph walked out. I was so close, we nearly bumped into each other. He spotted me instantly. There was no escape.

“Cynthia,” he said. “I warned you.”

“To heck with your warnings, Joseph.” Irritation spiked through me, both at being caught and at seeing Joseph again so soon. “If you hadn’t given me that necklace… And the way you’ve been talking about me! Why should I listen to a word you say?”

He crossed his arms. “Because I’m looking out for you.”

“Are you? Asher’s whore is what you called me.”

He winced. “I was angry when I said that. You know Asher gets on my nerves.”

That was true, but it wasn’t a nearly good enough explanation. “You want to make it up to me, then? Call off the challenge.”

He laughed, deep from his chest – until he realized I was serious. He immediately stifled himself.

“No way! If I back out now, I’d forfeit the match. Like hell I’m doing that. Not when I’m finally going to get the chance to put that asshole in his place.”

“But Joseph,” I said, trying to sound reasonable. “Asher is –”

“You think he’s better than me, don’t you? Everyone does. That’s going to make my victory all the sweeter. Asher’s been riding on top for far too long. I’m going to knock him down. He’s going to know what it feels like to grovel under a bigger, better wolf.”

Joseph’s eyes burned with open hatred.

I started to realize that for Joseph, this challenge had little to do with any affection for me and everything to do with his loathing for Asher.

“Now. Let’s get you out of here before someone sees you and starts making assumptions.” He snatched my arm at the wrist and dragged me back up the hallway toward the exit.

“Let me go, Joseph,” I hissed, trying to free myself.

He only held on tighter, pressing bruises into my skin. “You will not embarrass me, Cynthia. Got it? You are going to do as I tell you and let this go.”

Joseph yanked me through the front door and out onto the sidewalk.

“You need to get over these silly ideas Asher seems to let you indulge in,” he said. “When I win this fight and you become mine, you’ll forget about Brent. Forget about everything but what I tell you.”

“I’m not a prize you get to win, Joseph. I’m my own person.”

Joseph scoffed. “When I win, you won’t have Asher anymore. I’m all you’re going to have, you understand? So you better start being nice to me, or you’ll end up totally alone.”

His words struck me, hurting worse than the bruises.

Another look at my face, and he laughed again. “You better adjust to the idea, Cynthia.”

I stood where I was, too shocked even after Joseph had left. How could Joseph be so confident? How could he hate Asher so much?

Why did it seem like he hated me too?

I trembled in fear and anger and uncertainty.

Joseph will never give you the life you want. He won’t change.

I hadn’t wanted to listen to Asher’s warning. I’d wanted to trust in my dream of a real family.

But the things Joseph had said…

The way he had threatened to treat me…

I wanted to talk to Asher. Now.

I started walking, when movement in the corner of my eye snared my attention.

Someone stuck to the shadows, wearing a hood and acting suspicious.

Trying to sneak into Brent’s dorm?

They turned and I saw their face.

Aimee?