Page 71 of For Crosby

* * *

Practice wasn’t as brutal that night. Jeremy wasn’t up to his normal antics. If anything, he stayed away from me. Maybe he realized I was done being made to look like a fool.

I showered and packed up my gear, hurrying out of the arena and heading for Sabrina’s. Finlay was staying at Caden’s again, so we had the room to ourselves.

I made my way outside, and began my trek to her dorm. Half-way there, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I slipped it out, figuring it would be a text from Sabrina. It wasn’t. It was a link from an anonymous sender. My curiosity got the best of me and I clicked the link.

A shiver of dread scampered up my spine as a grainy video played on the screen.

I stopped, holding the phone closer. My pulse pounded in my temples as I stood helplessly watching a video of Sabrina and me having sex in the psych building. The recording wasn’t from a surveillance camera. It was from someone’s phone. Though we’d been in the dark library, I could clearly see it was us. The sounds coming from the recording were those filled with pleasure, but the only feeling rushing through my body while watching it was fear.

Fucking Jeremy.

Had he been there? Had he recorded us? And who else had seen the video? Who else had it?

Tears stung my eyes. Fucking tears. Sabrina had been brought into my mess. She was being targeted because of me.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and dragged my shaking fingers through my hair. My world was spiraling and I had no idea how to stop it. Sabrina’s reputation hung in the balance and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do. I was at Jeremy’s mercy. He knew it and I knew it.

Students crisscrossed the campus heading to and from their classes and the dorms. Were they all looking at me? Had they already seen the video? Strangely, I wasn’t worried about me. They’d all seen me naked. I was worried about Sabrina. About what they’d say about her. How they’d treat her.

My guilty heart raced. This was all my fault. I’d brought her into this. How would she ever be able to forgive me if she found out?

She wouldn’t.

* * *

Xavier sat at my desk, his laptop, tablet, and phone all running searches for the video. He’d sworn up and down he had no knowledge of it. He was the only guy on the team who’d been decent to me—reaching outcast status by hanging with me. I owed it to him to trust him.

I sat on my bed, my phone and tablet both running their own searches. But nothing turned up. It had been two hours since I’d received the video. And being unable to find it gave me hope it was only meant to fuck with me.

My phone pinged and a text from Sabrina popped up. Shit. I’d forgotten to text her. You running late?

Bile crept up the back of my throat. How did you tell someone her entire world could be ruined by the click of a button? Sorry. Not feeling well. Don’t wanna get you sick. I texted back like the coward I was.

OMG! The scout’s coming 2moro. Get some rest.

I didn’t respond to her text. I couldn’t.

“Dude. It’s not here,” Xavier said.

I exhaled a breath, knowing it was just a matter of time before the other shoe dropped.

“I’m gonna head out.” He gathered up his devices and stuffed them into his backpack. “But I’ll keep the searches going tonight.”

I nodded, but it didn’t stop my stomach from churning.

“What are you gonna do?” he asked.

“I have no fucking clue. I appreciate your help, man.”

“It was nothing. Look, I’ll keep my ears open. Let you know if I hear anything.”

“Thanks.”

He pulled open my door and walked out.

The silence that remained in my room was deafening. I fell back on my bed and scrubbed my palms up and down my face. I was lying to Sabrina. With each passing minute that I didn’t tell her about the video, I was keeping something from her that very much involved her. And her future. What kind of person was I?

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