Page 69 of Hard to Fake

I’m supposed to be looking out for her but I’m questioning whether I can do that without having my own reasons.

My guys need to trust me, and I need to trust myself.

I click into her social media and scroll through pics. Her laughing with friends. Posing with cute captions.

There’s one she reposted with a name visible in the corner that has my fist flexing.

“The hell is that?” Jay asks.

I spin to find my teammate looking over my elbow at the screen.

“It’s social media. I can teach you how to use it if you want,” Rookie calls.

Jay flips him off. “I mean this picture.” The story’s changed to a repost of one from the account for her sorority.

The caption reads: Three days! Can’t wait to see everyone this weekend!

Posted by someone with the handle “Carobear,” who must be the Caroline she’s competing with.

I press a finger to the screen to freeze the image.

One of the people tagged looks familiar. I click through to his profile, and the name and face have the hairs on my neck lifting.

Kevin Waitrose.

“No fucking way.”

Jay grimaces.

“What’s wrong?” Rookie asks as he gets up from his set, wiping a towel over his face.

“An asshole my sister went to school with,” Jay says. “They dated a while.”

“Too long,” I spit.

Rookie cocks his head. “You say that like you know the guy.”

Jay and I exchange a look.

“I don’t like this,” Jay grunts.

“I know. But it’s not your decision,” I point out.

“You didn’t see how hard she took it after everything went down back in school, man. You didn’t see that prick trying to talk to her at my mom’s fundraiser.”

This is news to me.

I close the phone and switch back in under the leg press. “Another set. More weight."

"You've already set a new max today," Rookie says.

"More."

His smile fades when he sees I'm serious. "Your funeral, man.”

A few other guys on the team look over.

Halfway through the rep, there's a moment I swear it's going to crush me.

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