Page 124 of The Trophy

I shake my head. “No.”

“Not even Tasha?” she presses me.

“No. It’s dance competition season and between classes, rehearsals and traveling to events, I’ve hardly ever seen her in the past few months. It doesn’t matter though. You’re the only one who knows.”

And maybe Jon, but Luca and Blaze put such fear in him that he would never risk their wrath. Besides, Jon might be a cheater but something like this isn’t in his M.O.

Bay sighs, her blue eyes intense as she looks at me. “I hope you know I kept my word and didn’t tell anyone about your situation with the guys.”

I know she would never lie to me but she’s the only one I told. “Bay, don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure? If you said anything to Topher, I need to know. I promise I won’t be too mad. At least not at you.”

“Absolutely not.” She states, and the look in her eyes tells me that she isn’t lying. “And by the way,” she tries to joke. “You didn’t tell me everything. You never mentioned anything about Luca’s piercing? Is it a Prince Albert? A Jacob’s ladder? I have so many questions?—”

It hits me like a wrecking ball. “The piercing. Luca said I was the only one who knew. Well, aside from Cash and Blaze. I’m absolutely positive the guys wouldn’t tell anyone, so unless Luca forgot to take it off before practice and someone saw it in the locker room…”

Bay is as skeptical as I feel about it. “Unlikely. Someone would have tattled and we would have heard about it way before that disgusting post.”

She’s right.

So who’s behind that post? It doesn’t make any sense. “He either lied to me and he wore that piercing during one of his hookups before we met…”

My sister nods. “It’s a possibility. I’m not gonna lie, Lake, your relationship with Luca has caused a lot of jealousy. Especially with some of the girls who hang around the hockey team. And since the person who posted had ‘puck bunny’ in their handle, that’s the most likely explanation. Bianca and Kylie have been especially vocal about how bitter they felt about being cast aside. Thinking of it, they did call you a gold digger when the news of you and Luca first broke. I overheard them gossiping with some of the other sisters and I made it clear that if I heard another unkind word about you, I would see that they got kicked out of Zeta Theta Beta, no matter who their parents are on campus.”

I squeeze her hand. Bay has always had my back. “I’m sorry for even considering that you might have told anyone, sweetie. It’s either Luca had it on before and maybe he didn’t remember if he was drinking at a party or it’s someone from the team. He must have had it on in the locker room and Topher must have seen it and either told someone or wrote that post himself.”

Bay takes offense. “I know you and Toph don’t like each other, but seriously Lake, why would he?—”

I tell her.

Everything.

Every single thing Topher has ever done that makes him undeserving of Bay’s love.

From hitting on me every time she had her back turned to the dare.

Her reaction hurts me just as much as that post did earlier. “What the fuck? Lake, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

I come clean about the blackmail and about how Topher was sure he would be able to convince Bay that the guys were just badmouthing him to cause trouble between them.

“Oh hell no!”

I’ve never seen Bay so mad.

“This is it, this is the last fucking straw. I’m done with him.”

My sister’s words temporarily distract me from my own predicament. “Are you ok? I thought things were good between the two of you.”

Bay’s eyes fill with tears. “I thought so too, until Christmas. His parents didn’t like me, Lake. They thought I don’t have the right pedigree to be with Topher.”

It’s my turn to be furious on her behalf. “What the fuck? Topher isn’t worthy of you, he should kiss the floor you walk on. Or don’t his parents know what a fucking spoiled douche bag they raised?”

Her stony expression is a sign of how much she’s hurting. We have that in common. When we feel deeply hurt or betrayed, we both fight the urge to cry. It’s as if giving in to the tears means succumbing to whatever is challenging us in that moment.

“Not according to his father. I heard them talking. He didn’t know I was there.”

I don’t get it. “Why didn’t you leave immediately after you heard that?”

Bay shrugs. “He argued with his father. He said he loved me.”

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