Page 38 of The Trophy

“Luca caught Bay and Topher arguing and apparently he was getting a little… intense with her.”

My fingers close around the door handle with white-knuckle force. “Please tell me he didn’t hit her because if he did, I’m going back to the kitchen to tie him to a chair and fill a beer bong with Bay’s chili.”

Cole bursts out laughing, his eyes widened in surprise. “Holy shit, Lake. Remind me never to cross you.”

I don’t think I’ve ever hated Topher as much as I do right now. Before I thought he was just a douche and I suspected he wasn’t faithful to my sister after he came onto me more than once. But if he hit her, I’m going to murder him. “What did he do?” I seethe.

Cole lowers his voice, looking behind us at the group that’s playing video games. “You know how Bay is, she’s totally blind when it comes to Topher.”

I nod. “My sister really believes in the people she loves. I could judge her for trusting that douche, but it’s the same trust she puts in me and you.”

He agrees. “Exactly. And at least until now, Topher has been very careful around her. He manages to hide all his indiscretions and he treats Bay like a queen. Unless he’s drunk. Then he lets his jealous side take over.”

I know what he’s talking about. “Yeah, Bay told me that lately they have been fighting a lot. He kept accusing her of flirting with other guys during the last few parties.”

Cole confirms Bay’s story. “Yeah, the asshole had a paranoid jealous streak that comes out after a few drinks. I was there each time and Bay wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

“So what does that have to do with Luca?”

His frown deepens. “Bay went to pick up Topher after practice and she got a text from Luca. Something about what kind of flowers to buy you.”

Ah, now it makes sense how Luca knew my favorite flowers. It’s sweet that he took time to ask Bay.

“She was texting him back and Topher caught her and accused her of texting someone else. She denied she was doing anything wrong but he didn’t believe her and Topher became physical. That’s when Luca got out of the locker room and stepped in.”

Cole’s words cause conflicting emotions. They confirm that Luca has a kind side he hides from the rest of the world but they also worry me even more about Bay and Topher getting serious.

“Coach heard it all,” Cole continues. “And he took Topher out of the running for team captain. I think this is a part of why he decided on that dare, he’s pissed at Luca.”

Not only is Topher blaming Luca for losing the chance at being team captain, he’s always hated me since I turned him down.

“I wish there was a way to show that side of him to Bay. I was gonna tell her about the dare, but now I can’t.”

Cole tilts his head to the side. “Why?” he asks.

I explain about the disgusting blackmail my sister’s boyfriend used to ensure my silence. “I wouldn’t care about losing my own scholarship, but I can’t put the guys at risk. They all have too much to lose if there was a scandal.”

“That motherfucker!” Cole bites out. “He’s covering his back so Bay doesn’t find out what a disgusting pig he is. That’s the same thing he told me he would do if I breathed a word of it to Bay.”

I don’t understand. “You? What could Topher possibly have on you? I don’t mean it in a bad way, but you don’t exactly keep your hookups a secret.”

He sighs. “Yeah, that’s not it. Topher has dirt on every brother. Whether or not he’s in the team.”

“How—”

Cole’s big hand claps my shoulder, it’s a gentle touch but has the desired effect.

“Believe me, he has something on each of us. Some of the stuff they ask us to do during pledge week is questionable and they film it and keep it until graduation to ensure our loyalty.”

“But isn’t hazing against the university’s code of conduct?”

He shrugs. “Sure. But the Greek system thrives on secrecy and as long as no one speaks up, some traditions are perpetuated since this school was founded. Let’s just say that if the Dean or even Coach saw some of those videos, Gamma Delta Tau would lose their chapter. Since most of the hockey team are brothers, I wouldn’t be surprised if the team was disbanded.”

Fuck.

“Hold on a second,” I say, reeling as I look for a way out of this mess. A way where Topher doesn’t get his way. “Like he has dirt on all of you, didn’t he have to do something compromising too when he pledged?”

Cole’s blue eyes darken. “Sure. But he’s the president. Who do you think has access to all those videos? He’s the only one who even knows where they’re kept. The secret gets passed down from each president to his successor.”

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