Page 70 of Lords of the Campus

“It’s all over now,” I assure her. “We had a long talk and everything came out in the open. We’ve been taking it slow, but I’m letting them become involved in Eli’s life and things are better with us now. We’ve been dating.”

Madison’s face hardens at that. “You’d let them off the hook after what they did to you?” she asks, incredulity in her voice.

“I did shit to them too,” I point out. “I could have walked away from the beginning, but I used them as much as they used me.”

“You’re pathetic,” Madison spits out, anger in her eyes. I’m taken aback by this shift and I subconsciously take a physical step back as well. “You’ve always been so over the moon about them. It’s disgusting.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” I snap. “I’m a grown adult. You may not agree with my choices, but they’re mine to make.”

“You don’t even understand,” Madison says, taking a step forward and coming toward me. “You have no idea how pissed I am that youalwaysget their attention. Why should a fat, worthless, disgusting slut like you get to be with the Hudson boys, anyway?”

My eyes nearly bug out of my sockets. “What the hell, Madison?” I ask, my voice raising slightly. “You’re so far out of line.”

She steps toward me again. “You think I was friends with you because Ilikedyou?” At my hurt expression, she scoffs. “Please. I used you to make myself look better. You’re a fat, dumpy, frizzy-haired kid from the wrong side of town. Next to you, I always looked so much more glamorous. You were the designated ugly, fat friend,” she taunts me.

Something inside me aches, my entire worldview shifting in seconds. Madison’s revelations are making me sick to my stomach. “You only pretended to like me?” I ask, swallowing my tears.

“I’m tall, slender, blonde and pretty,” Madison says, tossing a strand of hair over her shoulder as she towers over me. “Why would someone like me willingly associate with someone like you? It worked, too. Next to you, I was the blonde bombshell in high school and guys crawled out of the woodwork to ask me out.”

An ugly look crosses her face. “But it didn’t work on the Hudson boys. I don’t know why, but whenever you were around, they were practically falling over themselves to be close to you. I thought it was fine, that you were just friends, but then they asked you out and I realized I was done being your friend.”

She smirks. “So I hoped that if I could drive a wedge between you guys, I could swoop in and put a stop to that. I did everything I could to make sure that they never wanted to see you again by the time they were shipped off.”

Tears sting my eyes. “You’re horrible,” I whisper, stepping back again. “You are a horrible human being, a horrible person.”

Madison’s smirk falters, and she steps forward so she’s got me trapped against the bookshelves. “It didn’t fuckingworkthough. You managed to ensnare themagain. I don’t understand how someone like you keeps getting everything you want!”

“Because I’m not a psycho!” I yell back.

Several students around us shush us and we both glare at each other as I lower my voice. “You’re crazy and mean, and that’s why they never gave you the time of day.”

“That’s suchbullshit,” Madison hisses through clenched teeth, slamming an arm into the shelf over my head and making me flinch. “You don’t deserve them. You'd better watch your back because I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t win this time.”

I duck under her arm, rushing out of the library as fast as I can. One of the student workers yells at me to slow down, but I have to get out of there, so I ignore him.

I don’t stop until I’m all the way back to the frat house and I take deep breaths as I rush up the stairs and knock on Archer’s room.

He and Zane are inside, working on studying, when they spot me. Archer jumps up, coming over to me immediately.

“What’s going on?” he asks, his brows furrowed in concern.

I tremble, throwing myself at him and hugging him tightly. He strokes my back, holding me close as I spill the entire story, everything Madison told me in the library.

Zane tugs me into his lap as I finish the tale and he wraps his arms around me. Archer sits next to us on the floor and continues rubbing circles into my back.

Archer shakes his head. “Madison is nuts,” he says. “You shouldn’t worry about her. We weren’t stupid enough to let heropinion influence us in high school and we aren’t about to start now.”

“Do you think she’s going to do something?” I ask, looking up at them.

Zane shrugs. “I don’t know, but if she tries anything, we’re here to protect you.”

At that moment, Levi comes back from class, looking almost as shaken up as I feel.

“What’s going on?” Zane asks.

His expression is grim as he surveys us. “I just got into a confrontation with the Sigmas. Max Byers cornered me after class and told me that they’re coming after us for reporting Cameron.”

As he recounts what happened, my stomach drops and I can’t help but worry about the safety for me and my child. Archer glances down, sensing my anxiety. “You shouldn’t worry, Lyric,” he says, his voice soft. “No one is going after you or Eli. Not if we can help it.”

---