Page 99 of Pure Vengeance

I push the paper into Richard’s hands and grab clothes, getting dressed.

My phone rings, and I freeze. That ringtone belongs to one person only.

My father.

And he never calls.

I pick it up and answer. “Father.”

“Why is your university contacting me about a story about you and some girls you’re blackmailing? They’re threatening to expel you. The dean has only contacted me because of my donation to their football team. He considers it a favor.” My father sounds like he’s raging, and I don’t blame him. This doesn’t just ruin my name, it ruins his legacy. It was bad enough I didn’t do sports and that I wanted to study for an art degree. Now my name is smeared across campus. His name is smeared.

“Father, I can explain...” I say.

“You’re going to get your ass home, and you’re going to explain yourself. Don’t speak to any media. Don’t make any comments. You’re in big trouble, Noah, I mean it.” He hangs up.

I pocket my phone and head out my room. Richard grabs my arm. “There are journalists outside, from the campus newspaper. They want to talk to you.”

“I’ll go out back,” I say quietly. “I need to speak to my brother. He did this.”

“What an asshole,” Richard says. “Just be careful.”

I nod and walk out the back.

“Noah? Noah? We’ve got some questions for you.” A woman comes around back. “We thought you might come out this way. We just want to know if you can confirm the allegations against you.”

“No comment,” I say, walking past her, but she follows me, continuing to ask questions.

“How many girls have you blackmailed?”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Someone said you’ve been doing this since high school, can you confirm that?”

And on and on she goes, the whole way to my brother’s fraternity house where I storm in, leaving her outside.

The president of their house comes out from the living room and glares at me. “You’re not welcome in here.”

“I don’t care,” I spit, pissed off beyond comprehension. “Where is Adrian? Adrian!” I shout his name. “Adrian! You asshole!”

I go upstairs and see his name scribbled on a little white board on a door. I slam the door open, walk in, and slam it closed behind me. Adrian startles awake and looks at me. “Noah?”

“The one and fucking only,” I hiss. “How fucking could you? I knew you were a dickhead, but how could you pretend to confess your feelings to me and then run your mouth to the campus newspaper, of all things.”

Adrian looks confused, and I pull the article up on my phone, tossing it onto his bed. “It’s everywhere. It’s gone viral on social media by now.” I pace the room. “I can’t believe you. Did you do this just to impress your frat brothers?”

“Says the girl came forward to break her silence,” he says.

I look at him. “What?”

“Yeah, Abigail Storm came forward with the allegations after being silent about it for too long.”

I grab the phone from him and read through the new post. I hadn’t seen that in the printed edition. That fucking bitch. She betrayed me.

“I accept your apology, by the way,” Adrian says, getting up and getting dressed. “What’s the fallout?”

“Dad phoned, he’s pissed. Wants me home straight away so he can deal with me.” I run a hand through my mop of hair. “He’s going to kill me. Why would she betray me? I always paid her on time.”

“Maybe she wanted more,” he says, sitting at his desk. “Maybe she really liked you and wanted a relationship.”

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