Page 114 of The Friend Zone

FALLING APART

BAY

Idon’t know if I’m more furious, shocked, or humiliated.

Tears well in my eyes and all eyes are on me. People are laughing and reading the words that have appeared on the screen behind me.

I don’t even read the entire thing, I can’t focus.

Words likepuck bunny, slutsandwhoredance around my eyes. I don’t even need to read the whole post. The photos are enough to tip me off that this is the same person who tried to shame Lakyn last year.

What do I do?

My mind is reeling with a million different thoughts. The main one is, who could be responsible for this?

Cyber bullying is a crime in California and the college should investigate this incident.

More so, I look at my fellow students in the room. It must be one of them.

In theory, anyone could take those photos from any of our social media, but the guys and I never “posed” for those photos. They must have been taken by someone who was at those events.

That means it could be any student at this college. However, I don’t think so. My eyes zero in on some of the guys on the hockey team. And on my sisters.

“Someone turn that screen off!” The Dean yells, as the noise in the room reaches fever pitch.

That snaps me out of my trance-like state. I’m going to find out who did this, to Lakyn first and now to me. But I’m not going to stand here and be the ridicule of this year’s alumni gala.

I need to get out of here, go home.

The room rushes past me as I run off the stage like I have the devil on my heels.

I vaguely hear someone calling my name, but I don’t stop until I’m out of the door, running down the long hallway that leads to the foyer and, finally, outside.

“Bay, wait.”

Someone’s fingers close around my arm halfway down the corridor.

The guys must have been right behind me, but it isn’t one of my boyfriends.

“Sexy girl, are you ok?”

Topher.

Just about the last person I want to see right now.

“Let go of me,” I shove, but he doesn’t budge.

“No.” His tone is firm. “I’m not going to let you run outside by yourself, in high heels, when you’re this upset. If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

The concern in his dark brown eyes looks genuine. But I still don’t trust him. He said he loved me so many times with this same look in his eyes. And the whole while he was cheating on me.

“I’m a big girl, Toph. Let me go.”

He’s stubborn as fuck. “Not until you calm down. Come.”

Before I can say anything else, he opens the closest door to us and pulls me inside.

The lights come on as he finds a light switch right near the door; it looks like a home office. By the looks of the imposing, expensive furniture, I guess we’re in the Dean’s private office.

---