Page 133 of The Friend Zone

Bianca: Relax. He emailed it to me a few days ago. I’ve been busy, and I forgot to forward it to you. But that email is saved only to my phone, so if I can’t find it, you’re gonna have to start cramming for the exam. There’s no way Dad is going to send it a second time, it’s too risky.

Topher: You two better find a way. The agreement between our fathers was clear. My dad makes a seven-figure donation to the school every year and in exchange I get all the tests with theanswers before I have to sit the exams. If I don’t graduate first in my class, I guarantee your dad will have to look for a new job. You know how much influence my family has with the university board.

Bianca: I know. Have we ever failed to give you the tests since our fathers made that deal? Just have some patience, the phone has to be in the house. I had it last night right before my parents said good night. I was sure I left it on the coffee table, but I can’t find it. The cleaners are here now. If you stopped pestering me for five minutes, I’d go ask if they found it.

The conversation continues with a few more messages.

“Holy fucking shit.” I cover my mouth with my hands.

Cole looks furious. “Fuck. I knew it was impossible that Mumford nailed every exam with a perfect score pretty much without studying.”

I agree with them. “True. Whenever I asked him how he did it by studying so little, he said it was the Mumford’s photographic memory.”

Jagger snickers. “Photographic memory, my ass. He’s been cheating all along. I’m looking at Bianca’s email now. He’s been getting the exam answers all along from Bianca and she has been getting them from her father. Someone should tell her that moving a file to the bin doesn’t really delete it. Her bin isn’t even set up to auto-empty every so often. And I can see every single file in her sent items too. They all go to Topher’s email.”

Ryker hits the palm of his hand with his fist. “Motherfucker!” Then he takes my hand, pulling me to his chest. “You were right, Cinnamon. We might not be able to nail him for being a creep and a rapist, but he’s gonna go down.”

This gives me no joy at all. I’m not sorry for Topher and Bianca. They’re going to get what they deserve and God knows they have a lot to pay for.

I’m just sad that I put my trust in someone who didn’t deserve it for so long. “Yeah,” I say, a little lost in Ryker’s ice-blue gaze. “Just like Al Capone.”

JAGGER

Two days later

Gamma House

“You have a little frosting on your lips,” I whisper.

“Where?” Bay’s tongue darts out to clean her lips and I track that movement with rapt fascination.

“You missed some. Let me help you.” I suck on the corner of her upper lip, swirling my tongue over the velvety skin.

She tastes like cinnamon and sugar, and I can’t resist the urge to turn my “cleaning mission” into a full-blown kiss.

“Get a room, you two.” Ryker snorts, throwing a balled up paper napkin at my head.

“That’s not a bad idea,” I chuckle, attempting to pull Bay from her chair into my lap.

Cole clears his throat. “You’ll have to wait. Everything is about to go down any minute now.”

“I know,” I whisper.

That’s why Ryker came in with breakfast. We’re sitting at the kitchen table to make sure we don’t miss any of the action.

Right on cue, the doorbell rings and we all look at each other.

My foot taps on the kitchen floor as I wait for someone else to go open the door.

Tucker’s voice comes in from the front door. “A warrant? What is this about, officer? We haven’t had a party in a couple of weeks. If the Omega Psi made another noise complaint, this time it’s totally fake. They’re just salty that their parties aren’t as cool or popular as ours.”

The police officers explain that they aren’t here to discuss a noise complaint. “We’re looking for your president, Mr. Topher Mumford and his girlfriend, Miss Bianca Williams. We have reason to believe Miss Williams is here this morning.”

“Yeah, I think they’re still asleep. I haven’t seen them around yet.”

It’s six am and most of us are getting up to get ready for our morning skate in one hour.

We all rise from our chairs when we hear Tucker let the police into the house. Several brothers come out from the dining room and living room and we follow them, stopping at the base of the staircase when the police ask us to stay back.

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