Page 80 of The Friend Zone

But Jagger’s gaze softens. “I’ll never apologize enough for that stupid text. You’re right, I should have manned up and had a real conversation with you. But ending things with you was the last thing I wanted to do. And I knew that if I tried to do that in person, I would have failed. So I thought that acting like an asshole was the only way. I didn’t expect you to come to the locker room after I texted you and when I saw you, I panicked.”

He’s crowding my space, his sexy, clean scent of citrus with a hint of sunscreen goes right to my head and I can’t think straight.

I push hard against his chest to get him to back off, but Jagger doesn’t budge. This guy is used to being an insurmountable obstacle for his opponents on the ice and he’s been hit by players in full gear that are at least three times my size.

He grabs both my hands, placing them on his chest.

I can feel his warmth and the fast pace of his heart beating against my palms through the fabric of his t-shirt.

“When I saw you outside the locker room, I didn’t know what to do. Making you believe that I hooked up with Bianca andCandace wasn’t planned, but it drove the point home; so I let you think that I moved on. Then I asked Candace to come to the party with me as a buffer.”

I’m still struggling against his hold, but his words make me pause. “What do you mean ‘making me believe?’ You had your arms around both of them and Bianca was licking her lips and laughing at me.”

I close my eyes. Seeing that hurt a thousand times more than when she was in my bed, with Topher inside of her.

“Bay,” he sounds like he’s in as much pain as I am. “I never hooked up with them. Please believe me. I was surprised when they showed up at the locker room. The only person I wanted there with me before the game is you. But I had to end it because Topher invoked the bro-code and threatened every brother who would even dare look at you as more than a friend. Then he sent Candace and Bianca. When the girls offered to blow me, I felt physically sick. I didn’t want them near me. I was just walking them out when you got there. I asked them not to tell anyone that we didn’t hook up because I didn’t want to have to explain to my teammates why I didn’t come through with my good luck ritual. I also didn’t want Topher to find out that I broke his bro-code.”

Fuck.

I believe him. I know Topher has something to do with everything that happened. My ex was the reason why Cole had barely spoken to me as of late. He mentioned that bro-code too.

I understood Cole’s predicament but until a second ago, I thought that in Jagger’s case whatever Topher had on him didn’t matter. Despite us not being together, the way he ended things and his actions afterwards made me think that Jagger was cut from my ex’s same cloth.

But I learned firsthand that Topher is vicious and when he goes after someone he vies for complete obliteration.

I stop struggling against Jagger’s hold. “This doesn’t change how you acted, but I believe you. I don’t know if we can even go back to being friends, Jagger. I guess it’ll all depend on what Topher is holding over your head.”

JAGGER

This is the moment I was fearing.

From the second our frat president invoked the bro-code and issued his threat, I was ready to do anything in my power to make sure Bay would never find out what I did on initiation night.

The second she knows, I’m sure as fuck I’ll lose her anyway.

“Bay, it’s not so simple. You know better than me that initiation tasks are secret.”

She bites down on her bottom lip.

That was the wrong thing to say of course.

“Yeah, I know.” She finally says.

Fuck. All I want is to take her into my arms and beg for her forgiveness and promise that I’ll never hurt her again. But the way she’s looking at me, tells me that I’m not even close to fixing the mess I made.

“If we could get our hands on that video,” I say it like a lifeline, hoping that Bay won’t press me into telling her. “He wouldn’t have anything to hold over my head. I wouldn’t have to worry about him seeing us talking. That’s why I told you I had no time to talk when I texted you. He’s been watching me like a hawk and if he suspects I told you anything, he’ll release the video. I’m taking a huge risk even talking to you now. If Topherfound out, he would make an example of me, especially now that he can’t control Cole.”

Bay exhales a deep breath, determination shines in her eyes. “I can’t believe I thought Toher was a good guy and I loved him and trusted him. Even if he hadn’t cheated, after the way he treated Lakyn and you guys, I can never forgive him. All I want is to take him down and the best way to do it, is to take away all his leverage.”

Fuck, she’s so hot.

It isn’t just her looks. Even though Bay is gorgeous, what makes her irresistible is her strength, her drive. “Do you have a clue where he could keep that video?” I ask.

If we could find it, I could try to win her back. Do every grand gesture I can think of to show her how I feel about her.

Bay thinks about it for a second. “Somewhere only he has access to. Not his phone, it’s too obvious. I think if Topher had any digital files he wanted to keep secret, he would keep them in his laptop.”

It makes sense. “I don’t think the guys will be back for a while,” I say, checking the time on my phone. “Let’s go see if you’re right, hopefully he doesn’t keep his room locked up.”

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