Page 66 of Ice Cold Rival

The two men shared a look, and the quiet one left, ostensibly to check the keys in the office.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and tried to respond reasonably. After all, it wasn’t their fault Amanda was a conniving bitch. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. Things get misplaced all the time here, and as you could see, it was in the clean laundry I hadn’t put away yet from the washer and dryer we all share.”

Amanda scoffed. “Why would my phone be in your clean laundry?”

I raised a brow. “Why would I steal something you could easily track back to me?”

The officer held up both hands as his partner returned with a nod. “Ladies, since the property has been returned, this is now a matter for the mediation team. I’m glad we could help you retrieve your items, ma’am. A report will be sent to your student address.”

Both men walked out without another word looking relieved to be done with us. I couldn’t blame them. The entire situation was a ridiculous waste of their time.

After campus security left, Amanda’s smile turned smug. “Since you skipped this morning’s meeting and we found stolen goods in your room, I’m going to have to ask you to move out at the end of the semester.”

“You can’t kick me out without a vote.”

“We voted this morning. The consensus was termination of your contract if the necklace was found in here. You have two weeks to vacate this room. Any damage or cleaning fees will be added to your balance. An official notice will be provided in no more than two business days.”

Helpless rage curled my hands into fists, and for the first time in my life, I considered punching another person. Why was she so hateful? I’d done absolutely nothing to her, but my existence was enough to spur her into manipulating my eviction.

Kiki glanced down the hallway, sent me an apologetic smile from behind Amanda, then skittered off. Seconds later, Toby appeared in the doorway and put his arm around Amanda. I’d heard the gossip and wondered, but now I had definitive proof. Toby was manipulating my sorority sister. I knew she hadn’t come up with this scheme on her own. Why couldn’t he just move on?

He tsked, shaking his head. “Kenzie, I’m really disappointed in you. What would your mom say?”

Instead of murder, I closed the door in their faces. Part of me hoped it would bounce off one of their body parts, but it clicked closed. I turned the lock and stood there, hands clenched, trying to get a handle on my breathing.

I wasn’t happy here.

At the heart of everything, I wasn’t happy in this sorority house, with these women, with my family. Reece and Boo and the Ball Bunny Book Club made me happy. I liked lying in bed on a Sunday morning talking to Reece about whether geese had teeth. Playing hide-the-treat with Boo and Sunny. Arguing with Avery about rom-coms versus dark romance.

I had friends and a safe place and a guy who encouraged me to explore my weirdness. Why was I clinging to the sorority my mom insisted I join at the school my ex-boyfriend insisted I transfer to.

Shit. Mom. I jumped into motion, shoving my hair out of my face and grabbing my tote bag. My parents paid for my college expenses, including housing, and Mom was going to be pissed I’d been kicked out of the house. I’d always lived at the sorority house, so I didn’t even know what other options I had for a single semester.

I stuffed my laptop, my notes, and a handful of clean clothes into the bag and zipped it shut. After knowing the girls had voted me out that morning, I didn’t want to stay at the house another minute or I might light something on fire. At least then they’d have a real reason for getting rid of me.

With rage powering my movements, I started walking.

Despite being toldseveral times I didn’t need to knock, I pounded on the door of Reece’s house. The physicality felt good after holding myself back at the sorority house, and I really needed to pee after walking for the last thirty minutes.

Cole opened it, and his brows shot up. He turned to yell over his shoulder without taking his eyes off me. “Reece, get down here.”

I smoothed my hair, realizing I probably looked like a hobo.

Seconds later, Reece appeared at the top of the stairs staring down at two rolls of sport tape in his hands. “I told you I was almost ready—” He stopped talking when he spotted me, then he sped down the stairs two at a time. “Kenzie?”

“I’m fine.”

He gripped my arms and looked me over. “Did you walk here?”

“Yes. Can I come in? I think Mrs. Lipnicki is watching us, and I need to use the bathroom.”

Reece glanced past me and nodded at his neighbor before ushering me to the powder room. Sunny chittered at me from her nest of clothes in the corner, and I took a minute to crouch down in front of her. She rubbed her face on my leg, then wiggled her butt. The sweet little duck caused a crack to form in the wall of anger I’d created.

Tears threatened to fall, so I decided to sit on the toilet until I’d regained some semblance of control over my emotions. Sunny abandoned her post to sit between my legs and stare at the door as if she were protecting me.

“You’re a good duck,” I whispered, sniffling.

From outside the bathroom, I heard a familiar meow, and a black paw poked under the door. Boo must have realized I was home. He took it as a personal affront if I went to the bathroom without him.

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