Page 142 of Study Buddies

Professor Abrams cleared her throat, not looking at me. “What is the purpose of that recording other than to embarrass my student, a young woman who gladly gave up her time to provide the help that we requested?”

“The purpose is to provide necessary evidence for this disciplinary hearing,” Dr. Daniels said.

Kyle slammed his hand on the table, making all of us jump. “I never said any of that.” He was still staring toward the middle of the table, not meeting anyone’s eye.

Including mine.

And it had been his voice…

The English Department co-chair shoved the papers I’d provided into his briefcase without looking at them. “The committee will be in touch.” That part was directed toward the guy from the Athletics Department.

Kyle finally lifted his head, and he put his hand on my arm. I flinched, pushing my chair back and getting to my feet.

I couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. So many feelings were fighting for dominance in my mind. Embarrassment. Confusion. Disappointment.

Kyle got to his feet.

But those things he’d said… it wasn’t just the cheating now. It was the other things he’d said. Had that maybe been recorded at the beginning of the semester when he barely knew me? But it had sounded like it had been recorded after he’d already written at least one paper.

If he did write it.

Professor Abrams came to my side. “We’re done here. Why don’t you come back to my office?”

Her voice was full of concern and kindness, but I couldn’t meet her gaze. And I certainly couldn’t look at Kyle. Would his face show the truth? A truth I maybe didn’t want to hear. Just like I wished with all my heart I hadn’t heard that recording.

I fled the room.

38

KYLE

Only Jayden’scar was there when I got back to the house. Well, Tori’s car was there, too, but it wasn’t like she ever drove it. No one was on the first floor, so I went downstairs. Jayden was sitting on his bed scrolling on his phone.

“Did you drive Tori back?” I asked. She was supposed to get a ride home with me but of course she’d taken off after that meeting not that I blamed her.

Jayden looked up. “You look like hell, dude.”

I gritted my teeth. “Did you give her a ride back?” I’d turn around and go right back to campus if she was still there, but she probably wouldn’t even get in my truck.

“No. Lucas is going to drive her home after her class.”

Wonderful. They could spend the trip talking about what a complete piece of shit I was. That was something they could both agree on.

“What happened at the meeting?” Jayden asked. I guessed no one had filled him in yet.

“It was bad.”

He shrugged. “I figured since you look like you want to murder someone. Want to play some pool?”

“What?” That wasn’t what I’d expected him to say.

“Well, I could help you with your next paper, but I take it there’s no point in that?”

“No. No point at all.” I walked over to the rack we’d mounted on the wall and selected a cue. I wanted to break it over my knee, but I resisted. The pool table wasn’t to blame for how fucked up everything had gotten—I was.

Jayden was plucking the balls out of the pockets, and I grabbed the triangle rack and started fitting each stripe and solid ball into place. Once I lifted the rack away, I chalked the tip of my cue and motioned for Jayden to break, but he told me to go ahead. I wiped my mind of all the foul thoughts running through it as I bent over the table and lined up the shot. The cue ball smashed the pack just to the right of dead center, sending the balls scattering. A couple of solids sank into opposite corners and Jayden whistled.

Lining up my next shot, I took aim at a six-ball near the side pocket. It dropped in clean, and I felt the total focus I got when I was up to bat come over me. All other thoughts disappeared, which was exactly what I needed.

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