Page 46 of Get Even

“Honestly, they don’t have a leg to stand on,” Bryn had assured me, fluffing her blonde hair confidently as she spoke. “I mean, what evidence could they have? You didn’t touch her and you’ve gone out of your way to avoid her, right?” I’d nodded and Leo had frowned, not seeming as optimistic as Kit’s sister.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly, face pulled into a characteristic frown, “they take claims like these really seriously because of safeguarding–”

“He means they don’t want to get sued if someone gets hurt,” Bryn cut in with a wolfish smile. “But they can’t just kick you out on Taylor’s word alone.”

We’d hashed out what statement I would give and my palms had been sweaty the whole time as Bryn and Leo went back and forth, theorizing whether or not my future was wrecked.

“I would like to see the evidence of the alleged harassment as, by my recall, none occurred,” I took a breath that shook and clenched my fists as I pulled my head back into the room, trying to ignore the weight of the eyes on me. I was used to performing, this shouldn’t be any different.Though normally everything you’ve worked for doesn’t hang in the balance while you sing.“Taylor left my apartment under her own free will after I requested she leave. No force was used. To be frank, I’m not sure why we’re here when there’s zero evidence against me and my apartment is private property.” I’d done it, had delivered my small rehearsed speech and now I would be relatively spit-balling.

“Do you really believe we would have pursued this complaint if there wasn’t significant evidence, young lady?” the mousy-haired man tutted as he ran his watery eyes over me in disapproval. “We have several witnesses who were able to confirm your presence at the sorority house where the student took refugeandconfirmed that the student had sustained bruising to her arms and face caused by you. That places this into University territory.”

“That’s simply not true,” I insisted. “I didn’t lay a finger on her. Do you have any photographic evidence of this? Or proof that any injuries she sustained weren’t self-inflicted?” Fuck. They were going to side with Taylor. That sneaky bitch had convinced her new housemates to testify on her behalf and I was going to loseeverything. I held my breath, willing my panic to subside. I hadn’t lost yet.

“We have a duty of care to our students regardless of where the incident occurred,” the woman explained patiently, adjusting her glasses and sniffing down at me, “and your disregard for your studies and other students has been well documented on your record by the head of your department.” She gave a small nod in Davis’ direction and I clenched my jaw.

So they had no evidence except the word of a bunch of sorority girls and the bullshit Davis had been creating to get me off the course. It was like Leo had said to me during our coffee meeting, they wanted to make this potential mess go away in whatever way was easiest. Unfortunately for me, that didn’t bode well.Fuck this. I shook my head, “I’m so glad you’re recording this session Ms…?” I blinked. Had they even introduced themselves before interrogating me? I didn’t think so, unless I had missed it during my nervous fretting.

“Sunderland,” the woman answered coolly but her eyes flicked to her colleague and I smirked. So they had bungled this right from the start, then.

“Ms. Sunderland,” I said with a harsh smile. “Thanks so much for clarifying on the record Radclyffe’s stance on alleged crimes that happen off campus involving its students. I suppose this means that the next time anyone from the school is attacked or assaulted you’ll be able to step in to ensure the perpetrator is appropriately punished.”

Her colleague threw her an irritated glance and Sunderland’s mouth gaped for a second before she closed it and shook her head. “I don’t think we have any other questions for you,” she said quickly. “Do you have anything else you’d like to add in your defense?”

“Yes,” I said, standing and scooping my bag from the floor. “I’d like the record to show that I requested evidence, more than just ‘she-said-he-said’, and none was presented. I’d also like to ensure that the panel is aware that the student in question slept with my boyfriend and has gone out of her way to harassme, thus ending our friendship and her casual tenancy. This complaint makes a cruel mockery of the school system and I’m sorry that Taylor wasted both your time and mine.”

There was something suspiciously close to a smile on Davis’ face as I swept from the room and I knew that he would be using this to push even harder for my suspension. Butfuck me, if this is what the world of academia really looked like then why was I fighting so hard to get into it?What do I have without it?

I let the door close quietly behind me and pulled out my phone as I made my way down the stairs. That… couldn’t have gone worse really.

Jamie:Where are you right now?

Ryan:Home. Y? How was the meeting?

Jamie:Have you ever seen a train wreck?

Ryan:…want to come over?

Jamie:I’ll be there in ten

The walk from the campus to Ryan’s felt like a blur, I couldn’t remember if it had been sunny or if the pathways had been busy. Had just been lost in a whirlwind of my own thoughts with no escape. Had I made a mistake in there? Was there some way I could have salvaged that before I’d decided to do what I did best – dig in deep and go for the jugular?

My future, all of my hopes to actually make something of myself, everything I’d done to get here… The long hours at the club in Phoenix, spending all of my free time working and saving while I was still in High School, nearly starving myself for a year so that I could move here and become somethingmore. Were all those sacrifices now just wasted?

Ryan opened the door, took one look at my face, and pulled me into his arms. He cradled my head against his chest as he stroked my hair.

“What happened?” he said quietly and I shook my head, pulling back and finding his lips in a hard kiss that left us both breathless. There would be time for talking later but for now…

“Just help me forget it,” I whispered and Ryan hesitated before nodding, kissing me again but it was too soft, too tender, and I nipped at his lip savagely, wringing a groan from him. His hands slid past my waist and over my ass in a smooth circle that had fire singing in my blood and then he slapped one cheek before soothing away the sting with the palm of his hand.

“Upstairs?” I asked and Ryan nodded, spinning around and moving up the steps with athletic grace while I panted. He led me along the corridor to his room and I paused in the doorway before walking in. This was the first time I’d seen his room. Ry seemed to have the same thought and he blushed a little as he swept a t-shirt off the floor and into a small hamper under his desk. The rooms were all fairly similar in the house, gray carpets and beige walls, though Ryan’s easily had the best view overlooking the park, I thought as I stood by the window.

Ryan stood behind me, gathering my hair in one hand with gentle fingers as he pressed kisses to my neck. My head lolled against his shoulders and he pressed in close to my back. I arched my spine, letting my ass rub against the growing hardness in his sweatpants until he bit my ear lobe in admonishment.

“What?” I murmured, voice husky as he licked and sucked at my neck and his hand came around to brush across my breast through my shirt.

“You asked me to help you forget,” he said in a voice just as low, full of just as much want, “so stop distracting me.”

Ry’s hands traced down the buttons of my shirt, undoing them one by one until the white lace bra I had on was exposed and he turned me around and bent his head to mouth one nipple through the sheer material.

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