Page 11 of Princess of Hawthorne Prep

“No, nothing,” I choke out as my bewildered gaze lifts to his. “I don’t understand how I could have done all this but have no recollection.”

“Me neither,” he says carefully, brows lowered. “I know that you usually don’t drink, but maybe you did last night?” There’s a pause. “I mean, Austin had a great game yesterday and everyone was celebrating.”

I shake my head. “No, I didn’t.”

Another heavy silence falls over us before he clears his throat and drops another bomb. “The pictures were blasted out to everyone.”

I can only stare as those words sink in.

Everyone at Hawthorne Prep is what Duke is alluding to.

Austin is going to—

My eyes widen.

Austin.

He’ll assume I betrayed him.

Again.

With shaking fingers, I hit the messaging app on my cell and scroll down the list to find his name. As soon as I pull up our convo, I catch sight of the photos. Air gets knocked from my lungs, making it impossible to breathe.

I sent them to him from my phone.

Why would I do that?

My mind cartwheels, painfully trying to piece everything together so that it will make sense.

But it doesn’t. I’m at a total loss.

I scroll upward and find the messages he sent.

Where are you?

You need to answer me, Delilah.

A couple minutes later, I sent the photos.

Horror sets in as I read the last text.

Her BJs are the best, aren’t they, bro?

Iciness seeps into my veins before gradually spreading throughout the rest of my body.

Jasper.

He did this.

I don’t know how, but he’s the one behind the photographs.

Hot tears prick the backs of my eyes. And here I’d foolishly thought that I’d managed to escape him unscathed.

Guess the joke’s on me for lowering my guard.

DELILAH

“Call if you need anything,” Duke says as my fingers wrap around the handle of his pickup truck as it idles near the curb.

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