Can Miranda be snarky and short-tempered? Definitely. But the guys seem to think she’s bunny-boiling crazy.
I freeze as I consider the accusations Gabby made about her last night.
I’m almost afraid to ask the question, but I trust Tank’s judgment. He might be outrageous sometimes, but he’s usually right about people.
A sinking sensation of dread washes over me as I realize I should’ve trusted Gabby’s judgment too. She’s never steered me wrong before.
Needing to piece this together, I say the words. “So do you think Miranda is unhinged enough to, say, leak the scandal in the first place?”
Everyone’s quiet, until Tank nods. “Definitely.”
“But why would she do that? What does she stand to gain from this?”
Tank smirks. “Did you or did you not hang out with her this week after not having seen her in over a month?”
“Because she offered to help me get a lawyer.”
“Conveniently offering to fix a problem she caused in the first place? And maybe sinking her talons into you at the same time.” He shrugs. “Maybe this scandal got outta hand. Maybe it started small, a way to weasel her way back into your life.”
Knox nods as he chugs some juice. “Something to stress you out so you’d seek carnal comforts.”
“Carnal comforts. Really?” I make a face. Jesus, do these guys think I’m a complete animal? “Don’t Mrs. Hildebrand or even that dick Jason have motives too?” Since my roommates were all here on Sunday to see shit go down with Adele, I explain the run-in I had with Jason the other night.
We debate this for a while, until I realize it doesn’t matter anymore. The news is out. My shame is being played out on national news for the whole damn world to see. Nothing is going to change my situation until the meeting with the provost.
But I’m finding the cinderblock on my chest has to do with Gabby, not football or the scandal.
“Shit got ugly with Gabby last night,” I finally admit. “She obviously sees what y’all do in Miranda and I didn’t handle her suspicions well, mostly because I felt attacked. Like I was some dirtbag she didn’t trust.”
Tank winces. “You did kinda ditch Gabby freshman year for Miranda, right?”
What the fuck?
He holds up his hands before I can respond. “Don’t get upset. Gabby and Bree talk, okay?”
Hell. He heard this from Bree?
He makes a face. “I always wondered this myself, so don’t get mad at the girls.”
Christ. Really?
Olly pours some coffee. “No offense here—I love Gabby—but shouldn’t we focus on your hearing tomorrow? You know, the one being held in less than twenty-four hours?”
“It’s not a hearing exactly. Coach said I can present my side of things to the board of conduct to see whether or not I’ve violated any school rules, which will determine if I can play this weekend.”
Olly joins us at the table. “One fire at a time, and the most pressing issue is your meeting. Then we should focus on football. Again, I love Gabby. Adore her, really. And if you weren’t dating her, I’d totally make a play for that girl.”Seriously?He smirks at my reaction. “But I’m guessing she’ll still be there once you deal with the rest. And if you can’t get your head on straight, even if they let you play, we’re all fucked.”
He’s right. He’s so damn right. My head is a mess. Assuming I can play this weekend—and that’s a big assumption—I’m screwing the whole teamandSully if I can’t concentrate.
Tank holds out both his arms. “Or, one might say a happy daddy is a focused daddy.”
“There you go again, calling me Daddy.”
The guys laugh. Even I crack a smile.
“Just saying, if you get things straight with Gabby, it’s easier to align everything else. Trust me. My woman would agree.”
Knox snorts. “That’s ’cause Bree wears your balls like hood ornaments on the dash of her car. Of course she’s gonna agree.”
