Roughing

“What was she trying to tell me? If the scholarship isn’t real, then where is the money coming from?”

“I think you already know where.”

“Bash?” My tone indicates a question more than a statement. “But why? I don’t understand.” I sink my elbows in my thighs and lean forward, using my hands to prop up my head.

“After you went into the hospital and missed all that time from school, you lost your real scholarship.”

“I know, but the school said I was eligible for the one I have now.”

“Only because Bash took care of it.”

“I can’t believe he did this.” There’s so much anger in my voice, my body trembling as I speak.

“Why are you mad at him? What he did was sweet. You treated him like shit for the past two years, and he never once gave up on you. He felt responsible for what happened to you and wanted to make up for it.”

“I am his charity case,” I mutter, sickened by Bash’s betrayal. “You and Bash, of all people, knew how important that scholarship was to me. Do you have any idea how hard I had to work all through high school just to come to Strickland University? My mom went here. She talked about it all the time before she died. So, I did everything in my power to make sure I could graduate from her alma mater.”

“You are graduating this year. Nothing has changed, Tori.”

She reaches out to touch my leg, but I slide to along the bench, away from her.

“Don’t be like that,” Jessica snaps.

Now, we’re both pissed off and in terrible moods.

I push myself up and to a standing, towering over her as I speak the last words I plan to say to her before I leave. “I have nothing left to say to you, Jess. You kept this a secret from me. I thought we were best friends. I trusted you.”

Walking away from Jessica with my hands balled into fists at my sides and my mouth twisted in anger, I try not to cry. The tears are welling in my bottom lids, and it takes every ounce of willpower in my body to fight off the urge to break down in front of everyone. But I won’t. That’s what Harper wants from me. It’s the reason she chose this game to break the news to me. She wants to ruin my relationship with Bash. Harper wants to be the one to comfort him when I’m not there.

Now, she’s winning, because I’m feeding into her plan. But I don’t care. I need to get out of this stadium and back to my dorm, so I can collect my thoughts and figure out my next move. Bash has been paying for me to attend this school. I still can’t get over the news. And there is no way in hell I am going to allow him to continue to foot the bill—even if that means graduating from another school.

My family might be poor, but we are proud. And we don’t take handouts from anyone. A scholarship was one thing, but guilt money is another. I’m so pissed at Bash as I exit the stadium, seething mad and blind with rage. Jessica, Clay, and all of his teammates were all in on the secret. Even that bitch Harper. The betrayal. The lies. Where do we go from here? How can we make this work when our relationship was founded on secrets and lies?

Chapter 15

Bash

Tori pretended not to hear me as she walked out the stadium, her face twisted in anger and her cheeks red and blotchy. Fucking Harper. I should have known that she would only put up with my excuses for so long before she tried to hurt me. And by getting to me, she also hurt Tori.

After Tori had left, my mojo was off. I felt sick to my stomach. Still, do. We won the game by a field goal when we should have won

by a lot more. Everything was on track for the complete annihilation of the Cougars before my lucky charm had abandoned me. I fucked up. That much I already know.

With Tori back in my life, I didn’t want to run the risk of fucking things up too soon by coming clean about the scholarship. It was my fault that Tori had missed so many classes, to begin with, so I felt as though it was right for me to make up for the scholarship she had lost.

Once we finish up with our team meeting and shower, I call Tori. The phone rings a few times and then goes to voicemail. I dial her number six more times, all with the same result. She’s ignoring me. While I deserve it, she can’t shut me out this time. I need to tell her everything.

Finch slaps his hand down on my shoulder as we exit the locker room. “You’ll get her back. Don’t worry, man.”

“I wish I was as confident as you. You should have seen Tori’s face. She was devastated. I bet she hates me all over again.”

“It’s not like you did something wrong. Stop being so hard on yourself and come party with us. We’re going over to Mickey’s for a drink.”

“I’m not in the mood to sit in a bar tonight, and I have to go over to Tori’s dorm and smooth things over with her. If she’ll even let me in.”

“I don’t see the issue.” He shoves his hand through his dark hair, his eyes shifting to a hot blonde busting out of a tight red tank top. “Tori was already getting a scholarship from the school. What difference does it make where the money comes from?”

“It’s a pride thing with Tori. That’s why I never wanted her to know. I knew she would overreact and stop talking to me again.”