Bradford Bastard (Bradford Bastard 1)

I was wasted. I drank just about anything I could get my hands on, and that’s partly Colby’s fault. When I drink, I’m horny. There’s nothing more to it, and he figured this out early in our relationship, so any chance he could get, he’d all but pour the liquor down my throat. Erica thought it was hilarious and would encourage it at every turn, and before I knew it, most of my night was already forgotten. It wasn’t until that party where I reeled it in and realized just how dangerous my behavior had been. It could have been any of the girls there that night, and I absolutely hate that Tanner’s younger sister was the one.

Tears well in my eyes. I knew from overhearing his phone call with his mom that his sister wasn’t at a performing arts school. Something terrible had happened, but never in a million years did I think she was the girl from the party.

And to think Tanner has been dealing with all of that for the past six weeks. No wonder he’s such an asshole all the time. I know had that been me, Damien would have been on the first bus home, doing whatever he could to find the asshole who dared touch me. He wouldn’t stop until justice was served, and I know without a doubt that Tanner will do the same.

I just hope he’s wrong.

It couldn’t be Colby. I couldn’t have been that blind.

“Yo,” comes a voice from just outside my doorway.

My head snaps up to find Jensen hovering awkwardly, looking as though he’d rather be anywhere but here. I wipe my face, not realizing the tears had fallen. “What?” I question, somehow managing to keep the venom out of my tone.

“I, ummm … heard you yell. Are you good?”

Taking a deep breath, I wipe my face a few more times before straightening out and trying to find some semblance of control. I give him a tight smile, pleased to find that for the first time, I’m not getting any creepy, perverted vibes from him, and I instantly feel like shit for judging him so harshly. “I’m fine,” I tell him, taking deep breaths. “I didn’t realize I’d yelled. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll be sure to keep any future meltdowns to myself.”

He gives a curt nod and vanishes down the hallway, and I have to wonder what the hell he would have done had I said I wasn’t okay. He may not have been creepy today, but that doesn’t make him any less strange.

Using my foot, I kick the door shut before moving across my room, feeling like a ghost without a soul, just going through the motions as I scoop my phone off my desk and find Erica’s name. I hit call and press the phone to my ear as I drop down on my bed, listening as the call rings out.

“Come on,” I groan, pressing call again. “Answer.”

She picks up on the fourth ring and just a sliver of relief fires through me. “What’s wrong?” she questions, knowing I never call twice unless it’s an emergency.

“Tell me what you remember from the night that girl was attacked.”

“I, ummm … what?” she questions as I hear the loud rumble of Tanner’s bike outside, taking off at a million miles an hour and making something break within me. “What’s going on? Why are you all worked up?”

“Erica, please. Just tell me what you remember. Where were we? What were we doing? Who was there? I … I can’t remember all the details.”

“Bri, you’re freaking me out. What the hell is going on?”

“Tanner,” I rush out, a panic taking over me and making my words come out as a rambling mess. “The guy from next door. He just came storming in here and told me that Colby was the one who drugged and raped her. She’s his sister, Erica. Addison Morgan. She’s barely holding on. She was supposed to be a junior this year, so she’s probably only sixteen or seventeen and I … I … You have to tell me that this isn’t true because I can’t live with myself if this happened right under my nose and I missed it. Erica, please. Tell me he’s wrong. He was so angry, and the look in his eyes, he believes it with every piece of his soul, and he was looking at me as though I had something to do with it.”

“Woah, woah,” Erica says. “Breathe, Bri. Breathe. You know Colby. That’s insane. He wouldn’t have done that.”

“You saw him last night,” I remind her. “The way he grabbed my hair. He’s never been violent with me like that before. He was on something, and what if he was on something that night as well. What if he really hurt this girl?”