Page 22 of You Owe Me

“Get to the point,” I snap.

He does.

“I know about the IOUs. The favors. The poker games. The fact that certain students are mysteriously passing classes they never attended… while others just happen to owe Lexington something.”

My blood runs cold.

“I also know he has a habit of sending proxies into classrooms. Sometimes to take notes. Sometimes to take tests.” He swirls the ice in his cup like we’re just chatting aboutexam schedules, not academic fraud. “You think the dean would appreciate that level of resourcefulness?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie, poorly.

“I know enough.” Carter’s voice is soft but sharp. “Enough to bury him if I wanted to. But I don’t. Not if you help me.”

I stare at him. “Help you... how?”

“Give me insight. Names. How the system works. What it costs. What it earns. I want to understand how Lexington built something this effective and how to make it mine.”

“You’re not serious.”

“I’m dead serious.” He smiles again, like this is just a friendly offer between colleagues. “And in return, I keep it all quiet. The IOUs. The fraud. The dean doesn’t hear a word. Everyone walks away clean.”

Everyone but me.

“But here’s the thing,” he adds, casually, like we’re discussing movie times and not blackmail. “This isn’t just about leverage or opportunity.”

Oh, great. There’s more?

“I think you’re fascinating, Ainsley.”

Oh, no. Absolutely not.

“Smart. Loyal. Sharp-tongued. Unapologetically stubborn.” His gaze lingers a little too long. “I’d like to take you to dinner. Off-campus. Somewhere quiet. Discreet.”

My stomach twists. “You’re asking me on a date, while also threatening to ruin my boyfriend’s life.”

“Call it... mutually beneficial company. You get a night away from the chaos. I get plausible deniability when my father starts asking questions about my priorities.”

I blink. “Wait, is this what this is really about? You want to use me as a smokescreen because Daddy Dearest doesn’t approve of your villain origin arc?”

Carter’s smile turns razor-sharp. “My father expects me to be predictable. Controlled. I like surprising him.”

“By showing up with the girl dating the campus criminal overlord?”

“Exactly. Imagine his face.”

“You’re insane.”

He shrugs. “Maybe. But I’m not wrong. Think about it. You go to dinner with me. I get what I want. Maverick’s secret stays safe. Everyone wins.”

I lean forward slowly, voice low and flat. “Let me make something crystal clear. I would rather lick the floor of a freshman dorm bathroom than go on a date with you.”

His eyes sparkle. “I admire your consistency.”

“Seriously. There is nothing you could offer me that would make me betray Maverick. Not a meal. Not your daddy’s approval. Not even front-row tickets to a sea lion dance recital.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he replies, standing. “You’re exactly as loyal as I thought.”

“Then why waste both our time?”

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