Page 34 of Dare (Fighting Fate)

Hitting the throttle full-on, I pressed my new baby to give everything she had, managing to cross the line a whole length in front of Jordan, and a few more in front of Brad.

Skidding around to a stop, I laughed at Jordan’s attempt to flip me the bird and cut the engine. “Nice try, man,” I said, sliding my helmet off. “I gotta give it to you, though. It doesn’t matter how many times I beat you, you just keep coming back. That takes some balls.”

“Fuck off,” Jordan said, rolling his eyes. “You and I both know it’s only a matter of time before I hand your ass to you.”

I smirked at him as Brad pulled up beside us. “I knew you just wanted to touch my ass. Sorry, Bro. This ass is reserved for someone else.”

Jordan tucked his helmet under his arm and crooked one side of his mouth upward. “If you’re talking about Jess, you might want to prepare yourself to share. Rumor has it, she’s into threesomes.”

Everything around me stilled. I liked a good joke just as much as the next person, but talking about a girl’s reputation like it didn’t matter never sat well with me—especially a girl I cared about. “That’s not even funny, Bro. Talk shit about Jess, and I’ll make you regret it.”

Jordan laughed. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just telling you what I heard. Some mutt saw both Wyatt and Zac leaving her apartment a few weeks ago and said he’d heard they’d all had a nice ménage à trois. I didn’t make the shit up.”

I shot Brad a harsh glare. If I found out he told even one person, I was going to beat the shit out of him.

Brad shook his head the instant our gazes met. “It wasn’t me, dude. I didn’t even tell dipshit here.”

“Hey!” Jordan gawked at Brad before his brow creased with confusion. “What do you mean you didn’t tell?”

I glared at Jordan. “Who?” I demanded, ready to go break someone’s nose. “Who told you?”

Jordan shook his head. It was obvious he had no idea why I was flipping the fuck out. “Leonard Banks. I saw him at the dorms this morning.”

This was getting way too complicated. Looking out over the trees, I tried to calm the growing rage inside me. It pissed me off no end that people were talking shit about Jess, but it infuriated me even more because I knew what had actually happened that night. The fact that people were condemning her for something she didn’t do, when in actual fact she was a victim, made me want to go full Hulk on someone’s ass. And it wouldn’t be pretty.

Shaking my head in frustration, I ran a hand through my hair. I had no idea how to fix this for Jess. I’d never been at the center of any sort of scandal before. How did people dispel all the shit? It wasn’t like I was in a position to tell anyone the truth.

Growling, I lowered my helmet to my side. Did she know what people were saying? Had she heard yet? And if she had, how was she taking it? As much as I’d decided to stay the fuck away from her after pressing her up against the wall like a madman, this wasn’t something I could ignore. I needed to go see her.

Jordan pushed his helmet into my leg. “Dude, what the hell is going on? I know you like Jess and all, but didn’t she break up with Wyatt? What does it matter if she did this thing or not? It’s not like they’re together anymore.”

Swiping at his helmet, I knocked it to the ground, my temper getting the best of me. “It’s her reputation, Jordan! That’s why it matters. And for the record, Wyatt and Zac may have been at her apartment, and they may have left in the early hours of the morning, but a threesome is the exact opposite of what really happened! You’re supposed to be a fucking law student. Stop thinking about how something looks on face value, and start think

ing about other possibilities. Start thinking like a damned criminal.”

Brad’s gaze fell to the ground while Jordan frowned, his face confused and blank as he tried to process my rant.

Clenching my jaw, I tried to calm myself down. “Just because they’re law students and you know who they are, doesn’t mean they’re only up to stupid experimental college shit,” I said, this time a little softer.

His eyes narrowed, and I knew he finally got it. I watched him draw in a slow, deep breath before he pressed his lips into a contemplative pout. “You’re not going to tell me what they were up to, are you?”

Tightening my jaw, I shook my head, once. “I can’t, man.

He nodded, accepting. “Just tell me this. Is Jess okay?”

Lifting one shoulder, I dropped it with a sigh. “She was. I’m not sure after this, though. I need to go see her.”

“Anything we can do?” Brad asked, concern flashing in his eyes.

“I don’t know, man. Just let me go talk to Jess first. Then I’ll know what to do. Or at least I hope I will.”

With that, I pulled my helmet back on and started up my bike. I just hoped I was going to be able to calm down before I got to Jess’s, because I couldn’t guarantee what would happen otherwise.

Chapter 23

Jess

Copying down the rest of the notes from the board, I quickly put my laptop to sleep and closed the lid. Shoving everything into my backpack, I swung it over my shoulder, pretending I couldn’t hear the whispering behind me as I stood. As much as I’d become used to the giggling taunts and sideways glances over the past week, it didn’t mean I was okay with it. In fact, it was really starting to piss me off. Ever since the rumor started, I’d been surrounded by nothing more than a bunch of judgmental bitches and heat-seeking manwhores.

---