Page 27 of Bachelor

“You have no proof.”

“Push me, Whitney, see what happens.”

I ran my tongue along the inside of my lower lip. “I heard he had to pull Tyler off you. How’d that feel?”

His eyes burned red as he stalked toward me, but as if I’d summoned, Tyler appeared on the steps to the library and put himself between us. “Get out of here, Christian.”

“Oh, look at that. You chose well, Ty, going after the campus slut.”

Tyler shoved him, and Christian stumbled down one of the steps.

I giggled at his expense, which made his face twist with rage.

“I’m going to fuck up your life, Whitney. That’s a promise. And you—” He pointed at Tyler, his eyes full of hatred. “Watch your back. This isn’t over.” He stormed away, flipping us off over his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Tyler asked, markedly concerned.

“I’m fine,” I said, brushing the wrinkles from my coat. In reality, I was having a hard time catching my breath. “It’s nothing.”

“That didn’t sound like nothing.”

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes for a moment. Then I felt Tyler’s hands on my shoulders. “Whitney, I need to know something.”

“What?”

“Was there any truth to what he was accusing you of?”

“Why?”

“Because he brought it up the day we fought. He alluded to you and Rhys hooking up. Did you?”

I looked up at Tyler, right into his eyes, and saw nothing but concern and maybe a hint of sympathy.

Could I trust this man?

Did I have a choice, especially now after what he’d just witnessed?

I grabbed his arm and started guiding him down the stairs.

This was a conversation I wasn’t going to have in public. If Rhys went on the ski trip, we’d be thrown into close proximity. I needed another buffer to help keep my head on straight other than Jessica, who seemed anxious to continue pushing me and Rhys together.

“What I’m about to tell you cannot be repeated, do you understand?”

“So it’s true?”

“Just listen to me, Tyler, please. It’s not what you think.”

“Okay,” he breathed as I pulled him to a stop in the shadow of the library’s exterior. “I’m listening.”

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