Speaking of animosity, Ellie sat in the living room staring blindly at the TV. She’d fought with Ryan, but over what I wasn’t sure. What was it that she expected him to do? It was almost comical how it had all gone south so quickly. One night you’re watching naked men together and the next no one was talking to each other.
Maybe I couldn’t fix Bo and me tonight, but I could help Ellie. Ellie didn’t even move as I walked over to the coffee table and picked up her phone. “I need to text myself from your phone. I’m worried my texts aren’t going through. Bo hasn’t responded at all.”
All true, but that wasn’t why I was using her phone. I was stealing Ryan’s number so I could meet up with him. And I was going to do it on campus. Maybe even in the library, and if Clay was there, all the better.
You still care about Ellie? – AM
My phone pinged immediately.
YES! I screwed up again but not sure how.
Meet me in 15 at the library?
Library?!? U sure? Sat. night was rough. Sorry! We can meet elsewhere.
Am fine. Don’t care about what ppl are saying. CU soon.
OK.
Before I left, though, I threw Clay’s notes away. They had no hold over me now.
“Ellie,” I called over my shoulder. “I’m going out. My phone works now.”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
RYAN WAS SITTING ON THE third floor near the O-P-Q section of the fiction books in the library. Perhaps he’d had some hope that Ellie would be with me because when he saw it was just me, a half-hopeful smile turned crestfallen.
“That’s a sad look,” I teased weakly.
Ryan snorted and then put his head in both hands. “God, what happened Saturday night?”
“That’s what I want to know,” I replied. “I didn’t even see you.”
“I got a text from Ellie that she was going to the party house with you guys. I told her I’d meet her there. I came in at the point when everyone was rushing out,” Ryan declared. “I didn’t know what had happened until like a half hour later.”
“What did happen after we left?” I’d been so caught up in the drama playing out in my apartment that I hadn’t given a thought to what had gone on back on campus.
“The party kind of broke up. I don’t know if people left because they thought someone was going to call the cops or what,” Ryan said. “A couple of my teammates and I carried Clay home.”
“Is he going to press charges?” I worried that Bo would get in trouble for this.
“Nah, we talked him out of it. Told him it would make him look like a pussy,” Ryan said and then grimaced. “No offense.”
“Whatever.” I couldn’t care less about his pejorative use of gendered words right now. “Why is Ellie moping around?”
“She saw me as she ran out and thought I was standing around, just listening.” Ryan looked down guiltily. “And I guess I was. I mean, I knew since the incident at the QC Café that Clay was behind those rumors. You aren’t the only one, you know.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Yeah, the lacrosse club has a book of girls that they want get back at. It’s like revenge porn, I guess, but instead of putting up nudes of their exes—which they totally do by the way—they spread rumors about the girls that turn them down. It’s their way of taking the girls down a peg or two,” Ryan confessed.
“And you knew this for how long?” I frowned at Ryan. Maybe he wasn’t the good guy I thought he was.
“Just last night. After we brought Clay home and dumped him in his room, I asked what the hell was going on. One of the younger guys caved and confessed. It’d bothered the shit out of him, but he’d been reluctant to confront Clay about it.” Ryan huffed a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair, seemingly relieved to get it all out. “After all, what could he have done?”
“Who are the girls?” Were they freshmen? Could I have done something to put an end to this? The shame I’d tried hard to disperse was creeping back in.
“Not sure. My friend said some of the girls transferred or graduated.” Ryan grimaced. “I think you were their new pet project.”
I shuddered. “Great.”
This wasn’t what I was expecting when I’d asked Ryan to meet up with me. Pushing that aside for a moment, I said, “You need to just be persistent and tell Ellie the truth. But not about the revenge rumors. Okay?”
“She won’t answer her phone. How am I supposed to be persistent?”
I handed him my keys. I owed Ellie one. “Don’t make me regret this. Go now and sweep her off her feet.”