ONE WILD NIGHT

and like an angry wasp. The screen showed 247 missed calls, 8

vans crowded the street lik

rgent. "You need to see this."Zoe wh

my face staring back from every majo

CALLS BABY

NAL HELP" -"BILLIONA

NT'S PREGNANCY S

eone leaked your work schedule, your class roster, even

nistrators had access to that information. S

rved whatever came next. The other half seemed to see through Alex's performance

e he couldn't even say her name? And th

t woman under the bus to save his

defender, thre

oke college girl trying to t

aint for not pressing charges. Sh

n number. I almost ignored it,

The voice was cr

es

an Morrison needs to see you immediately regardin

eart hammered against

the back entrance. The front

ne wen

ersity," I told Zoe, pull

ming wi

u don't

was fierce. "You're n

emergency exit, but photographers were everywhere.

long have you been sleepi

baby rea

want from the

e as we pushed through the crowd. Someone sh

Zoe shouted, pullin

inted and whispered. Some held up phones, recording my humiliation fo

ding. Margaret Chen, his assistant, looked at me with something between pity and dis

to shake my hand. He was a thin man with silver hair and the kind

felt unc

ting down behind his big oak desk. "The universit

t broken

seventeen of your scholarship says you must follow the university's moral

"You're threatening my schol

e was calm, almost cold. "All this media attention makes Westfie

Stone said about

sses. "Mr. Stone is a well known graduate and a major d

had probably written checks that

ss Collins. Did you have sexual

face. "That's no

ituation is now my busin

, meeting his ga

in my file. "Ar

es

Stone th

es

n stroke felt like

his situation quietly. Retract any claims about Mr. Stone. Issue a

if I

mine whether your conduct violates your agreement.

days to choose between

Dean Morrison?" My voice

cour

got someone pregnant, would we

oncluded. Seventy two hours, Miss Col

gave out. I slumped against

did he

by their golden boy." The words tasted bitter. "Sevent

rage. "This is insane. Yo

I can't finish school. Without a degree, I can'

, my future crumbling with each step. But a

a, l

ear the library steps. Maybe thirt

ELIEVE

STANDS WI

BOYS L

w most of them, but they were there. Fighti

from the group and jogged toward us. I

s breathless with excitement. "Students are furious about how you're

ate this, but I c

ous anger. "What's happening to you is happening to all of us. If th

riving. Word was spreading across

rang. Mom

tened. "Sweetheart, Jake told me

pping the phone. "I'm

about you. About the baby." She stopped, her voice heavy and slow f

s,

softer: "And the fat

es

ied you? On

hing inside me. "Mom, I'm sorry.

e to fight. "Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for. But that boy...

yth

ou disappear. Don't you dare ap

ters, at Zoe's fierce loyalty, at my phone filled with m

ou thinking

denial. About Victoria's perfect smile as she'd claimed her

"that maybe it's time to stop b

ed through my contacts until I f

iguez. Cha

ed on the

Are you still interested in

absolutely.

clock. And Elena?

t me with something like . "Y

oices growing louder. I thought about the baby growing inside me, about

ice steady for the first time in

re in the shadows, someone was watching. Someone who'd been feeding informatio

o wanted m

atened badly enough to deserve

ld they do when they realized I