Page 55 of Campus Muscle

He finished the rep and set the bar down with a controlled drop. Then he turned his head just enough to see me. The recognition was instant, and so was the irritation that followed.

“Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of something?” he finally asked.

“That’s too bad,” I shot back. “Because this can’t wait.”

Trace straightened ever so slightly and grabbed his towel. He dragged it across his neck oh so slowly before fully facing me. “Make it quick.”

“I spoke to that TA of yours,” I said, trying to sound as mysterious as possible.

And it worked like a charm. His eyes widened, and he started sweating even more. It wasn’t obvious enough for the people around us who weren’t in on the hint to get it, but it was clear as day to the two of us.

With shaky hands he folded his towel, and his movements were a lot slower than they needed to be. “Are you trying to get to the point?”

“Do you really still think that I can’t see what’s going on? Because I already put all the pieces together.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “There’s nothing for you to see.”

“Right, because those extremely helpful ‘study guides’ have a tendency to appear out of thin air. And would you believe that they just magically end up in the hands of the person who needs them most?”

The color drained from his face, and he was sweating so much that his dark hair clung to his forehead. He didn’t see it, but at this point his nervousness was clear. I had noticed the shift in his breathing and the way his pupils dilated, all telltale signs of nerves taking over the system.

“They’re just notes.”

“Stop lying. We both know they’re answers.”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “You can’t prove that.”

“I don’t need to. He basically just told me everything I needed to know to my face. It can’t get more real than that.”

It looked like I had slapped him across the face. He rubbed his cheek and failed to pick his jaw up off the ground.

“I know Frank’s involved.” I added trying to be a bit more gentle. “I know he’s pulling the strings, but what’s surprising me is that you’re letting him.”

Trace let out a deep breath. “Why do you have to be like this? You’re so relentless and becoming a real pro at pissing me off.”

“Why do you keep dodging me? Because that’s what’s pissing me off.”

“Because.”

“Because what?” I forgot to keep my voice down, but it didn’t matter. We were here now.

“Because, okay… You keep looking for something that might not even be there, and you’ve made me the center of your crazy fantasy.”

I held his gaze for a good long while and searched for something that didn’t line up with his answer, but he was good. He knew how to hide his emotions and how to stop things from slipping through under pressure. That was probably how he got away with it for so long.

“You’re lying.”

“Or maybe I just don’t feel like explaining my life to you,” he said, turning his back on me.

“It’s never too late to change your mind.”

“My life is none of your business.”

I arched my brow, and he cursed under his breath. He knew he was my assignment, and he knew exactly what that meant. He also knew that I would start digging if he didn’t start talking. So he was screwed either way.

“I’m not your story,” he scoffed. And when he looked at me, the fire in his eyes nearly struck me down.

I composed myself with a deep breath. “You are, and if you’re a part of this so-called conspiracy theory, you just became my focal point. “