Page 29 of Ruthless Court

I glance toward the path where Stella disappeared.

The beach. Bonfires. Music. Every athlete on campus packed into one stretch of sand.

Tristan Vale could show up with his new Stanford deal and his perfect hair and whatever else people found so fascinating.

Stella and I had history.

He had a name.

I toss my shirt back onto the sideline and take the ball from Marcus.

“Check it.”

He bounces it to me.

I catch it, glance once more toward the dorms, and smile.

“Tonight’s handled.”

Three

HANNAH

Stanford gives me palm trees, sunshine, and a dorm full of athletes.

Two out of three isn’t terrible.

I stand in the center of Cypress House with my housing assignment pulled up on my phone, hoping the room number changes if I stare at it long enough.

It doesn’t.

Cypress House, Room 214.

One of four dorms surrounding the athlete quad.

I know this because the girl behind the housing desk says it like I won a prize.

“You got so lucky,” she tells me. “People beg to live here.”

“I’m begging not to.”

Her smile falters. “Why?”

Outside the open doors, two boys in Stanford football shirts carry a television across the courtyard while six girls pretend they aren’t watching.

A basketball bounces somewhere nearby.

The sound finds a nerve.

“I requested academic housing.”

“This is academic housing.”

“With athletes.”

“They’re students too.”

“That remains under investigation.”