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I look around and see that she’s still talking to me. “What is?”

Her eyes flick to the numbered pin on my shirt. “This Greek thing. Going through all this bullshit to pay for friends. It doesn’t make sense.”

I barely know Janelle, but I do know the look in her eye. She doesn’t just think it doesn’t make sense. She thinks it’s pathetic.

“People have a lot of reasons for joining a fraternity.” Like getting back at the bitch who blacklisted me. “No one gives a shit if you don’t join. Why do you care what anyone else does?”

She rolls her eyes and walks off.

Hitching my backpack over my shoulder, I walk out of the room and into the hallway. Unfortunately, the first person I see is Andrea surrounded by a group of GE’s. I stare at them for a long, wistful moment. None of them have rings under their eyes, giving the implication they’re getting a full night’s sleep, and not having to deal with dried cum on their stomach, because even if they did have a guy jerk off over them, they at least took a shower afterward.

That could have been me. Should have.

“Theo.”

It takes a second for that name to process, but it finally does, and I turn. Grayson is a few feet away, casually lurking behind a column. He jerks his head for me to follow him. Ignoring the peel of laughter coming from the group of sorority girls, I walk down the hall, aware of Grayson vanishing behind a closing door.

Resting my hand on the doorknob, I take a deep breath and open the door.

“You look like shit.”

That’sthe first thing he says.

“And you look like a dork in those glasses,” I retort, not in the mood for any of this.

“Ouch,” he says, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. “Okay. I guess I deserved that. I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. I was just… noting how hard the past few days must have been.”

I look around the room. It’s not a room, really. It’s a closet. The walls are lined with shelves. Supplies are neatly arranged on each one. The unexpected thing is Grayson. He’s not in his nerdy T-shirt or worn-out jeans. He’s in a jacket and nice pants—dressed for work at the Greek council. The glasses… well, they don’t look dorky at all. They look—dammit—a little sexy.

Exhaustion wells in my chest and, embarrassingly, tears prick at my eyes. I rub them with the base of my palms. I’m losing my mind. I know I am, because Grayson is not sexy. Are my standards collapsing already?

“You okay?”

I refuse to look at him, but answer, “It definitely hasn’t been a cake-walk.”

His hand rests on my shoulder. Gentle and supportive, or at least that’s the impression. I tense in response and shrug him away. I’m not in the position to trust men at the moment.

If Grayson notices, he doesn’t say anything. “How’s it going? Besides the sleep deprivation. Any intel on where they’re keeping you? I know the frat house is empty other than a skeleton crew of members.”

“We’re off campus at some farm, complete with a barn.” I raise an eyebrow. “That the recruits sleep in.”

“Ah,” a smile twitches at his lips, “because you’re goats. Royer’s clever.”

“It’s degrading.”

“Of course. The whole point is to break each of you down into a shell of your former selves and then rebuild you into the perfect Zeta Sig.” He straightens, raking his fingers through his hair. “Any idea where it’s located?”

“No. We’re blindfolded to and from campus and they took our phones.” I unclip the pager from my waistband. “They gave us these.”

Again, he looks impressed. For the first time, I think I can accept he’s one ofthem.

“They’ve definitely covered their bases. Unfortunately, we need to catch these guys in the act.” He rubs the thin layer of stubble on his chin. “No other specifics?”

“There’s a big farmhouse the officers and upper classmen are staying in. The guys have nice rooms. The pledges are out in the barn.”

He frowns. “You’ve seen the rooms?”

I force my voice to stay level. “Miller made me put his clothes away.”