“No,” she said, wiping her mouth after flushing again. “I swear. I haven’t drunk since…” She closed her eyes again, more tears that rolled into a full-on sob.

I kneeled next to her, my hand on her back. “It’s okay, Tessa. I know.”

“What?” she snapped, glancing at me through glittering eyes. “How?”

“Tanner,” I said. “He has footage. I’m doing everything I can to get it from him. But there are complications.” I sighed. “You could’ve told me. Come to me. I would’ve helped you.”

She gaped at me like I had glitter shooting out my nose.

I furrowed my brow. “The stunt you pulled before the assembly?”

Realization clicked in her eyes before she rolled them. “Oh,” she said. “The stupid video? I don’t care about that.”

“What?” Anger rippled up my spine. “How can you not care? He’s using it against me! The footage of you stealing his personal laptop out of his office, Tessa. You could go to jail for that if he decides to press charges. At minimum, he could expel you. Ruin your perfect record.”

“Asshole,” she said, scrubbing the wet cloth over her face but not moving from her spot over the toilet. “I didn’t know he had a camera. Or that he’d use it against you.” She sniffled. “Just a dumb prank. Something to show you and Sean I could keep up with you.” She rolled her eyes. “Was going to rub it in your faces before—”

“Wait,” I cut her off. “What did you think I knew?”

“What?”

I grumbled. “You didn’t know I was talking about the video. You thought I was talking about something else. What did you think I knew?”

She dropped her head again. “Just go away, Dean.”

“No. Forget that. My ass is on the line because of you. Because I will always do whatever it takes to protect you—”

“No one asked you to protect me!”

“I’m your brother!” I stood and paced the small space of the bathroom, not wanting to yell in her face while she was sick. “Look,” I said, calming down, “you need to care about this. If I don’t get that footage or do what he’s asking me to do, there will be real consequences.”

She laughed, a dark, cold laugh.

It raised chills on my skin, a deep pit opening in my stomach.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said.

“It does! I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you, but it matters—”

“I’m pregnant!” she blurted, stopping me from speaking, from thinking, from feeling anything besides a massive punch in the gut.

I stumbled backward, the backs of my knees hitting the edge of the tub so hard I sank down on it. “What?” My voice was a whisper.