He’d texted me the night before to check in on me, and I’d thanked him for his concern and updated him on the suspension thing, but didn’t keep the conversation going. I was buried in a cloud of shame and embarrassment, and I just didn’t want to talk about it. All I wanted to do was eat junk food and put my social and academic downfall out of my mind, to be dealt with properly next week.

“Your turn next year,” Ainsley said as she caught sight of the photos. “Any drama?”

“None that I know of.”

“Ah. The stories will start coming out on Monday. Let me know if they involve anyone I might know.”

I wondered how Brooke was feeling, seeing these photos of Ray. I wished I could comfort her. I wished even more that I’d never hurt them.

Then, amazingly, my phone started vibrating with a call, and I scrambled to answer it. Brooke? I didn’t care what she was calling for, to yell at me, or to cry to me, as long as she spoke to me.

But it was Finn. Ainsley paused the movie while I answered.

“It’s Brougham,” said Finn as soon as he heard my voice.

I shot up so quickly I pulled a muscle in my neck. “What happened?”

“Some shit went down over here, I’ll tell you later, but long story short he’s really wasted.”

“Brougham is?”

“I’ve never seen him like this. I’m scared what his parents might do if he goes home right now.”

Furniture thrown. Insults hurled. Doors slammed and threats screamed. And that’s just what I’d witnessed.

No, I didn’t want Brougham going home right now, either. “Where’s Winona?”

“She went home a while ago. She won’t pick up her phone.”

Something bitter and jealous kicked against the inside of my stomach at the realization that Finn had called Winona to come for Brougham first, as ridiculous as that was. And then a hurt, mean part of me piped up that I should tell Finn to keep trying Winona. Say that Alexander Brougham was not my responsibility. He had chosen Winona, after all, so who exactly was I to him?

But it was Brougham.

It was Brougham, and I would never, ever do that.

“And your mom is on the trip, right? Can you help?”

Honestly, it was never a question. “Ains,” I said. “Can I borrow your car? We have a situation.”