How humiliating it was, standing there with his pride wounded, knowing he was about to do something completely out of character. Bradley Uppercrust III, the guy who never looks back and always keeps his cool, now found himself at the door of Tank’s dorm, hesitating like a schoolboy about to confess to breaking a window. Apologizing wasn’t exactly his style—he was more of the “move on and pretend it never happened” type, but the situation left him with no choice. Tank had been there for him, loyal to a fault, and Bradley had ditched him when things got tough.

The bitter taste of defeat still lingered from the X Games, where his carefully laid plans crumbled spectacularly. Losing was bad enough, but losing while cheating was a new low, even for him. Tank had taken the fall, both literally and figuratively, and Bradley had been too caught up in his own failure to give a damn. But now, standing outside Tank’s door, the weight of his actions pressed down on him like never before. He needed to fix this, but the thought of admitting he’d screwed up felt like swallowing broken glass.

His hand hovered over the door, clenched into a fist as he wrestled with his pride. The idea of Tank looking at him with disappointment—or worse, pity—was enough to make him want to bolt. But he forced himself to stay, the image of his fallen friend gnawing at his conscience. Tank had deserved better, and Bradley knew it.

Taking a deep breath, he finally raised his hand and knocked, the sound echoing in the hallway louder than it should have. Bradley stiffened, his heart pounding as he waited for Tank to answer. This wasn’t going to be easy, but for once, Bradley was prepared to face the music. Even if it meant admitting to his faults and doing the one thing he hated most—apologizing.