Jordan POV

He did nothing wrong but he still was getting the blame.

Just when everything in his life was making sense now. He had a great girlfriend he loved. Just placed second in the step show. Everyone was giving him his props. His TikTok paychecks nearly tripled. His grades were all still good.

He finally had enough money saved up so he could buy a car and not have to depend on his roommate. He wanted to share all his achievements with Marketta but she was not trying to hear anything he said.

Since Manny and Laila broke up, she acted as if he did something wrong. She refused to see him for days and would not even talk to him till he cornered her out on the Quad.

"Two birds of a motherfucking feather!" she yelled at him.

He did not even know what happened between Manny and Laila till Marketta said something the next day. Manny did not even come back to the room after the party. He assumed he stayed the night at the frat house with all the brothers in town.

He was dead wrong.

"You know how much pussy I can get from other girls? Laila's lost," Manny told him.

So now Manny was a full-time dog, shacking up with a different girl every day of the week. He only came back to their room in the morning to shower and change and get to his classes. He did not recognize his frat brother anymore.

But that was not him, and Marketta refused to see that.

"What?" He didn't do a damn thing and this was so unfair. He knew Manny's cheating would come back and kick him in the ass. "Marketta, why are you trying to accuse me of something I did not do? I didn't cheat!"

"Sure, whatever."

"I didn't! I promise you. Don't put me into his mess."

He did not care that others were walking around the Quad, hearing their argument. Because he was Greek, or maybe because of the Talent Show, every eye was always on him. They were in his business maybe because he put it out there. All the social media did not help either. Everyone knew he was with Marketta, so a showdown between them in public was a big deal.

He would not doubt someone filming him and the video popping up on TikTok.

He could care less.

"You are in this mess!" Marketta yelled, pushing him away. "You two are thick as thieves. Right? Always together. Roommates...frat brothers...covering for each other. Did you not lie about him and Shamiya?"

Damnit! He wished he would have stayed out of it. "Huh? That shit didn't have anything to do with me."

"But you lied. You covered for him because you knew he was lying. You knew he was fucking around with her, right?"

Damn, now he could not even lie. "Yes. Yes, I knew."

"See, that's the shit-" She started to walk away but he held her arm.

Marketta snatched it away and looked as if she wanted to hit him, but saw others watching, so she calmed herself down and walked away. He was right on her heels, not giving up.

"Come on Marketta, what was I supposed to do? I told him he was an idiot for doing it and I tried to get him to stop but he's a grown man, feeling himself."

That made her stop and turn to him. "Like you?" She looked him up and down. "You're Mr. Big Man on campus now. Look around, everyone watches every move you make. Winning the talent show, winning the step show now. You pledged and became someone else."

He was not going to correct her that he came in second every time. Second was not winning to him, first was. But that was beside the point. Marketta did not trust him now.

"I promise, ain't nothing changed about me. Well, except I grind harder and I'm doing better now than before I pledged. I know my brothers have my back and I have theirs."

"Is that how you can justify that asshole, having his back while he fucked over my sister? See, that's what I'm talking about. You lie and cover for him, what makes you think he won't do the same for you? Like Brian too...I heard what he did to J'Nae." Marketta shook her head in frustration. "Throw the whole fraternity away."

"Wait a second!" Now she was taking things overboard. "What my frat brothers do in their personal life doesn't have shit to do with my fraternity. Let's not even go there. You want to come after me, or one of them, do that, but do not come after Epsilon Upsilon."

"Yeah, sure," she mumbled, crossing her hands over her chest. "It's changed you."

"Babe, if you can't see it's for the better, I don't know what to say. All my success, I only want to share with you." He took her hands and held them.  "There is no one else. Will never be anyone else."

She snatched her hands away. "I can't be with someone I don't trust."

"I'm being totally honest with you. Maybe I was wrong about how I handled Manny and your sister. I'm sorry! But you can't have this affect us."

He could tell by the look on Marketta's face, she was not budging. She was too stubborn, what he loved about her, but wished she would see how real he was.

"This is all messed up Jordan." A tear fell down her cheek and he wanted to brush it away, pull her in his arms and kiss it all better. "I knew you were too good to be true Jordan."

It took everything in him to not hold her in his arms, but he respected she needed space. "Marketta, don't do this to us. What do you need me to do to earn your trust back?"

She shook her head and wiped away the tear. "Nothing. I need time Jordan. I can't be with you feeling like this."

"Marketta, I love you." He hoped that would be enough. It meant a lot to him because he never felt this way about any other girl.

"Yeah, and I love you too." She sniffed. "But that's not enough."

Marketta turned and walked away from him and he did not try to go after her this time. She needed space. Hopefully see that he was real with her. That he was not like his roommate.

He would do whatever it took to win her back, and however long it would take.

A/N: Poor Jordan. He was trying to do the right thing. Well, he didn't have to lie for his frat. If he told the truth he could have lost his frat brother, but now he has lost his girlfriend.