the chance to jiggle the knob. Does Aiden truly keep the pledge scores down there? Or is he keeping information of another kind?
“I think you’re the one with the mind powers.”
I whirled around, heart jumping into my throat.
Aiden cocked his brow through the screen door. “You’re staring at that knob like you can will it unlocked.”
“I can’t. So, why don’t you open it for me?”
“There’s nothing interesting down there. Ezra would’ve told you that.”
“If that’s true, why is it always locked?”
“Pledge points,” we said at the same time.
I rewarded him a mirthless smile. “You said I was supposed to help you evaluate the brothers, right? Let me see the points. Which pledges are in the running?”
“It’s only been two weeks. It’s too soon to tell.”
“If they don’t have points, what are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“Then open the door.”
Aiden locked eyes with me through the screen. The grin played at his lips, but I picked up on the tiniest bit of irritation in the tightness around his eyes. I tripped him up.
“All right. Maybe this will finally prove you’ve got me the wrong way around.”
Aiden came through and produced a key from his pocket. He inserted it without hesitation and let the door swing open. “After you.”
“You won’t be offended if I say I’m not interested in walking into a darkened basement alone with you?”
“What do you think I’m going to do?” he asked with a laugh. “I hope you also don’t take it the wrong way when I say it’s either you and me or you can walk off right now. What’s it going to be?”
I scoffed. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Everyone knew I was at the Sam house and Aiden Connelly couldn’t take me anyway. I led the way down the steps.
The basement was as Ezra described. A cement box of recreation. Worn couches sat around an old television set. Near the back corner was a pool cabinet and a shelf bursting with games. Next to that was a large whiteboard.
I squinted, peering through the dim light at the collection of names, birth dates, scores, and information collected on every Nu Alpha Theta pledge. It all added up to a final column where the points were assigned. Early days accounted for why most of the guys didn’t have a score yet.
“What are these scores based on?” I asked.
Aiden came to my side. “Everyone starts at zero. If they’ve gotten a bid, they’re already top of their class and killing it at extracurriculars. It’s not about what they’ve done outside of the house anymore. It’s about what they accomplish here.
“I observe how they get along with the guys. The effort they put in.” He pointed. “Wyatt and Josiah offered to set up for the party before I asked. That’s a point right there. We also pay attention to the standard stuff. How are they handling the pledge activities?
“Failing the test knocks them down a few points. Skipping out on bonding activities won’t do them any favors either. They get a grace period the first couple of weeks for the exercises, but after a month, if they still can’t keep up, they lose points for that too.”
I noticed he slipped “we” in there.
“Am I expected to judge the new sisters the same way?”
“How else would you do it? We do these things to test them. Why should they get in if they fail?”
“You have a point,” I agreed. “My trouble is understanding why their place should hinge on an hour and fifteen minutes of basketball. We’re the best and we take the best. I get that. But we won’t lose our reputation if we value what’s truly important.”
Aiden snorted. “It all makes sense now. You’re an idealist. That’s why they voted for you over Heather.”
“They voted for me because the girls want Sally house to change.” I waved a hand at the board. “Getting along with the brothers. Stepping up. Meeting the challenges thrown at them. All of that is important. But what really matters is us coming together and being there for each other.” I turned on him. “It matters that my sisters, and the guys on this side of the lawn, are safe. I won’t let anyone hurt them. Not even you.”
“I keep telling you, Valentina. You’ve got me all wrong.”
That he repeated the statement with that smirk on his mouth lessened the sincerity.
“Have you seen enough?”
There was nothing down here. Just the pledge points like he swore.
It won’t be easy to get the truth out of