When Rivals Lose (Bayshore Rivals 2)

Banks doesn’t look happy, in fact, he looks like he might kick someone’s ass at any given second, but he agrees nonetheless, “I’ll be right on the other side of this door if you need me, and if you don’t come out in a few minutes, I’ll kick the fucking thing in.”

I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes at his alpha tendencies if I tried. “Mhh, how about I just leave it unlocked, and you can come in the normal way?”

Shrugging, he says, “I guess if you want to take the fun out of it.”

He lets go of my hand, and I suck in a calming breath before I grab the doorknob and twist it, opening the door. I’ve barely crossed the threshold when I spot Shelby running across the room, she’s coming right for me, like a raging bull. Her body collides with mine, her arms wrapping around me, engulfing me in a tight hug.

“Harlow, oh, my god. I was so worried about you! Where were you and why didn’t you have your phone with you? I didn’t have an option. Those stupid guards your father sent wouldn’t go away, and I didn’t know where you were, and I tried to cover for you but…”

She’s carrying on, and on, and no way am I going to get a word in if I don’t get her to take a breath and stop talking.

“It’s okay. I’m fine, see, alive and well.”

Shelby pulls away, her eyes filled with tears, “I was so worried about you. You’re my best friend, and you’ve had enough things happen to you lately. I can’t risk losing you again.”

Her words make no sense to me, especially if she is the one who put the drugs in my drink, but I can’t ignore them.

They tug on my heartstrings, and I think it’s because I don’t want to believe that one of my only friends, my best friend, could be the one to hurt me.

“Shelby… I need to ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest with me. Why did you lie about Oliver drugging me at that party?” It seems like the longest pause in mankind occurs between us.

“What? I…” For a moment, I think she’s going to deny it. Maybe come up with another lie, but then, instead of saying anything, she starts to cry. She covers her face with her hands, her whole body shaking, because she is crying so hard, and all I can manage to do is wrap my arm around her.

“I’m sorry, Harlow,” she chokes out between sobs. “I’m sorry.”

“Just tell me what happened. Why did you lie?”

“I’m just trying to protect you, Harlow. I swear.” That sounds a little far-fetched given what she did.

“By drugging me?”

“What? No! I didn’t drug you. I don’t know who did. I wasn’t lying about that. Some guys did distract me and kept me from going back outside… it just wasn’t Oliver, and I didn’t see anyone put anything in your drink.”

“Then why did you say that?”

“To keep you away from them. They are bad people, Harlow. You wouldn’t believe me, you never do, but it’s true! They hurt you so bad. They had the whole school against you. The banner… that wasn’t the only thing they did, you know? They terrorized you, and then all these other things happened to you, and every time the Bishops were there. That’s not a coincidence.”

“Shelby, I know you are trying to be a good friend, but you need to trust me on this. It’s not the Bishop brothers who have been after me. Yes, they bullied me before the accident, but it’s not like that anymore, things have changed between us.”

“There is more, Harlow…” Shelby wipes some tears from her eyes, which are now swollen and red, with her sleeve. “Their parents contacted me a while back. They wanted me to spy on you. I didn’t want to do it. I told them no, never would I betray you. But then they threatened me. They told me if I didn’t give them information, they would hurt my family and with everything that happened with my father, I couldn’t risk them hurting him, or my mother.” For some reason, I’m frantic, needing to know what it is that she’s talking about. Why would they go to Shelby?

“What do you mean spy? When? What did they want to know, and what did you tell them?” I’m grasping at straws here trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. There are things I know now, and things I don’t quite understand, or remember yet, and it’s all so confusing.

Shelby exhales a breath. “They contacted me right before the boat incident. At first, they just wanted to know stuff like if you were seeing one of their sons. I told them, no, of course, you guys hated each other. Then the car accident happened, and they just kept contacting me, wanting updates. They asked if you regained your memory and stuff like that. I don’t know what they wanted, Harlow, but I’m worried about you. The Bishops can’t be trusted, I mean, they threatened me for information about you.”