When Rivals Love (Bayshore Rivals 3)

Banks cups me by the cheek, and I nuzzle into his touch. “When it comes to you, everything can be fixed. Let’s get you a shower, something small to eat, and some rest.”

“Sullivan and I will get everything figured out so we can go back to classes,” Oliver announces.

That makes me perk up. Excitement bubbles through me. This is just what I needed to hear.

“Yes, we’re finally leaving and going back to classes. Now that Shelby has been caught, we have nothing to worry about.”

“We can finally all be together, and attend classes like we were meant to. Everything will go back to normal now. We’ll get to be normal, or as normal as we can be as college students.”

I smile because deep down, I am happy, but I can’t shake the inky dread that something bad will happen. It always does. It always finds a way to ruin the good in my life.

7

“I thought you would be excited to be back in classes?” Caroline says from her seat beside me. She must see the permanent scowl that seems to have taken up residence on my face this week.

Things have pretty much gone back to normal, even Tiffany and her cronies are treating me the same as they always have, no matter how much I try to ignore their jibes, I just can’t seem to. Merely thinking her name makes my brain scream.

“Earth to Harlow, you’re looking at Tiffany like you want to rip out her throat, are you okay?” Caroline’s soft voice fills my ears, and I look away from Tiffany before I do just that. She’s bitchier than I remember her being, and it’s taking everything in me to bite my tongue when she or her barbie brigade walks past me and calls me a slut beneath their breaths. It’s petty and childish, and I just want them to go away.

“I’m fine, just a little… aggravated,” I hiss, trying not to look in Tiffany’s direction.

“Could’ve fooled me. I thought you were plotting Tiffany’s murder there for a second.”

“That’s because I was.” I peek up at Tiffany again. She tosses her hair over her shoulder and laughs loudly at something one of her friends says. Bitches. Mean stuck-up bitches. That’s all they are. “I don’t understand why they have to be such assholes. It’s not like what I do with my life has any effect on them.” I’m merely venting now, and even though I should stop and save it for when I get back to the house, it feels good to let it out right now.

At least I’ll be less likely to reach out and bash Tiffany’s head against the wall this way.

“She’ll forever feel like you stole Oliver from her.” Caroline’s response makes me grit my teeth. “Before you bagged my cousins, she had her sights set on him, and from the look of it, she still does. I bet she hates you for having their hearts when she can’t even get their attention. Never could. Even when they were pretending to like her, all they would talk about was you.”

“Well, maybe if she wasn’t being a raging bitch all the time, she could get a guy to like her for more than her mouth or the thing between her legs.”

“Amen to that,” Caroline mumbles. “Maybe we should tell her that…”

Grinning, I shake my head. The last thing I need is more encouragement. I spend the rest of the class trying to ignore Tiffany and concentrate on the outline for my English literature paper instead. When the professor announces we’re free to go, I’m so relieved I practically sag in my seat. Who knew ignoring someone could be so draining? Then again, I guess the ignoring part wasn’t my problem. It’s more holding back my anger, so I don’t end up getting booted from the school.

Gathering my stuff quickly, I start to get excited when I realize that I’ll be seeing the guys in a few minutes. Like every day, we all meet for lunch, something that’s slowly becoming my favorite part of the day.

“In a hurry to get to your boyfriend?” One of Tiffany’s friends snarls, her voice condescending.

“Please, Claire, don’t be ridiculous and call them her boyfriends,” Tiffany decides to add her input. “She is nothing more than their little plaything. Don’t you remember how they used to talk about her? How we used to make fun of her with the guys? They don’t want her, at least, not like they would want you or me.” I can’t help myself. I look the bitch right in the eyes and just stare, wishing I could show her just how much they don’t want her.

“Why don’t you guys get lost,” Caroline snaps. “You’re just jealous because she has what you want.”

“Ha, jealous? Of her?” Tiffany’s nose wrinkles and I clench my free hand into a tight fist. Don’t slug her. My muscles burn, as anger pulses through me. Concentrating on not wiping the smug smile off her face… with my fist.