Page 141 of Bitter Rival

I crack one eye open to find two sets of eyes trained on me. “What the fuck are you doing? Don’t you have something better to do than interrupt my nap time?” I grumble. “What do you have to tell me?”

“You’re in love,” Grayson says gravely.

Caiden nods.

“Fuck off. I’m not in love,” I scoff. Fuck. Am I?

“He’s so deep in denial, we’ll have to toss him a life preserver,” Grayson says.

“Dude’s in over his head.”

“Man down,” Grayson says, and they both laugh like their stupid jokes are the funniest thing they’ve ever heard.

“I saw the writing on the wall from day one. RIP.” Grayson claps me on the shoulder and solemnly lowers his head like he’s attending someone’s wake. “You never stood a chance.”

I don’t even know why I hang out with these assholes.

What do they know about love, anyway?

They’re both single.

“So how’d you fuck it up?” Caiden asks.

“I didn’t fuck up anything. She left.” I rub my hand over my chest to alleviate the tightness but unsurprisingly, the ache doesn’t go away.

I’m lying, of course. I know I fucked up. I’m just not entirely sure what to do about it.

“Talk to us,” Grayson says. “Maybe we can help.”

Don’t ask me what compels me to start talking, but I end up telling them everything. Dishing the dirt like we’re a bunch of schoolgirls at a slumber party.

I wrap up the story with my revenge plot for Astrid and how the whole thing went down followed by Daisy’s hasty departure. “She just took off.” I throw up my hands. “Can you fucking believe that shit?”

My words are met with utter silence. They’re both staring at me.

“You fucked up,” Grayson says finally.

Shit. He’s right. I scrub my hand down my face and groan.

I fucked up big time.

I did the one thing I said I wouldn’t—I fell in love with Daisy Larsson.

For the first time in my life, I’m in love and what did I do?

By plotting and scheming to ruin Astrid, I destroyed Daisy in the process. Astrid waltzed away with her held high while Daisy looked… devastated.

What have I done?

“You need to fix this,” Caiden says. “You gotta make it right.”

Damn straight I do. I need to find a way to get her back.

I need a plan of action.

The following week, I meet Harold for coffee. Not that I have any interest in socializing with him. I already told him my intentions over the phone and now I just want to get the paperwork taken care of.

The coffee was his idea. The outdoor table was mine. I snagged a parking spot right in front of the coffee shop so as soon as he hands me the paperwork, I can be on my way.

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