Page 48 of Blades of Obsession

“Well, it’s not fair!” Skye yells. “I’ve been trying to get in with that stupid group for over a year! Amelia’s been here for two months, and she gets you? She hit the jackpot! And I get stuck with some low-life boyfriend who’s a lapdog and does whatever you say. I deserve privileges on this campus! I deserve a fancy sports car, a filthy rich boyfriend! Why does she get everything, and I get nothing?”

“Oh, now the real bitch is coming out.”

She crosses her arms. “I’m not leaving. My dad would kill me if I lose my scholarship.”

I lower my voice and step towards her. “If you refuse to leave, I will pluck off your family members one. by. one. Then, you will lie awake every night wondering when I’m coming for you too, until I eventually do. Your dad being mad at you will be the least of your fucking concerns. Got it?”

Her tough act crumbles instantly. She nods, her head bobbing like a broken bobblehead, before running off.

“Now that that’s out of the way.” I turn to Catalina. “Walk with me real quick.”

“Okay.” She perks up cheerfully.

Turning to Jacob, I say, “Stay here. Be back in two minutes and we can talk.”

Without waiting for a response, I grab Catalina by the arm and lead her towards the music room. She’s about to get a taste of her own medicine, and it’s going to be extra strength.

“So you did miss me. Maybe I should be absent more often. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.” She smiles, leaning in to kiss my cheek, but I block her at the last second.

“Drop the fucking nice act. Skye told me about all the mean shit you did to Amelia during cheer practice. So, how can you be so nice to me, fake smile and all, and a raging bitch to her?”

Her smile drops like it was never there. “You always looked at her like that from afar when I’m clearly the better option,” she sneers. “Why does she get all of the privileges? Just like Skye said. She gets to skip the lunch line, get better meals from the exclusive menu, go into any shop and get anything she wants without paying, special privileges with some of the professors, priority parking—”

“You don’t have to list every damn privilege she gets from wearing the necklace, I already know them. So let me get this straight. You knew I liked her, so you planned to pick on her so you could, what? Destroy her self-confidence so she’d never go for a guy like me. Is that it?”

She looks down, her expression shifting to a mask of guilt as fake as her smile. Everything about her is fake.

“You see Catalina, that’s why I stopped dealing with you.”

Her head snaps up to me. “But why? I can fix it.”

“You’re snobby, you’re rude, you sit at the lunch hall with your mini-me friends and harass people so you can feel better about yourself. Just a full-on bitch. And that would be fine, and I would’ve just stayed far away from you. But then you went and messed with the wrong girl, so now you have to pay.”

As if on cue, Rhys spots us and walks over, his brows furrowing as he shifts his gaze back and forth between the two of us.

“Just in time,” I smirk. “Rhys here is going to teach you a little lesson about bullying. Let’s see how you like it.” I nod in the direction of the empty music room.

“What? No! I thought we were going to hook up!”

Rhys grabs her, hauling her into the music room, and after I make sure they’re inside, I make my way back to Jacob.

When I reach him, I don’t waste time. “For being Amelia’s childhood best friend, why the hell are you fraternizing with her bully? Surely if you wanted to rebuild a friendship with her, you wouldn’t do that.”

“Catalina is just pussy.” He sticks his hands in his pockets and leans against the pillar.

I don’t believe him. Either way, I play along. Sometimes you have to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

“Really? Cause she’s not that good of a lay. Of all the girls in school you decide to stick your dick in your friend’s enemy, just for trash pussy?”

“She’s willing to try any kink at least once, that makes up for it.” He shrugs. “But you’re not here to talk about my sex life.”

“What are your real intentions?” I have a bad feeling in my gut about him.

His jaw tightens, and there’s a long pause before he speaks. “A little thing called revenge,” he finally admits. “And I’m going to hurt you if it’s the last thing I do. Physically or mentally, I don’t care which one.”

“Revenge for what? You left on your own, remember? It’s not my fault the Serpents kicked you out for good after you made that decision. Just be lucky they didn’t kill you.”

“I’m not worried about being in the fucking group. You couldn’t pay me to work for John again. Not after he made you kill my brother.”

---