Page 131 of I Blame the Rival

Her finger glides between my brows and down the slope of my nose. She follows it along the edges of my cheekbones, gently tracing my face.

Instead of getting me to draw, she’s drawing me.

She keeps going, painting my skin with love even while I seethe from the inside out. Her fingers never stray from my face, the gentle touch reminding me of all the times we’ve had together, all the moments we’ve stolen for ourselves.

“Come on, Skylar. Focus on the art.”

I can see the tears in her eyes, the tears that could easily turn into fear if I let my temper control me the way it did my father.

The way it does my brother.

The thought sobers me enough to suck in a breath and give her a nod. The pressure beneath my skin is enough to make me want to scream, but the fog in my mind has cleared to the point where I know exactly what I have to do.

Turning around, I clamp a lock down on my anger and face Jerrell fucking Thompson.

“Have you learned what the word ‘no’ means yet?”

He freezes and Lacey sucks in a breath beside me. Gently prying my fingers out of her loosened grip, I start closing the distance between us.

“It’s only two letters. Usually taught by kindergarten.”

His face contorts into an unflattering sneer, “Fuck off, freak. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think I do, actually. Most rapists have a problem understanding the simplest of terms and you don’t seem to be an exception.”

A circle has formed around us, the tension rising with the murmurs going around the suddenly empty dance floor. Jerrell is visibly agitated, his jaw clenching harder with every word that comes out of my mouth.

“You think you’re a hero? I’m about to kick your ass in front of all your friends.”

I shrug, “I don’t have any friends. And I’m not a hero.”

He blinks a few times before recovering. Glancing at Lacey over my shoulder, he gives her a mocking smile.

“Found yourself a real winner, doll. Did you make him wait for bad sex too?”

I recapture his attention by tapping his chest.

“We’re not talking about her right now. We’re talking about you.”

Jerrell responds by shoving me and I go stumbling backwards. The strength of my anger flows through me like a drug, but I fight it. I fight to stay in control, to keep the promise I made to my flower.

Because I’m not the only one who made a promise.

Walking back up to the guy I’ve murdered fourteen times on paper, I reach up and flick him on the nose.

“Learn to respect women, Jerrell, and maybe you wouldn't be such a pathetic piece of shit.”

I don’t get a chance to blink before he tackles me to the floor.

Chapter 26

Lacey

Skylar has lost his mind.

“Jerrell, stop it! He’s not going to hit back!”

I go running for my ex-boyfriend who is pummelling my current boyfriend into the ground. I don’t know why Skylar decided to start a fight he had no intention on participating in, but right now I want to kill both of them.

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