Page 68 of I Blame the Rival

Wes, Lacey’s brother, reminds me of an overexcited puppy with a larger-than-life personality and a dimpled smile. It took less than a second for me to figure out who was Lacey’s biological relation given the midnight curls and bright green eyes both siblings inherited.

Her brother might be the loudest member of the group, but Nico isn’t far behind. Wearing a flashy dress shirt and a permanent smirk, the handsome Latino seems to spend most of his time using ridiculous innuendoes and sexual comments to trigger a reaction.

If I had to pick a favourite, Trip would probably be it. She’s quieter than the two guys, her remarks dry and witty without being over-the-top. The unsuspecting humour aligns mostclosely with my own, and besides Lacey, she seems to be the only one not concerned about my lack of expression.

“…and now we fuck on the regular.” Nico grins at me, completing his recount of the volatile relationship he has with the team’s assistant coach.

I stare back at him, wondering if he normally shares such intimate details with strangers.

“Congratulations.”

“Fuck. You’re a hard nut to crack.” Nico leans back in his chair, studying me from across the table, “Do you ever smile?”

“Skylar smiles all the time.” Lacey reaches over and wraps her hand around mine, “You just have to be lucky enough to see it.”

She squeezes my hand and I stare at it, feeling the weight of my shortcomings. Everyone has been going around the table sharing their favourite memories of university, and each one resulted in peals of laughter and bright smiles from everyone except me.

“Or, maybe Nico is just a bad storyteller.” Wes uses the joke to break the awkward silence and Nico lets out a gasp.

“Take that back. Take that back right now or I’ll call housing services the next time you two decide to get freaky in a study room.”

“Don’t be a hater. We were studying anatomy.”

Nico smirks, “More like the outline of Trip’s cervix.”

Lacey wrinkles her face in disgust. My eyes drop to the mass of freckles lining her scrunched nose, the faded marks making me want to pull out a pen and connect them all.

Wes holds up his hands in surrender, “Hey, I was just making sure I would pass the class.”

A couple of dimples pop out when he looks at his blushing girlfriend, the affection he holds for her evident from the way his hand keeps sneaking under her shirt.

“How did you two meet?” I direct the question at Trip, trying not to stare as her boyfriend gropes her under the table.

“Me and Wes?” At my nod, she glances at him, “Do you want to take the lead on this one?”

“Hell no. I love it when you take the lead.”

Wes throws her a wink and I politely look away when he pulls her ass further onto his lap. The social butterfly and the sarcastic introvert seem like an odd pairing but they certainly have physical touch down.

Trip rolls her eyes before leaning back against his chest and giving me a smile.

“We met during move-in day our freshman year. Wes tried to help carry my boxes and we ended up flat on our backs with my underwear blowing across the front lawn.”

Lacey laughs, “My brother always has the best intentions but they never seem to work out the way he plans.”

Wes pauses the groping session to draw the cross on his chest, “The universe likes to keep me on my toes but she always delivers. Amen.”

Trip rolls her eyes again, “As you can imagine, I had no interest in this clown until he started showing up everywhere, insisting we were friends.”

Nico interrupts with a smirk, “He was pathetic but persistent.”

She shrugs, meeting my curious gaze, “Eventually we started hanging out and here we are now.”

“One year later and desperately in love is what Miss One Trip forgot to say.” Shifting on the chair, Wes leans forward and kisses her.

Lacey lets out a soft sigh and it doesn’t take long for me to spot the heartache swimming through her gaze. My chest tightens when I think about the romance novels she loves to read, the meet cutes and happy ever afters she keeps safely stored in her little dorm library.

After everything she’s been through, it seems cruel that my flower has to watch her brother secure the storyline she always dreamed about.

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