Page 7 of I Blame the Rival

Bitterness fills my mouth as I pull out a chair and sit down across from my brother. I stare at him, observing the way he slouches over his laptop. His long hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and the grey Sabers t-shirt he’s wearing makes him look like a normal person.

Rage burns through my body as I look at the person who has almost single-handedly ruined the family name. He has no right to look like a normal person.

Not when I can barely see straight.

“I saw Cody Ellsworth today.”

“Oh yeah?” Vector grins, “How’d he look? He was rocking a wicked black eye for a while.”

“He looked healthy. Not that you would care.” I stare him down, waiting for the fire to alight. My brother meets my stare head-on, his gaze steady and focused.

“If the old Tiger captain is back on his feet then there’s no need to have regrets.”

My teeth snap together, “You’re fucking sick. You can’t just go around hurting people.”

A spark hits Vector’s eyes and suddenly I’ve got the fight I was looking for. He leans forward and places his muscular forearms on the table.

“Watch yourself, Sky. Don’t forget who stepped up when it came time to kick dad out.”

“And look how that turned out. Now you’re just a bully on a lacrosse field.”

A screech fills the air when Vector pushes back his chair and stands up. The fire in his eyes is blazing, matching the one running through my veins. I shove my chair aside and stand up, the rage linking us together making the air between us crack with tension.

“What are you going to do? Hit me?” I spit out the words, the jagged edges of my heart throbbing painfully, “Do it. Break me into fucking pieces, I don’t care.”

Vector stares at me but doesn’t move from his place across the table. I glare at him, burning a hole through his skull while I wait for him to make a move.

I want him to hurt me.

Then only one of us will be a monster.

“Come on, Vin. Hit me.” My voice cracks and tears start to leak out of my eyes, “Show me what it’s like to be broken.”

Vector walks towards me with slow measured steps. I squeeze my eyes shut once he’s within reach and brace myself for impact.

“What is going on in here?” My mother’s gasp echoes through the kitchen, “Skylar, honey, did you walk home in the rain?”

I blink my eyes open and see Amber Vin rushing towards me. My brother is two feet away with an unreadable expression on his face.

“You’re going to catch a cold in those wet clothes! Why didn’t you call me? I could have picked you up.”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

She shakes her head, “Next time call me. Vector, go run and turn the shower on hot for your brother. We need to get him warm.”

Amber turns and walks away, the limp in her gait as prominent as the day we brought her home from the hospital. I glance over and see Vector watching her as well, the pained expression on his face identical to the one I’m feeling.

He catches me staring, but before I can say a word, he steps forward and wraps me in a hug. I try to pull away but he doesn’t let me. Strong arms pull me tight against him, the soaked state of my clothes starting to soak through his.

“I’ll buy you a new sketchbook, Sky. Today is going to be a good day.”

Chapter 2

Lacey

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Trip’s jaw drops as she enters the study room, a deep blush hitting her cheeks before she turns to my brother with a scowl.

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