Page 100 of The Rivals' Touch

“What the fuck is going on?” Zayd asks, looking from Legacy to Jacob.

“Come on, Zayd. You’re a clever guy. You can figure it out.”

There are students everywhere, eyeing us curiously. As Zayd’s eyes widen, I blush harder. I’ve never been more mortified. He motions between Legacy and me. “You fucked?”

“Oh god!” I groan, my head falling back. Can the ground swallow me up now, please?

“Ten points for Zayd.” Legacy claps her hands.

“And you?” He turns to Jacob, who backs up a step. “You fucked her?”

“Well, technical— ” Jacob doesn’t get to finish that sentence before Zayd punches him, sending him sprawling against the locker. “You fucked her behind my back?!”

“I didn’t fuck her, okay?!”

Zayd grabs Jacob’s lapels and lifts him off the lockers before throwing him back, causing the lockers to rattle. We’ve attracted a nice little audience. There’s nothing quite like a couple of camera phones to capture memories. “Don’t fucking lie to me!”

“I didn’t fuck her, man! I fingered her, that’s all! Nothing more!”

Zayd punches him again, not holding back.

I cry out. Next to me, Legacy smirks as if their fighting is amusing.

“Aren’t you going to do something?” I hiss at her, but she shakes her head and waves me off.

“No, they need to hash it out. After this, everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

“I’m sorry, man! I was going to tell you!”

“You’re sorry?” Zayd growls in his face, fisting his checkered shirt. “Not fucking sorry enough to keep your hands off her!” Then he strikes him again, but Jacob has had enough. He punches Zayd back.

“I let you hit me twice, but that’s enough! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I’m not fucking sorry for touching her!”

Legacy chuckles. “They’re feisty!”

I have my face hidden behind my hands. “I’m glad you’re amused. I want to change schools again. Preferably in another country.”

“How fucking noble of you!” Zayd snarls, spitting a wad of blood on the floor. Jacob is no better off. Blood oozes from a cut on his lip.

“What do you want me to say, dude? She’s hot. Would you have said no?”

Zayd roars and charges Jacob.

As they crash into the lockers, the first teacher appears on the scene. But he must be put off by what he sees, or maybe the thought of freshly brewed coffee is more appealing than two teenage boys in a brawl because he walks by.

I stare after him in disbelief.

“You know I’m falling for her, you fucking asshole!”

“And you think I’m not?”

My eyes widen, and I snap my gaze away from the retreating teacher.

“Some way of fucking showing it! Were you or were you not going to fuck that girl earlier that you were parading around?”

Jacob breaks free. Breathing heavily, he wipes blood from the corner of his mouth. “I was trying to provoke a fucking reaction from our girl here!”

“Very mature,” Legacy whispers in my ear.