Page 5 of The Rivals' Touch

I shake my head, my eyes on the unfolding scene. “She’s on the debate team. She doesn’t have hair extensions.”

Cali grabs Alex’s ear, dragging him up from the chair, and he follows behind like a naughty child in trouble for stealing candy from the local grocery store. It’s funny as fuck.

“Ow, ow, ow!” he squeals as they near our desks, his face screwing up in pain.

“Serves you fucking right! You need to learn to keep your dick in your pants!”

He falls into the seat next to Bennett and rubs his sore ear. “You’re a cock block! I was halfway into her panties. She was creaming on the seat!”

Cali lifts her chin and smiles. “Cock block? I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you!”

He glares at her, and she sneers back.

I roll my eyes. They should just admit they have the hots for each other and move on.

* * *

There’s not an inch of free space on the obscenely long dining table. Food covers every surface. I can’t even see the wood beneath all the dishes and plates, but that’s not what has shocked me into silence. “We’re moving?”

My father thanks the waitress and checks his watch. “To Aycliffe, yes. I’ve met someone. We’re getting married.”

We’re moving to Aycliffe.

Stunned into silence, I stare at him in disbelief. What does he mean? We’re moving? No, we can’t be. My life is here. My friends. Bennett. “You’ve met someone? How?”

His gaze hardens. Unimpressed with my attitude, he warns, “No need to be rude, Remi.”

Remi. Not ‘pumpkin’, or ‘darling’, or even ‘daughter.’“Can she not move here?”

He holds his glass up for a refill, and a waitress scurries over. “We discussed it. My job is more flexible than hers. I can set up my office in Aycliffe.”

Aycliffe is an hour away. “What about school? Cheer practice? We’ve just started the season.”

He takes a sip of whisky and lowers the glass. “Already sorted. You’ll be attending Aycliffe High and joining their cheer team.”

My blood runs cold, and my mouth falls open. He must be kidding. This is an elaborate joke, right?

The doorbell rings.

“Ah! There they are. Excuse me, pumpkin.” My father gets up and leaves the room.

What?I’m so fucking confused.

Voices filter through from the hallway.

My hands tremble beneath the table. I can’t make sense of my father’s words. Cheer for Aycliffe High? I would rather give up cheerleading altogether than perform with their team.

Legacy is the cheer captain.

Panic flares up inside me. The walls are slowly closing in.

“Pumpkin, come meet Ariana and her son, Zayd.” My father beams as he walks into the room with a tall woman in a red dress. She has raven hair and a diamond necklace that sparkles in the ambient glow of the light overhead. It’s not the woman I’m staring at, though. It’s Zayd, the captain of Hedgewood High’s rival basketball team.

“Are you not going to get up?” my father asks, his voice carrying a warning.

I slowly rise from my seat and brush my trembling hands down my midnight-blue dress. I usually wear jeans, t-shirts, and chucks, but I had strict orders to dress up for tonight. My dress reaches mid-thigh, which I regret now as Zayd’s chocolate-brown eyes sweep over my bare legs in a lazy caress.

“Meet your new stepbrother, Zayd.”

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