Page 87 of The Rivals' Touch

Legacy shakes her head. “We’ll stay here, Mom. If that’s okay?”

“Sure.” She smiles politely at me again. “It was nice to meet you, Remi.”

“You too.”

The door closes softly behind her, and Legacy slumps. “That was close!”

I walk back over to the bed and plop down. “I guess your mom doesn’t know?”

Legacy looks up at me. “No. She thinks I’m with Zayd.”

“I thought you were too.”

The curtain moves in the breeze behind her as she shakes her head. “It’s a convenience to let people think so. We fuck sometimes, but that’s it.”

“You’re so possessive over him.”

Peals of laughter ring out. “I didn’t want him to fall for you.” She grips the edge of the table and leans forward, scuffing the floor with the toe of her strappy sandals. “I didn’t want him to take you away. I knew he would.”

“I don’t understand.” I’m confused. Legacy has been Zayd’s main squeeze for a long time. Everybody knows it.

She shrugs, her eyes on the floor. “I’ve had a crush on you for ages. I didn’t think you were into girls, but the thought of Zayd having you made me turn green with envy.” She smiles sheepishly. “Call me a wicked witch, if you will.”

“Why were you so certain I would get with Zayd? I’m with Bennett.”

She gives me a dry look, and I bite my lip to contain the laughter that threatens to bubble up inside me.

“Don’t answer that. Fuck, I’m a mess!”

She pushes off the vanity table and joins me on the bed. “No, you’re not. You’ve had a lot of changes in your life.”

“It doesn’t matter. I cheated on Bennett before all this kicked off.”

“You can’t help how you feel.”

“You’re wrong,” I whisper, peeling off my pink nail polish.

“Did Zayd give you a choice? Jacob?”

I think back to the photographs and the video. “No…”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

I smile weakly. “This kind version of you freaks me out. Where is the raging bitch that makes grown men cry?”

“Oh, she’s still here. I won’t lie to you, Remi. I’m not nice.”

“You’re kinder than you think.”

“No, you don’t reach the top by playing nice. You steal and cheat your way to the top. You tear others down.” She slides her fingers into my hair, lowering her voice. “I think you know what I’m talking about,queen bee.”

I meet her eyes as she straddles my lap. “I try to be better.”

“Does it work?” Her fingers tug on the hair at the nape of my neck, and the sharp sting parts my lips.

This hunger inside me wants to feast and ravage. I’m rougher than I mean to be when I tug down her cami and palm her breasts. “You tell me!”

“Fuck!” she moans, arching her back as I suck on her hard nipple. I fight with the buttons on her shorts until she takes charge and helps me.

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