“I didn’t need your help, but thanks anyway,” she says, and then turns back to me.
“I also wanted to see if you wanted to study with me again.”
Every atom in my body freezes, and I go cold. When I lift my eyes back to Bryan, my fingers tic with the need to wrap them around his tongue and rip it out of his mouth.
“Again?” I ask, my voice devoid of emotion.
That slimy, burning feeling returns, the same thing I felt when I watched Rev kiss him. It twists my stomach until it’s all I can feel through the ice in my veins.
Bryan points his thumb at Rev, feigning an innocent expression. “Oh, she didn’t tell you? We studied together in the library a couple of days ago.” He shrugs casually. “It was a good time, so I figured I’d ask for a repeat.”
Two days ago—when I spent the morning with Mark, silencing the two girls who posted our sex tape. The rest of the day, I was getting my ass handed to me by Coach at practice.
I didn’t get home until late, and Rev was already sleeping. Then yesterday, I spent yet another day at practice before and after class anddidn’t get home till late.
She didn’t mention it to me this morning before we left for class, and that only enrages me more.
Again, I drop my gaze to Reverie, who's staring up at me with a pleading expression for me to calm down.
But ice has corroded my insides, and her little puppy dog eyes don’t do shit to thaw me out.
“He’s trying to get beneath your skin. I was at the library studyingalone—” She spits the word over her shoulder at Bryan. “—and he sat at the other end of the table.”
Bryan places a hand over his chest in faux hurt. “Damn, girl. Way to put a knife into my heart. You certainly didn’t seem to mind my presence the other night. No need to suddenly act like I was a bother now that your boyfriend’s here.”
Reverie’s nostrils flare, and her eyes burst into flames a moment before she whips her head around to glower at Bryan.
“Don’t play fucking stupid, Bryan. I kissed youonce, and Dread punched you for it. Which was a dick move on his part, but what's really fucked up is how you're using me to get back at him like a fucking child,” she spits.
I pivot on my heel and walk away before I actually do something stupid and murder a man in broad daylight. Truthfully, I don’t even recall hitting Bryan. I blacked out, and by the time I got my bearings, I was throwing Reverie into the pool.
This time, I’m on the verge of doing the same, except I can’t trust myself not to take it too far.
My body operates on autopilot. I head to my car in the parking lot and get in, only vaguely aware of Rev sliding in the passenger seat.
If she speaks at all during the drive, I don’t hear. I don’t even remember driving, nor do I remember getting out of the car and walking to my dorm.
I hang my coat on the rack next to my door, but the second I finish kicking off my shoes, a fist goes flying into my shoulder, knocking clarity back into my system. With that comes the burning rage flooding my insides again.
Clenching my jaw, I exhale slowly and turn to meet her spitting stare.
“Stop it,” she snaps.
“Stop what?” I ask through gritted teeth.
She waves her hand at me. “This! Stop icing me out just because you can’t regulate your emotions!”
I swear to fucking God?—
Snarling, I grab a handful of her hair and jerk her against me.
“You’re only going to get one warning from me, Reverie. Be very careful,” I growl, my voice low and rough.
“We didn’t even study together!” she says, her voice pitching high with exasperation. “He asked if he could sit. I had a six-person table to myself and the rest were taken, so I said yes. We barely even spoke!”
I believe her. In fact, I already knew it wasn’t nearly as deep as Bryan was making it out to be.
But that’s what fucking enrages me. It was effortless for Bryan to use her against me. She’s a goddamn weakness, a soft spot that shouldn’t even exist. I could accept the physical attraction, but otherwise, I should feel nothing but loathing and resentment for her. Instead, I’m burning with jealousy and—fuck, it’s a needle digging beneath my skin, seeing her give any man even an ounce of fucking attention.
