Chapter 138
The fire of jealousy dimmed slightly when Kaiden finally stood up and left Rubina’s side.
He and the rest of the Four of Hearts jogged back toward the ocean, whooping and laughing as they returned to their chaotic game of water volleyball. The air filled again with the splash of waves and their banter, echoing like a drumbeat against the shore.
But even as he ran farther away, the bitterness still clung to me like salt on skin. My eyes narrowed, tracking him.
“Why does he have to eat the food Rubina brought?” My brain hissed the thought like venom. He only ate half of the aloo paratha and didn’t even touch Clara’s bento or cookies–but he ate five of Rubina’s cheese croissants and one of her sandwiches, too.
“Wow,” Clara’s voice sliced through my silent glare and snapped my attention towards her. “I must agree–Four of Hearts are definitely the hottest boy gang in all of West Sterlingo.”
“Indeed,” Rubina said, nodding like it was a universally accepted fact. She tore the remaining half of Kaiden’s aloo paratha–the very one he’d left behind -and popped it into her mouth casually.
A muscle ticked in my jaw.
Without thinking–maybe as a stupid reflex–I reached for the leftover piece of the paratha and shoved it in my mouth.
God, I felt so lame the moment I did it. So childish. So petty. But still… I chewed in silence, battling myself for even needing to win a non–existent contest.
“But Kaiden…” Clara continued dreamily, gazing toward the volleyball court like she was watching a teen drama unfold in real life, “Kaiden is the
hottest.”
I didn’t flinch. I didn’t care much about whatever Clara just said. I’d heard that a million times from each and every girl. Every hallway. Every classroom.
Every whispered confession in the girls‘ bathroom. The whole of West Sterlingo drools over Kaiden’s hotness—it’s not a big deal. The big deal is that Rubina too once used to like him, and so did he. She knows Kaiden’s deepest pain… and I don’t.
Gosh, what’s wrong with me?
Where am I even taking this topic?!
“I mean…” Clara went on, twisting a lock of her hair around her finger, “he’s so fine in every way. Hottest. Richest. Classiest. Smartest. He’s the whole damn package.”
She tilted her head as she looked toward him again–like Kaiden was a watermelon popsicle and she was seconds from heatstroke. “I wonder if he’s dating someone.” Then, with a lip bite that was trying too hard to be sultry, she added under her breath, “I want him so bad.”
My stomach churned.
That! That made me uncomfortable. More than I cared to admit.
“Careful,” Rubina chimed in with a playful grin, swallowing her bite like it wasn’t layered with silent barbs. “Kaiden’s already taken. He has a very nice
girlfriend.”
I don’t know what snapped, but something inside me… cracked.
“Oh, so you do realize that Kaiden is taken,” I blurted before I could catch the words or their sharp, accusatory edge.
Rubina blinked, clearly caught off guard.
I wanted to bite my tongue off. Because the moment the words left my lips, I felt it.
Jealousy.
1/3
Chapter 138
Sticky, ugly, mouth–burning jealousy.
The worst kind. The kind that makes even good girls feel venomous.
Jealousy is a bad, bad, very bad thing.
And I was losing to it.
“What did you just say?” Rubina’s voice was cool but edged, like silk brushing against a blade. She tilted her head ever so slightly, eyes narrowing in a way that said she wasn’t going to let this slide.
My jaw clenched. I was having this uncontrollable urge to warn her to stay away from Kaiden. And now that I’d poked the topic, I might as well speak up.
I’ve always bottled up my emotions–how I felt–always putting other people’s happiness above mine. My step–siblings, my mom, Barbara, Brendan, Dan… everyone.
But not this time.
This time, I’ll tell her exactly how I feel when she gets close to Kaiden–whether it’s intentional or not.
“I said-”
“Hey!” Clara’s voice burst in like a cork flying off a champagne bottle at a drama queen’s brunch. She grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet with her signature sparkle. “Let’s go join the boys before someone else snatches the remaining ones!” Then, with a dramatic twirl of her beach scarf, she added, “If I can’t win Kaiden, I can at least try winning lan or Jackson.”
Sheela bounced up next. “Cool! I’ve been dying to play. I miss my Thor already.”
They were excited. Giddy. Too distracted by their daydreams of shirtless boys to notice the storm brewing right here–between me and Rubina.
But the interruption didn’t defuse anything.
Rubina stood in front of me, her arms folded and eyes locked onto mine. She was glaring at me as if I owed her a full–blown explanation for a crime she’d already convicted me of.
I raised my chin slightly, defiantly.
My silent reply: I don’t owe you anything.
I didn’t flinch. “Let’s go. Join the game,” I said flatly.
“Fine,” Rubina responded, one brow arching like she was impressed by the challenge. “Let’s play. But the losing team…” she paused, maybe for dramatic effect, “has to stay late and clean the mess left behind by our school.”
“Done,” I said, locking eyes with her, a fire sparking behind my words.
“Wait–‘team‘? Who versus who?” Sheela blinked, suddenly realizing the lines being drawn. “Where do Clara and I belong?”
“You,” Rubina said, already reaching across the mat, “belong to my team.” She grabbed Sheela by the upper arm and pulled her close like a protective captain selecting her star player. “Which left… Clara in your team,” Rubina added, turning to me, her voice sugar–laced and smug.
Clara’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “I mean, I did play badminton once… in fifth grade. I played well for sure. I can do this.”
Damn it.
Sheela was fast, strong, and surprisingly fierce when she wanted to be.
Clara, on the other hand, was more of a background cheerleader type than an athlete. Not that I didn’t adore her–but this is a game. Looks and grace doesn’t work here, tactics does.
2/3
12:30 Sun, 22 Jun GO
Chapter 138
To be continued…
