Page 26 of Rival Darling

He let out a sigh. “I know what this is about.”

“You do?” I opened my eyes to look at him once more.

“It’s about what happened at my game.” He nodded solemnly. “I’d never taken you for the jealous type, Vivi.”

“Jealous type? What are you talking about?”

“She just came up to hug me after the game,” he continued. “Nothing else happened. You know how excited some of the girls get when we win.”

I didn’t know who had hugged him, and I didn’t care. I’d gotten used to seeing girls throw themselves at Jeremy, especially once hockey season started. I’d always shrugged it off as no big deal, but after seeing him with Heather on Saturday night, I didn’t want to imagine how many fangirls Jeremy had “hugged” over the last few months.

“I wasn’t even at your game!” I shouted. My outburst shocked him and surprised even me. But I was on a roll now. “This isn’t about a few missed calls or some puck bunny at one of your games. This is about the fact you had your tongue down another girl’s throat at Summer’s party Saturday night!”

He reared back, his eyes widening even farther. “That’s a lie. Did your cousin tell you that? Because you know she only wants to break us up.”

“No one told me. I saw it myself.”

“You weren’t at the party?—”

“Yeah, I was. And I left when I saw you and Heather at the top of the stairs making out.”

He swallowed, and his eyes grew panicked as he realized there was no way he could talk his way out of this.

“You obviously don’t want a girlfriend,” I continued. “So, you don’t need to worry anymore. You’re free.”

“I don’t want that.” He reached out to me, but I shied away. “Look, Saturday night was a mistake. I’d had too many drinks. Heather caught me off guard. You clearly saw us at the wrong moment because I pushed her away as soon as she tried to kiss me. Vi, you’re the only girl I want.”

My mouth dropped open as I tried to comprehend the nerve of this guy. How could he twist the story so shamelessly? How could he lie to me so easily? I saw them kissing. I saw the way he pressed her against the wall. I’d stared in horror for long enough to know there had been absolutely no objection on Jeremy’s behalf.

I honestly couldn’t understand how I had fallen for this guy. What had I seen in him over the summer? How had I ignored all the glaring red flags he’d been waving in my face since school started this year? I’d been defending him and justifying his actions for far too long, and that needed to stop now.

“Well, this girl only wants to be with someone who is honest. Perhaps if your story about Saturday night were true. Perhaps if you’d been up front about it rather than lie about it. Maybe then, I could have found some way to forgive you. But it’s too late.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to lose you, Vivi.”

God, I hated that nickname. And hearing Jeremy say it now gave me the ick so bad I wanted to peel my skin from my bones. He must have taken my silence for consideration because he reached out toward me again. “Please. Just give me a chance to explain. We can work this out…”

I shrugged off his grasp. “You’ve had your chance to explain, Jeremy. It doesn’t change anything. We’re over.” I didn’t wait for him to respond, and I jumped from his car before he could come up with something else to say.

I started across the parking lot toward school, but then I heard feet pounding on the pavement behind me. Before I could turn around, Jeremy grabbed my arm and spun me to face him.

“You don’t just get to say we’re over,” he growled. His cheeks were flushed with anger, and his eyes were a little wild. I’d heard people at school say Jeremy was an aggressive hockey player, but this was the first time I’d seen that side of him myself.

As I jerked my arm out of his grasp, I used a little too much power and stumbled back, slipping slightly on the icy ground. Luckily, there was a car right behind me that stopped me from falling.

"Vi…” Jeremy reached out for me, but I pressed my back flat against the car to avoid his touch.

“Get away from me.”

“If we could just talk…”

“No, Jeremy. We’re done.”

I turned and continued toward school, but he called after me. “You’re going to regret walking away from me. From us.”

It sounded like both a promise and a threat, and I pushed down a shiver that crept up my spine.

I couldn’t get away from Jeremy fast enough. Other students in the parking lot were staring at us, which didn’t help. So, I picked up my pace and ducked my head as I made my way up to the school’s main entrance. Thankfully, I found the girls waiting for me there.