Page 33 of Rival Darling

He had a constant rotation of girls hooked on his arm, “consoling” him. And given the ease with which he joked and laughed with his friends, it appeared as though I was already nothing more than a distant memory. I wished I could forget our relationship just as easily, but I was still trying to figure out exactly who I’d been dating these last few months.

“If hockey doesn’t work out for him, Jeremy should go into politics,” Nicole said as the two of us watched his latest performance at lunch. “That guy knows how to spin a story in his favor.”

Jeremy had been telling anyone who would listen to him, which was, well, everyone at school, how I’d broken his heart. And he was currently lamenting the sad tale to some junior who’d sauntered over to his table. He had an arm draped over her shoulders, and while his eyes were big and heartfelt when he looked at her, he kept turning to wink at his sniggering friends.

"Surely she’s not falling for that act,” I said.

“You fell for that act,” Nicole replied.

“He wasn’t nearly this obnoxious and this obvious around me, was he?” I didn’t give Nicole a chance to answer my hypothetical question because a part of me already knew what she’d say. “Besides, that girl looks smarter than me. Ten bucks says she tries to get away from him asap.”

“Get away from him?” Nicole snorted. “Ten bucks says she tries to get closer.”

I turned in my chair to continue watching the show. I kept waiting for the girl to scoff and walk off or, better still, laugh at how pathetic Jeremy was. But instead, her eyes were growing wider and filling with sympathy.

“Oh no,” I groaned as she pulled him in for a hug.

“Winner!” Nicole crowed. “She barely lasted a minute. You should already know never to bet against me.”

“Apparently, I’m determined to learn things the hard way this year,” I grumbled as I turned my attention to my lunch and took a bite of my pizza slice. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Jeremy can charm anyone. It’s only now I see his talent for what it really is: manipulation.”

Nicole nodded. “He sure knows exactly what to say to make someone like him.”

“Totally,” I agreed. “And I fell for his act hook, line, and sinker.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. He is very convincing when he wants to be,” Nicole replied.

“I guess.” It still didn’t make me feel much better. I should have known something was off with Jeremy once I realized my friends didn’t like him. The one consolation was that I was free of him now.

“Hey,” Mia said as she joined us. She plopped down onto the seat beside me, letting out a sigh as she placed her lunch tray on the table. Her nose scrunched as she scrutinized the salad on her plate.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as she picked up her fork and started poking at the food.

“They only had salad left. A salad! Do I look like a rabbit?” She practically yelled the words as she stabbed a piece of lettuce and lifted it in the air. “This is what happens when you have a debating meeting at lunch.”

I laughed and swapped her plate with mine. “Here.”

“Vi, I can’t take your pizza.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind salad, and I already had a slice. Plus, I owe you after getting you in trouble with Luke.”

My uncle wasn’t happy when he found out I’d gone to Danny’s Garage without him, and he’d accused poor Mia of being an accomplice. She hadn’t even gone inside, and she certainly hadn’t wanted to be there. And yet, she’d landed in trouble right beside me.

By some miracle, neither one of us were grounded, and I think it was mostly because I’d reminded Luke that we were supposed to be building trust. He needed to have confidence in my ability to take care of these things myself. However, he also reminded me that I had to meet him halfway and trust him enough to actually follow his advice every now and then. It was a typical Luke response, but I understood where he was coming from, and he hadn’t mentioned it since. Still, I hated I’d gotten Mia in trouble.

“You sure?” Mia asked. “I think Dad’s already over it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I said. “Besides, I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

Mia glanced in Jeremy’s direction before giving me a sympathetic look. I didn’t need to follow her gaze to know he was still chatting up the junior girl. “Don’t let him get to you,” she said. “I’m beginning to think he’s only putting on such a big show so he can win you back.”

“What?” I shook my head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“Haven’t you noticed the way he’s always checking to see if you’re watching?”

“No…”

“Well, he’s been doing it all week. And the way he keeps going on about how much he still cares for you. He’s clearly trying to get you back.”