Rival Hearts (Rival Love #2)

by Natalie Decker

  “Do you need to be tucked in?”

  A laugh bubbles out of her and she says, “Nope. I’m pretty sure I can manage.” Then she winks and enters her room.

  I follow and wrap my arms around her waist. She leans back into me and mumbles, “Do you feel as weird as I do about them knowing?”

  “Um, after that whole lecture about sex and pregnancies and God knows what else, yes.” I kiss the top of her head. “But it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

  “Good.” She faces me and plants her lips against my chin. “’Cause I love you, Caleb.”

  “And I love you.” My mouth brushes against hers and then I back away. I don’t want to leave her, but I don’t want to hear another lecture from my uncle, either. She smiles at me, which helps a little as I inch my way out of her room.

  Once I’m in my own room, I take in a deep breath. Everything is going to be awesome.

  Chapter 18

  Skylar

  Getting ready for school shouldn’t be so difficult. Throw some clothes on and go. Yet I can’t seem to do this. I stare at the clothes hanging in my closet and think about which top is my least favorite, in case it gets ruined. Which pants I can live without. All the way to which shoes I would miss the least.

  While I’m deciding on all this, I can’t help but think maybe this is a bad idea. That coming back to Ohio is a really, really bad idea. A shuffling at my door pulls my attention away from my closet and to a sexy smile. “Hey, you. Almost ready?”

  I shake my head.

  “Babe, we can take my car if you changed your mind. I’ll take you and Kayla home no matter what Coach Grim decides. I’ll just call … ”

  “No. It’s not that. I just … I can’t figure out which outfit I won’t miss.”

  He gives me a funny look. “Why?”

  “Because people will attack me as soon as they see me with whatever they can. It could be pens, juice, or food. Then it will be fists and feet, possibly teeth. Either way, I don’t want my favorite shirts ruined.”

  He wraps his arms around me. My stress instantly melts away. His scent of mint and spice envelops me. I could literally stand here for the rest of my life, breathing him in while he holds me. “Babe, I swear, nothing will happen to you today. I won’t let it. Even if I have to change all my classes to be the same as yours and I fail out of every single one, I will.”

  “I’d never let you fail.”

  “I know. But I just want you to know I’m dead serious about protecting you.”

  Is he not the sweetest? How did I get so lucky? I tilt my head and kiss him “I’ll be ready in five minutes, I promise.”

  We kiss a little more and then he groans as he pulls away. “Five minutes.”

  As soon as the door is shut I snatch up some clothes, change, and head out of the room with a very light book bag. I returned all my books from last semester to the school, when I went to live with my dad.

  Caleb is waiting in the living room when I approach. He kisses me again and Brian clears his throat. “That’s enough. No PDA at school. I hear about it, and you two will both be deadbolted into your rooms.”

  Caleb narrows his eyes but doesn’t say a word.

  ***

  “Nervous?”

  I nod. We’ve been sitting in my car for ten minutes now. I breathe in through my nose and out my mouth to calm myself, but it’s not working. Piles of students rush up the steps and in the main entrance. Did they get more kids? I swear, I’ve counted a million. There were barely four thousand when I left.

  “Hey,” he says as he squeezes my hand. “You can do this. You’ve got me in your corner, remember?”

  He leans over and kisses me. “I love you, Skylar.”

  “I love you, too.” I nod and open the door.

  Caleb comes around the car and helps me out. I didn’t think I needed help but suddenly my legs feel like Jell-O. I take his hand and we head toward the entrance. So far so good; no one has thrown anything at me or hissed any comments.

  “What the hell?” I hear, which causes me to instantly freeze in place. Caleb turns us both toward the voice.

  “Got a problem?” Caleb snaps, pulling me closer to him. I look up and stare at Danielle who’s sneering at me.

  “You’ve got to be kidding! Her? Really? And I thought this little bitch left.”

  I eye her up. I seriously don’t like Danielle. She may have been Caleb’s ex, but she blackmailed him into dating her. So really, does that even count as dating? I’m certainly not jealous of her. I never had to conspire to get Caleb to enter into a relationship with me. But she touched him. Forced him to do sexual things with her. And that, well, that bothers me.

  “The only bitch I see here is you,” I grind out.

  Her eyes widen for a second then she smiles. “Whatever.”

  Caleb guides me away from Danielle and up to the office. Danielle stops following us as soon as we enter. “I wish she’d stop stalking me.”

  “She stalks you?”

  Caleb shakes his head. “Kind of. At school, definitely. Off school grounds, not so much. Of course, since you left I haven’t been going anywhere, so I could be wrong about the outside-of-school stalking. Still. I really wish she’d get a life.”

  I would make a joke about his kisses being so addictive that I’m surprised he doesn’t have more stalkers. But that joke stings even me, thinking about other girls touching him, seeing him naked, and being with him … I shudder.

  “You okay?”

  I fake a smile. “I’m fine.”

  His eyebrow quirks up. “All right.”

  “Miss Fletcher, in my office, please.” Principal Keegan leads me into his office. Caleb follows although he wasn’t asked to.

  “Mr. Morgan, I don’t believe I said I needed you in here.”

  “I know. But wherever she goes, I go. You need her. I need her. This school needs her. I’m protecting her so she stays.”

  I place my hand on Caleb’s and squeeze it. “I want to keep our deal. Can I still swim?” I know it’s a long shot and I shouldn’t even attempt it. But I’m not a quitter.

  “I’ll get Coach Grim in here; she’ll make that decision. As for the other matter, you attending classes here, as much as I applaud Mr. Morgan’s intentions I can’t guarantee your safety. You are aware of this?”

  “I understand. I just … This is home. Not your school or this town, but this area. These people.” I look up at Caleb and smile. “This is home, and I like being here.”

  He nods. “Okay. I need to make this point very clear. We will try to keep you as safe as possible, but we can’t promise anything. Do you understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Good. We don’t need any lawsuits occurring here. As for your class schedule we’ll have to re-enroll you into our system. Do you remember when and where all your classes are?”

  “Yeah. So do I just go to my first period then?”

  He nods again.

  “I want to walk her to each class. Will I be excused if I’m tardy by a few seconds?” Caleb asks as I stand from my chair.

  Mr. Keegan writes him a note. “Yes. Please show this to each teacher. I will let them all know about this arrangement, too. Welcome back, Skylar.”

  We shake hands and Caleb leads me out into the hallway. As we stroll down the now empty halls, a set of footsteps pounding against the tiled floor causes me to still. Caleb pulls me near the lockers, and we wait. My heart slams against my chest.

  My panic increases, and then falls away as soon as Coach Grim rounds the corner. She looks over at us and blinks. “Oh, goodness, I thought they were joking. Skylar, what are you doing here?”

  “Going to class.”

  She smiles. “Oh, okay.” She starts to shift away.

  “Coach?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I want to swim. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, and I missed some meets, but I want to swim.”

  Her eyes widen. “Skylar, I’d love to have you on the
team, believe me. But I need to ask the team what they think. The first time was my decision. This time it’s up to them. I can’t have animosity on the team, no matter the talent. Do you understand?”

  Caleb steps closer to Coach Grim. “They won’t agree to it! Why not just tell her that she’s not on the team?”

  “Caleb, I understand why you would think this, but I think you’re wrong in this case. The team knows she’s been working one on one with Kayla, and her times are so incredible. The team is thankful, so I wouldn’t discredit their decision yet. In any case, it has to be their decision. A team united is stronger than a team divided.”

  Caleb shakes his head and looks back at me. “Are you okay with this?”

  “I am. It’s the right thing. I need to gain their trust. Please tell them I’ll accept whatever decision they make.”

  Coach Grim nods, and Caleb looks shocked. Am I okay? I am, because it’s true the team will never trust me if they don’t get to decide my fate.

  If I can’t swim, there’s still softball. That won’t be so bad.

  Chapter 19

  Caleb

  First period seems to go on longer than usual. I can’t wait until the bell rings. Each little tick of the clock feels like impending doom in the air. I hope to hell she’s okay. If anyone laid a finger on her, I don’t care what their gender is, they’re dead. Derrick smacks my arm and I groan, “What?”

  “I’m sorry for being an ass about the Bulldog.”

  “Good, because she’s sitting with us at lunch.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  I stare at him. “Does it look like I’m joking?”

  He shakes his head. “Damn it, Caleb. We’re best buds, man, but this shit, this is pushing the friendship line.”

  “I didn’t say you had to agree, but she’s my girlfriend, and she needs all the support she can get. You want to wrestle or play lacrosse? Because if she’s not here, you can kiss all that shit goodbye.”

  He frowns. “I know.”

  ***

  It’s third period, and no one has messed with Skylar yet. But she doesn’t relax. She tenses when a cluster of kids passes us. She sucks in a breath when she enters a class and everyone turns their heads toward her.

  Skylar makes her way toward her old seat, and I slide into the seat in front of her. “The Bulldog is back?” Paul Bolten says.

  “Yeah, got a problem with it?” He clams up, and the rest of our civics class stares at us. “Does anyone have a problem with her? Because if you do, you’re going to have a problem with me.”

  Someone mutters, “Traitor.” Another coughs, “Asshole.” And I also hear, “Fucking joke.”

  I don’t care, though. I know how this looks. I always knew how it would look, but I don’t give a shit about them. It’s Skylar’s deep-set expression that bothers me. Her eyes narrow a fraction, and then she gives a small shake of her head. I reach for her hand, but she pulls back.

  What the hell happened between second and third period?

  Class starts before I can ask. Skylar exhales a heavy breath, blowing her air along the back of my neck. I turn slightly in my chair. I don’t care if Mr. Munzo calls me out or gives me a detention.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she mumbles but flicks her gaze to the floor, making impossible to see if she’s bullshitting me or not.

  “Really?”

  She looks up and nods.

  “Sky, you know I’d do anything for you.”

  She bats her eyelashes a few times, and then she says, “I know. I’m just getting readjusted.”

  I honestly hope that’s all it is. I guess in New York she would have been like any normal transfer, like it usually is here. No one really notices you. They definitely don’t go out of their way to talk to or cause trouble with you. But here, Sky isn’t a normal transfer; she’s a Bulldog. She’s the enemy in our territory. God, I really am a selfish prick. She was safe in New York. I missed the hell out of her, but she was out of harm’s way. “Babe, I’m sorry.”

  She smiles and points her pencil to the board. I guess I should start paying attention to what the hell is going on in civics. Knowing my luck, we’ll have a pop quiz and I’ll bomb it.

  Taking in all the information spread across the long whiteboard, I mutter a curse word and begin scribbling down everything as fast as possible. Mr. Munzo’s notes spread from one side of the board to the other and now he’s returning to the far left side. His empty hand goes for the eraser, and I’m not finished copying, but I’m not going to say anything.

  When the bell rings Skylar and I fall into a deep, silent walk. But this, whatever we’re doing, is killing me. I go to reach for her hand and she jerks hers away. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t feel like holding hands right now.”

  That’s a bullshit lie if I ever heard one. Her lips might be pulled into a grim line, but her eyes say something else.

  Chapter 20

  Skylar

  Maybe I’m stupid for thinking, for once, that fairy tales do come true. But as soon as I read the text from Kayla saying, “We need to talk ASAP,” I’m nothing but worried. Worried the team already made a decision and that decision is a big, fat F’ no! The last thing I want is to cry all over Caleb, or for him to figure out what’s wrong and start threatening people like he did in civics.

  I know I should be grateful and say, “Aww, my boyfriend is amazing and will defend me no matter what.” But I’m not the saving type. It’s fine for a minute, or once in a while, but all the time? No. Besides, this is one thing that’s mine to handle.

  Kayla stands outside our English class, horribly pale. I hope she’s not coming down with something and gives it to me too. Her eyes narrow a fraction at Caleb and her smile seems a little forced. I kiss Caleb on the cheek. “I’ll be in in a minute.”

  “You sure?” Caleb asks as others glare as they pass us and enter the room.

  “Yeah. I can manage.”

  “I’ll be here, too,” Kayla chimes in.

  Once he disappears into the classroom Kayla pulls me over to the far corner of the hallway and says, “You’ve got to break up with him. Stop hanging out with him.”

  “What? Are you crazy? The week I left you begged me to talk to him. You sent me pics of his moping face and seriously, that almost broke me, Kayla, seeing him all miserable.” I shake my head, trying to rid myself of those images. “Now I’m back and with him again, and you want me to break up with him?” What the hell brought this crap on?

  Kayla’s eyes water. “Sky, you’re my best friend. And I like Caleb, believe me, I do. You guys are so great together. But I wouldn’t tell you to ditch him if I wasn’t protecting you. If you get out now, you won’t get hurt in the future. Like seven months from now.”

  “What?” I know Caleb has a history of flings and having expiration dates on relationships. I think his longest was three months, and I’m not including the bullshit one he had with Danielle. I know this, it’s not news, but for some reason I don’t think this is what Kayla is talking about. “That makes no sense. It’ll be July. What bad thing will happen in July?”

  “Never mind.” Her face is all creased. She puffs out some air. “Just forget I said anything.” She starts to go back to class. I try to hold her up, but she shakes her head and enters. I follow with more on my mind than what the day started with.

  ***

  During eighth period, Coach Grim asked me to come by the natatorium, so that’s where I am. The smell of chlorine fills me while the entire team surrounds Coach Grim and me in a huge circle. Dread is something I should be feeling at this moment while all these eyes are on me. It’s not, though. I’m more anxious than anything.

  Rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet, I wait for my deliverance or execution.

  “First, let me say I, for one, would love to have Skylar on the team. She has a lot of knowledge, and she’s helped improve Kayla so much I feel this would benefit al
l of us. But as I told Skylar this morning, this is a team decision. You have the deciding power here.”

  Coach Grim turns to me. “Do you have anything you want to add?”

  My throat feels like it’s closing on itself. All of a sudden it’s hard to breathe, think, let alone speak, but I must. I need to tell them my thoughts. I swallow my nerves and exhale a deep breath. “I was instilled with a lot of trust from you and this school, and I let you down. For that, I’m truly sorry. I know each one of you believes I know who destroyed your pool in December, or you believe it was somehow me. Either way, I can’t change that. You can believe me over time, or not. All I’m asking is that you set aside your feelings for me, whether it be that I’m a no-good Bulldog or, excuse my language here, a bitch. If you give me a chance, not only will I promise to pull my own weight, I’ll do whatever is asked of me. If you decide you can’t have me on the team, I’ll respect that decision as well.”

  Amber, my nemesis since forever, narrows her stare, huffs, and stands. She takes a step toward me, flicking her now short, blond hair off her shoulder and says, “I hate the shit out of you, Skylar Fletcher.” If this is going to be a hell no she can’t be on the team speech, I really wish she’d get it over with. “But I’m impressed. What you did with Kayla, that’s some talent. And you’ve got some serious lady balls for coming here and asking for your spot back. Also, I need some competition, so … my vote is yes.”

  I want to smile and hug this evil girl, but I’m not in the clear yet. Fifty-eight more votes left and then I might hug her.

  The votes sound off like dominos, starting from the right and working through the three-ring circle. By the time Zack, who swims the butterfly, gives his vote, I’m a mess of nerves waiting for votes to be tallied up. I lost count after the fifteenth yes and tenth no.

  “Skylar … it looks like you’re back on the team. Congratulations!” Coach Grim says.