Goddess Revenge: Goddess Series Book 4 (Young Adult / New Adult)

by Muse, M. W.

  As she thought about her irritation and confusion, she knew he’d notice the change in her energy, but she figured it didn’t matter if her energy repelled him right now. He already knew she was confused. She pulled away from him.

  “I should go,” she whispered.

  “Legacy,” River breathed, moving both of his hands up to stroke the hair off her face. “You…you know how much I love you. I’m not going to pressure you.”

  “I know,” she said, turning away from him and walking toward her car.

  When she reached it, he opened her door. “I’ll be at your house by eight.”

  She glanced up at him with raised eyebrows.

  “In the morning. I’m taking you to school, remember?”

  Right. She nodded as she got into her car. No need for a goodbye hug since she had just been on top of him, kissing.

  He watched her drive away, but she couldn’t look at him.

  She spent the rest of the evening lost in her thoughts. She engaged in conversations with both Olive and Lissa, but only in body. Her mind was focused on this plan of hers. A plan that really just started, and she was already feeling like a lowlife because of it. She needed to focus—review her motivation. She went upstairs and pulled out her pictures of Adin.

  She spent the next two hours looking at all the photographs she had of them. The Halloween party, homecoming, Rose’s birthday party, and many candid shots that they had taken over the last six months. She loved Adin. He was the only man she loved and the only man she ever wanted to love. She knew from the depths of her soul she would always love him. Forever.

  But why did she want to kiss River? She knew she had to believe she wanted to be with him in order for River to believe it. She had to find a way to trick herself into believing it without actually falling for him. She didn’t want the prophecy to be true. She didn’t want to really be with River to keep Adin alive. But she was a person…with emotions. She was starting to realize that if she believed she wanted to be with River…she’d really want to be with him. For real.

  She slowly gathered up the photos and left them stacked on her nightstand. Then she walked over to her jewelry box and opened it. She looked down at the watch Adin had given her for her birthday. She stroked her fingers over it as she remembered that day. The day that changed everything for her and for Adin. She picked up the watch and walked over to her bed. She lifted it to her face and smelled its metallic smell as she sat down. It felt silly, but the smell of the metal felt nostalgic. It felt right. She knew she’d miss feeling the watch on her wrist, but she didn’t expect to miss gazing at it and smelling it. When she took another whiff, she also detected a hint of vanilla. She reached over and grabbed a tissue off her nightstand and started cleaning the crevices between the links were her vanilla bean lotion caked from her daily use. Then she rubbed the crystal until it sparkled. She kept wiping all over the watch until it looked brand new.

  As she held and gazed at it, she couldn’t help herself. She slipped it on her wrist and clasped it. She shut her eyes and felt the weighty comfort of the watch as it hung on her wrist, slightly loose like she’d remembered. With her eyes still shut, she lifted the watch and smelled it again. She slowly leaned back against her pillows and laid her wrist in front of her face. She continued to stare at the watch until she fell asleep.

  She dreamed the new dream again. She sat in a field, meditating under a vibrant sky. As she meditated, clouds started rolling in, and she heard her mother’s voice.

  “Watch out, he lies,” she said softly.

  Legacy woke up suddenly, looking down at the clothes she had slept in. Her alarm didn’t go off, and it was already after seven. She had less than an hour to shower and get ready before River would be here.

  She quickly removed the watch and put it on her nightstand by the photos. Then she ran into the bathroom and showered. When she got finished, she threw on some jeans and an oversized hoodie. She put some makeup on while she let her hair air-dry. Then she hurriedly dried the rest of it and pulled it up in a ponytail.

  She ran downstairs, heading for the kitchen, when she heard the knock on the door. She looked at her wrist to see what time it was, but of course she wasn’t wearing her watch. She walked over to the door and opened it.

  “Hi,” River said softly.

  “Hey, I overslept. What time is it?”

  “About a quarter to eight. I’m early.”

  “Oh, I need to grab some breakfast, and I’ll be ready.”

  “We can swing through the coffee shop if you want.”

  “Okay. Let me get my books.”

  She gathered her books into her backpack and grabbed her handbag. River led the way to his car and opened the door for her to get in.

  Once she was in her seat, she opened the mirror on the visor to make sure her makeup was even. She wiped her hands along her jaw line to blend it a little more. Then she shut the mirror and eased back into the seat.

  Now, they were on the road, and she finally felt like she had a moment to relax and think. Her mind went straight to her dream. She realized the dream was definitely warning her about a man who was lying to her. She didn’t like the idea that either River was still lying, or Adin was starting to lie to her about something. She’d need to pay special attention to both of them, though how she could pay close attention to Adin when she was trying to push him away, she had no idea.

  River didn’t say anything to her. She figured he was still doing what he could so that she didn’t feel any pressure from him. This little dance of seduction would go much easier if he wasn’t so nice about what she was going through. She almost felt like she wanted him to be his old, pushy self. That was the River she knew how to deal with.

  He pulled into the drive-thru and looked over at her. “What do you want?” It was the first time he’d spoken since they got into the car.

  “Um, a blueberry muffin and a latte,” she said as she reached to the back to get her purse.

  “You know I’m not going to let you pay so don’t even try,” he said with a small chuckle, but it almost seemed forced.

  “Fine,” she said with a smile, not knowing what to make of his demeanor.

  He ordered two lattes and her muffin, which she ate on the way to school.

  “How was your night?” she asked, a little timidly while she glanced at him.

  “Um, fine, I guess,” he said, flashing his eyes at her and then back at the road.

  “What did you do, um, after I left?”

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I talked to my father.”

  She stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t.

  “Poseidon?”

  “Yeah, um, after you told me about communicating with your mom in the hospital, I tried reaching out to my dad. It worked. I talk to him pretty regularly. Well, whenever my mom’s not around.”

  “Oh. W-what do you, er, talk about?”

  River shrugged as he pulled into the parking lot at school. “Usually small stuff, but sometimes he brings up things like the future, responsibilities, those kinds of things.”

  He parked the car, and she started to get out, grabbing her backpack and purse. “What did you talk about last night?” she asked as she walked around his car to meet him.

  He locked his car and looked at her. “You,” he said softly as he took her backpack and started up the path to school.

  She wasn’t surprised by this. She did kiss him yesterday. She wasn’t sure if she should press him to talk about it, but curiosity got the best of her because he seemed so cryptic. “Umm, what did you say?” she finally asked.

  He turned to look at her. “I told him the woman I loved is in love with another man, and I get the feeling she’s using me.”

  Uh-oh.

  Chapter Six

  This was so not good. Legacy stared at River, studying his expression. He hadn’t said that to get a rise out of her. Oh no. He looked as if he actually believed this.

  “W
hy do you think that?” she asked in an even tone.

  He grimaced and looked away. “Because you dumped your boyfriend to save his life. If you stay with him, then you’ll kill him. You obviously don’t want to do that, so you latch yourself onto me to push him away.”

  She shook her head. No sooner had she wanted the real River to surface than he actually did, and now she regretted thinking that. “That’s insane,” she said, walking away from him. She needed to gather her thoughts on this.

  River followed beside her. “I don’t think so. You just broke up with him, and you’ve been dressing up and flirting with me like crazy.”

  She stopped and stared at him. “I’m not dressed up now, and I knew you’d be picking me up! If I was trying to woo you, don’t you think I’d have worn something sexy?”

  “You overslept,” he said curtly.

  She stared at him. “Unbelievable,” she muttered. “I try letting my guard down as much as I can right now, and this is the thanks I get.”

  “So you want me to be grateful you’re giving me special attention now?” he asked with heavy sarcasm. “I love you, Legacy. I want to be with you, but I don’t want you screwing me over in the process.”

  “You know I’m confused,” she said, walking away from him again, but he followed. What a jerk. It was okay for him to play her, but not the other way around?

  The bell rang while they continued to class.

  “You’re confused all right,” he sneered, and looked away from her.

  She stopped walking and grabbed his arm to stop him. “Did it ever occur to you the reason I’m so confused is because I’m finally realizing I already have strong feelings for you?”

  What made her say that? Where did that come from? Thank God, she didn’t have time to analyze it right now.

  River gaped at her.

  “Ugh,” she breathed, dropped his arm, grabbed her books from him, and stormed off.

  She got into class and threw her backpack on the table. Calli looked over at her, but Legacy shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about it. River came in and took his seat, but she didn’t look at him.

  When class was over, he came over to pick up her books.

  “Don’t,” she snapped, not looking at him. She shoved her books into her backpack and walked out of the room. Her next class was with River, but she went into the restroom to kill the time before class started. She didn’t want him trying to talk to her. She walked out and into the room just as the tardy bell rang and she took her seat.

  When that class was over, she grabbed her books and darted out without waiting for him. She wasn’t sure if he followed her to her next class. No way was she going turn around to find out.

  She walked into Spanish and saw Calli. Her BFF was waiting and ready to get the scoop.

  “River thinks I’m using him,” she said as she dropped into her chair.

  “Oh no. He figured it out?”

  “No. He thinks I’m cozying up to him to keep Adin away. He knows that if I stay with Adin, I’ll kill him. He thinks I’m using him to keep Adin alive.”

  “Oh. But, um, Legacy, you are using River. Why are you mad that he thinks you are?”

  “Because that jerk played me for months. It’s okay for him to do it, but not me? Besides, I’m not using him. I’m punishing him. There’s a difference.”

  Class started, so she and Calli stopped talking. Once it was over, she headed to her history class—another class with River. When she rounded the corner, she saw him walking toward the class from the opposite direction. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Then she looked down and darted into the restroom to wait out the time again. She wasn’t being a chicken. She didn’t want to talk to him. If any of the reason was related to guilt, she totally ignored it. She walked out when she had about thirty seconds left until the bell rang and barely made it to class on time.

  When history was over, she grabbed her books and headed out.

  “Legacy,” she heard River call from behind, so she sneaked into the same restroom haven she’d used before class started.

  She dug in her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

  “Hello?” Calli answered.

  “Hey, I’m stuck in the bathroom in the history building.”

  “What do you mean you’re stuck?”

  “River is stalking me, so I came in here.”

  “Well, you need to get out here, so we can leave for lunch. Everyone’s going for pizza today.”

  “I’m not going.”

  “You can’t spend your lunch hour in the bathroom, Legacy.”

  “The hell I can’t. Bring me back a piece of pizza, and I can wolf it down before English.”

  “You are being absurd, Legacy,” Calli said, laughing.

  “I can’t talk to him right now.”

  “Well, if you’re not going, neither am I. We can both spend lunch in the restroom. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Calli, don’t—”

  She hung up the phone. About ten minutes later, her infuriating but wonderful friend walked into the restroom.

  “He was still waiting outside for you,” Calli said, dropping her backpack.

  “I figured he would be.”

  “I told him to get us something to eat while I talked to you.”

  “Did he leave?”

  “Yeah, I watched him walk away.”

  Legacy sighed. “My nerves are on overload.”

  “Because you feel guilty doing this to him,” Calli said softly.

  To her utter disbelief, she started crying. “I-I don’t think it’s just that. He told me my energy was conflicting with my actions toward him, so I realized I needed to believe I was falling for him, not just pretend. I’m worried I might actually fall in love with him. I-I can’t do that, Calli! He’s a monster.”

  “He’s your best friend,” she murmured. “I already told you his actions don’t define who he is. He was wrong for what he did to you, but he’d never harm you.”

  Calli spent the rest of lunch trying to console her, to little avail. She had been telling River she was just confused, but now she really believed that she actually was.

  When they had about ten minutes left, Calli’s phone rang. It was River, bringing back their lunch. They walked out of the restroom and outside the building. River was walking toward them, but she stayed by the door while Calli met him. He handed her two bags and glanced over at Legacy. His eyebrows furrowed, and he quickly said something to Calli that Legacy couldn’t make out. She saw her nod and say something. They conversed back and forth until he turned around and walked away. Calli walked back over to Legacy, handed her a bag, and they quickly unwrapped the sandwiches.

  “What’d he say?” she asked as she took a bite.

  “He asked if you’d been crying.”

  Her head shot up.

  “I told him you had.” When she saw Legacy shake her head, she clarified. “He could tell. Your eyes are swollen. Anyway, he wanted to come over and talk to you. I told him that wasn’t a good idea.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered.

  They finished their lunch right when the bell rang and they headed to English. River didn’t show up to walk her to her other classes that afternoon, and when she got into gym, he was already with the basketball team, practicing.

  When gym was over, she changed slowly, knowing she’d have to talk to him on the ride home. Calli had said she’d take her home, and she seriously considered her offer. But she didn’t want River to use that as an opportunity to negate his prize and make her ride with him again, or worse, pick out a different prize altogether because she’d reneged on the first one.

  She walked out of the locker room to find a solemn River leaning against the opposite wall, waiting. She looked up at him and turned to walk out of the gym. He followed without saying anything. When they got to his car, he opened the door for her, but she didn’t look at him. He drove in silence while she stared outside the window. After he pulled into her driveway
, he turned off the engine. She guessed he thought he would be staying. She started to open the door, but River suddenly, but gently, grabbed her arm.

  She quickly looked over at him.

  “I’m sorry,” he barely whispered.

  She felt a lump rise in her throat and swallowed. “Me too,” she murmured as pulled her arm free and got out of his car.

  She shut the door and headed for the house, but heard River open and shut his door too. He caught up with her as she opened the front door.

  “Legacy, please …”

  She turned around and saw his agonized expression.

  “I-I had no right to doubt your motives. It’s just that I, um, you know how I feel about you. I think I’m just trying to protect my heart from getting hurt.”

  Little did he know that that was really her motive—not keeping Adin alive—for pursuing him. He was right to protect his heart. She wanted to crush it. “Maybe we should back off then. I already know what it feels like to have a broken heart. You’re right to want to protect yours.”

  “No, that…that’s not what I meant. I know people can’t find happiness without taking risks…” He took a deep breath and looked down. “Can I come in?”

  She stared at him while she pondered this. She could let him in and off the hook, or she could make him sweat it out. She figured she needed to work through this little snag so she could get her plan back on track. She didn’t need to avoid him, and she didn’t need him questioning her motives. And she really didn’t need any real drama to contend with. She nodded slowly before heading into the house.

  River followed her to the couch, sitting closer to her than he had before. She waited for him to start, which he finally did after he realized she wasn’t going to.

  “Legacy, I love spending time with you, and the idea of you growing closer to me…” He shut his eyes on a sigh and whispered, “I can’t even begin to express how that makes me feel.”