Forever Golden: Dark High School Bully Romance (Kings of Cypress Prep Book 3) by Rachel Jonas (beach books TXT) 📕

I glance around just long enough to confirm that people’s interest in what’s happening at our table is growing.

“You two need a minute?” Sterling asks, looking uncomfortable as West and I start going at it, but we ignore him. After all, he’s playing along right with us.

“I never called you a bitch. I said you’ve been acting like one. There’s a difference.”

“Whatever, West,” I grumble, pushing my food away to fold both arms over my chest like a brat.

“You wouldn’t be mad if you saw some shit about me having Parker over? Just asking. Because if it’s cool for us to hang out alone with exes, I’ve got some calls to make.”

I peer up at him then, feeling water pool in my eyes.

Oh, God. Why are you about to cry? This isn’t part of the plan. And it isn’t even real. Pull it together, woman!

I see it. The moment West starts feeling concerned that he’s taken things too far, hurt my feelings. This isn’t on him, though. Apparently, just the idea of us being at each other’s throats like this rips me apart inside.

I blink a couple times, hoping he gets the hint that I’m okay to keep going.

“Fuck you, West.”

“Oh, fuck me? Sure you wouldn’t rather fuck Ricky?” he snaps back. “Unless, of course, you two already got that out your systems last night.”

I peer up at him again and I swear it’s gotten ten times quieter than a moment ago. Everyone’s tuning in for the spectacle, which is exactly what we need. Someone will get this out to Pandora and she’ll take things from there. By then, Vin will think there’s trouble in paradise and we’ll be that much closer to the last phase of this fiasco—step four, the end.

“I don’t need this shit.” With that, I stand, grab only my bottle of water, and then head for the door.

I’m in knots on the inside and burst through the lunchroom doors, unable to pull my phone from my pocket fast enough. I type as quickly as I can, needing to get rid of all the negative energy, but a text comes through before I’m even able to hit send on my own.

West: I feel like shit. I’m so fucking sorry.

Despite how disgusted I am with having put on that performance, I manage to smile—while hiding around a corner, of course.

Blue: You beat me to the punch. I was just about to apologize.

West: Let’s agree to never do this in real life.

Blue: Deal.

West: Good. Where you headed?

Blue: To sit in my car and pout until lunch ends. Figured it’d be good for optics.

West: You’re probably right. We should start seeing posts soon. I’m off to go punch a locker and look all broody and unstable. People are eating this shit up.

I face away from a small circle of kids who pass by when he draws a laugh out of me.

Blue: Take it from me, punching things is a bad¸BAD idea.

West: Noted. Love you.

Blue: Love you, too. Always.

@QweenPandora: It was the argument heard round the world. Today, lunch came with a bit of entertainment.

A hush fell over the crowd as people witnessed with their own eyes, direct fallout from last night’s drama—a love triangle I believe we all saw coming from a mile away.

A KingMidas, NewGirl, SeXyBeAsT sandwich.

Word on the street is that NewGirl’s been giving KingMidas the cold shoulder since morning. Like he’s the one who got caught sneaking an ex into his place last night. But it doesn’t end there. The tension came to a head today and the pair got caught in a public explosion you had to have been deaf and blind to miss.

After that disaster, I think we’re all wondering the same thing…

What on Earth will happen next?

Stay tuned.

Later, Peeps.

—P

Chapter 34

BLUE

It’s been a week of public silence, punctuated with moments of West and I being as nasty to each other as we could possibly stand, and now we’re back at game day.

Peering out into the stands, the only faces I see are Scar’s, Mike’s, Jules’s, and Ricky’s. West and crew, on the other hand, are nowhere in sight. Staging the breakdown of our relationship has been hell for both of us, but we frequently remind each other that it’s for a good cause. Doing this buys us time, it means my sister is safer for now, and means Detective Roby and Boone’s investigator have a little more time to work.

I’m on edge like I was last week, but I’m also being mindful to not accidently injure anyone this time. We’re ahead by two points with less than a minute on the clock. It’s still anyone’s game, which means it’ll come down to who wants it more.

Sweat pours down my face and I blink it away, focusing on the brunette dribbling the ball in front of me. She’s got determination in her eyes and I know she’s about to try her best to pull out the win for her team. I focus on her waist and not the ball—something Hunter and Ricky taught me years ago. She can move left or right, quickly changing the direction of the ball, but the movement in her waist will give away her next move.

Works every time.

She fakes left, then dribbles right and I’m on her, not leaving any room for her to pass the ball or get past me. I’m reminded of the day I was forced to play defense on West during gym, and I’m also reminded of punching him in the face right after. Not my best moment, but we made it past that, built something real. Something solid.

Before sadness can bring me down, I focus on the game again, going up into the air with the girl when she makes a shift. A fraction of a second later, my fingertips catch the bottom of the ball, changing its direction, sending it soaring opposite of where she intended.

The crowd goes crazy, and I peer up at the clock, not