Page 114 of The Ruthless Rivalry

Reith, sensing an opportunity, doesn’t let up. “But hey,” he adds, his voice dripping with mock sincerity, “it could be a new trend. Maybe someone else will start a hair color revolution too.”

I laugh softly, catching Cam’s less-than-enthused glance. “Come on, Cam, you know you’d rock it. Reith’s just poking a little fun.”

My friend grumbles under his breath but doesn’t say anything more. With a slight huff, he hands the bow to Reith, perhaps a little more forcefully than necessary. “Here. You’re up,” he states, clearly still irritated.

Reith takes the bow with a dramatic flourish, grinning wider now. “Thanks, I’ll make sure to give it theattentionit deserves.”

Reith steps up to the line, ready to take his shot. He eyes the targets with a practiced focus, then draws the bowstring back. It flies, sharp and precise, and lands dead center in the bullseye.

“Well, that was something,” I say, still processing how effortlessly he hit the mark.

Cam, who had been watching intently, crosses his arms and glances at the screen, his lips pressing into a tight line. He clears his throat and starts to read aloud the prize Reith had won, the words feeling heavier than usual. “Congratulations,” he says, though his tone is subtly clipped. “You’ve, uh, won a date with Sutton, I guess.”

Reith turns to me, his grin widening as he returns his bow. “Well, looks like I’ve won myself a date,” he says, voice dripping with playful humor.

“It would seem so,” I say, it had been hours but I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Cam had put each of our names up on the target board.

Reith’s dark eyes sparkle as he grins. “Lucky me,” he says, and I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or sincere. “I was hoping I’d win something good tonight.”

Okay, definitely not sarcasm.

“Congratulations, Reith,” Cam cuts in dryly, though his lips twitch with an almost imperceptible smile. “But there is a very long line, and you’re holding it up.”

Reith, not at all fazed, peers behind him before looking back in my direction. “We can work out more permanent details another time, but I’m thinking coffee?”

“Coffee would be great,” I agree.

He gives me a nod in confirmation before walking away, but Cam’s gaze follows him for a moment too long. As he turns his attention back to face me, I catch a slight tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been there before.

“You’re the one who put my name in this game, you know,” I remind him casually as I hand a bow and arrow to the next person in line.

Cam’s expression shifts, and he gives a short, tight laugh. “Well, I didn’t think you’d end up winning a date with the person who could’ve caused us a power outage.” His tone is defensive, like he’s trying to brush it off.

“It was an accident,” I say dismissively before I hand over another prize to the student in exchange for their bow. “It’s just coffee, Cam. It’s not a big deal.”

The lines around his mouth deepen. “The games are coming up, Sutton. We can’t have distractions.”

“But it’s fine for you and Bishop and Sly to juggle dates and school, right? You and the other Legacies manage to multitask just fine, but the secondIget offered coffee, it’s aproblem.” I say, leaning in slightly, but keeping my voice firm. “Seems like a bit of a double standard to me.”

Because that’s all those boys did—worry. As a Legacy, guys usually steered clear of me—either too afraid to approach because of my family name or intimidated by those I associated with. But the Legacy guys, the ones who were supposed to be my friends, were different. Or at least, that’s what they’d alwaysconvinced me of. They looked out for me, especially Cam. It was always Cam—my friend, the protector, the one who made sure I didn’t step too far out of line. They all did, in their own ways, but Cam was the one who felt like he had the most responsibility when it came to keeping me in check.

And even though I knew it came from a place of care, there were times it felt like more of a leash. As much as I hated to admit it, I had fallen into the role of the compliant one, the one who didn’t argue, who always gave in when things got tough. It wasn’t that I didn’t have my own thoughts—of course, I did—but when it came to the guys, I just didn’t fight it. Maybe it was easier to not argue. Maybe it was easier to be the one they didn’t need to worry about.Easierfor them, easier for me, too.

The one place I felt truly free, though, was in my art. My paintings and drawings were the only things I had that didn’t come with anyone’s expectations attached. No one told me what to create. When I picked up a brush, it was just me—my thoughts, my hands, my colors. Art had become my act of rebellion, my one space where I could exist fully as myself, without restriction. It was the only time I could break free, even if just for a moment, from everything else that was expected of me.

I ignored how his comment stings more than it should, pushing aside the feeling that comes with knowing I’m still so easily molded into their expectations. I focus on reading the prize off the screen for the next student, handing them their reward—a plush Altair eagle. I watch as they walk away, then turn back to Cam.

“Don’t make it sound like I’m a child who needs to be protected from everything,” I say, the words coming out sharper than I expect. My voice is quiet, but it carries the weight of my frustration. “I can handle a cup of coffee without it being some big distraction.”

Cam looks at me, his brows pinching, but I don’t give him the chance to respond. I shift my focus to the next student, ready to hand out another prize, feeling that familiar tightness in my chest—the one that saysjust let it go, Sutton.Just like always, I can feel myself slipping into the role I’ve always played.

“Besides, I know you’re only upset because you got stuck with Victoria as your date, and she doesn’t swing your way,” I retort defensively, trying to make light of the situation. My tone is playful, but there’s an edge to it.

I’m not sure who was more displeased by the situation—Cam or Victoria’s girlfriend. I glance at him, watching his jaw shift at my words.

“It’s not aboutwhoI got, Sutton. It’s about you being too busy with all these distractions when we have bigger things to focus on.”

I tilt my head, meeting his gaze with a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “You can’t tell me you’re not more worried about your own situation than mine. You’ve been looking at this carnival as some kind of game, but now that you’ve been dragged into it, you’ve forgotten that, because of you, we all have a little fun mixed in with the work, right?”

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