Page 48 of The Ruthless Rivalry

I hesitate, weighing my words carefully. “I don’t know… I’m starting to wonder if we’re even on the right path. Is Bishop’s vendetta against Alex really justified?” I pause, the weight of the thought pressing on me. This was our parents’ fight, not ours.And we certainly weren’t going to repeat their mistakes. So why did it even matter if Alex stayed at Altair?

She looks at me, her gaze sharp and calculating. “What made you change your mind? I thought you wanted her out too.”

Sutton always seemed to see right through me, probably because she was the only one in the group who didn’t just fall in line, the same way she stubbornly refused to give up on this art idea of hers. She’d been skeptical about our plot against Alex from the start, and maybe I just hadn’t been paying as close attention as I should have.

“I… Never mind. A storm’s about to roll in,” I say, gesturing toward the dark clouds gathering over the water. “We should head back before we get caught in the rain.”

As if on cue, a loud clap of thunder booms across the night sky, accompanied by a bright flash of lightning. It could almost be choreographed, it happened so perfectly in sync, showcasing the moody, unpredictable nature of Altair.

Sutton wrinkles her nose. “Honestly? The beach smells better than our hallway right now. I think your room is finally starting to rot our floor, Sly.”

I roll my eyes. “Maybe the breeze finally started blowing Prescott dormitory’s awful stench our way.”

“I don’t know how anyone lives in that dorm.” She lets out a soft snort but keeps her eyes on me, her amusement fading just slightly. “Seriously, though. What’s going on with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been off tonight. “More dramatic than usual.” She squints at me, trying to read past whatever I’ve been keeping locked down.

I hesitate, jaw tightening, and she catches it.

Sutton sighs, frustration clear in her exhale. “Fine, don’t tell me. But whatever’s going on, you better figure it out fast.” Hertone cuts through the air like a warning, and I can feel the weight of her words hanging between us.

As we walk back toward campus, the wind picks up, biting at my skin, and sending Sutton’s hair flying beneath her headband. The air between us is thick with discomfort, as if the storm’s not just in the sky but creeping up on us, too. Droplets of rain hit me, sharp and cold.

As we near the courtyard, my eyes catch a single figure standing near the natatorium. Arms crossed, their stance tense as they stay sheltered beneath the awning.

Alex.

I slow my steps without meaning to, my feet feeling like they’re stuck in place. There’s this twist in my gut, a weird mix of frustration and something else I can’t name.

Sutton notices right away. Her eyes narrow, sharp and calculating, darting between me and Alex, as if she’s piecing something together. “What is it?” she asks, her voice tinged with suspicion.

I don’t answer right away. I can’t. The words won’t come because I can’t even make sense of them right now. It’s not just the sight of Alex—it’s the whole mess that is her. The way she rejected me, not just tonight, but ever since the masquerade ball. Her reaction to me felt like a personal attack, like I wasn’t even worth a second thought.

I glance at my twin, her gaze now locked on me with something approaching understanding. But I look away quickly, back to Alex standing alone by the natatorium, my chest still tight from earlier.

What the hellisthis?

“Well,” Sutton says, sounding almost dismissive, like I was being dumb for not seizing this unexpected moment and taking it. “Are you going to go help her or what?”

It’s not like me to feel this conflicted. But something about Alex…something about her shutting me down, making me feel like I wasn’t even worth a second glance, is messing with my head.

I glance back at her, standing under the awning, looking like she couldn’t care less. She’s as closed off as ever, her arms crossed defensively as the rain pelts all around her. I have the urge to leave her there, reject her like she rejected me, but it’s quickly overshadowed by something else.

I’ve always been up for a challenge. Not to brag, but I take pride in knowing my way around campus—gaining access to spaces, to people. It’s never been hard. And I’ve never been the guy who gets snubbed—not like this. I don’t like how it feels.

Sutton must see something on my face because she smirks. “I’ll meet you back at our building later. Maybe crack a window in your room or something—I’d like to be able to breathe near my door again.”

She starts to walk off, then calls over her shoulder, “It’s notthatbad yet, but if whatever’s growing in there starts spreading, I’m filing an official complaint—with you.”

We break apart, each shifting in opposite directions. The rain falls heavier, but I don’t care. I’m not in a rush to get soaked. I’m in a rush to figure this out. To figureherout.

Besides, I don’talwaysdo as Bishop says. I’m allowed to make my own choices, and right now, I want to prove to Alex that I’m not someone she can just easily write off.

“Hey,” I murmur, sliding my hands into my pockets as I move to share her space under the shelter.

Alex’s eyes meet mine, as if she’s just now noticing I’m there. A deep frown tugs at the corners of her mouth, her expression as indifferent as ever.

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