Goddess Revenge: Goddess Series Book 4 (Young Adult / New Adult) (7 page)

“Er, o-okay.” This was going to be highly embarrassing. If any videos showed up on YouTube, she’d strike his ass down with the strongest lightning bolt she could conjure.

She got the ball first, but River was all over her. “I can’t get around you,” she squealed, trying not to laugh.

He reached around and slapped the ball out of her hand and made it in.

“Two points.” He stepped to the side and bounced the ball over to her.

She held the ball in her hand while she glared at him.

“Start dribbling,” he ordered.

“As soon as I start dribbling the ball, you’re going to take it away again.”

“Of course I am.” He smirked. “But when I get the ball, you try to stop me from making it in.”

She nodded while she started dribbling the ball. He came over to her, and she turned around, holding it.

“You’re walking, Legacy. Dribble the ball.”

She dribbled the ball, and River reached for it again. She grabbed it and moved away from him again.

“That’s traveling. Dribble the ball when you move.”

She did so, and River came for it again. This time, he got it, but she jumped in front of him, trying to take the ball back. He dribbled to the side. She lunged over to that side. He quickly dribbled to the other side. She jumped over to that side.

Before she knew it, they were both moving from side-to-side so fast that the wind picked up. Her hair whipped around, but she stayed focused on the ball. River finally moved so fast that he was slicing through the wind as he dunked the basketball. As he landed, he turned to face Legacy.

“You’re cheating!” he said, laughing.

“I’m not cheating.”

“You were moving faster than human speed.”

“You did too! I watched you make it in. No human could have moved that quickly.”

He wagged his eyebrows. “That’s four points.”

He bounced the ball over to her. This time, she tried even harder to keep him from getting the ball, and it took him a little longer to get it, but he did eventually. She tried to block him, and again, they started moving faster than human speed. River was all over the court, and she was right on his heels. She finally reached for the ball and was able to put her hands around it. They both struggled with it, the wind howling and wrapping her hair around her face and against River’s. Finally, she knocked the ball loose, and they both dove for it. River stumbled over, and she fell on top of him as the ball rolled out of bounds.

They both laughed uncontrollably while she slid partly off him, looking up at his face. Their laughter slowed while they struggled to breathe normally, smiling widely.

But as she stared at him, his smile faded.

As did hers.

She knew instantly he was acutely aware of her being on top of him, his hands still on her waist to keep her from hitting the ground when she fell. His breaths became shallow as his chest heaved below her. The look in his eyes was unmistakable. He gently clutched her waist as he moved his head closer to hers, wetting his lips, staring intently.

Then he stopped and laid his head back down against the concrete, still watching her closely, sweat trickling along his brow. She knew he wanted to kiss her, but he was trying to keep himself in check. Because she had let go of her anger and inhibitions for the sake of her goal, he wasn’t the only one who wanted to kiss in this moment.

She leaned closer to him and heard him take in a breath. His eyes quickly searched hers as she neared him. When she licked her lips, his eyes fluttered shut. She brushed her lips against his and kissed him. His heart was hammering below her, but the rest of him lay motionless—well, except his mouth.

He kissed her back, matching her gentle touch with his own feather light caress.

When she slid her hand up to the side of his neck, he banded an arm around her, and they both deepened the kiss just slightly.

She was trying not to think about what she was doing because she knew he’d feel the change in her energy. But she unwittingly thought about it, not because she was worried about her scheme, but because she suddenly felt like a horrible person for what she was doing to him.

She broke away from the kiss. “Sorry, sorry,” she muttered, without looking at him as she clumsily stood up.

River jumped up, putting his arms around her. “Don’t be sorry, baby. I-I know you’re confused right now,” he whispered. He was trying to be supportive, but as he held her, his head nuzzled her hair, and she could feel his body trembling and heart crashing in his chest.

She stood still while River’s hands soothed her back, thinking how she was going to be able to get through this. She wasn’t the type of person to treat someone like this. She knew what she was doing would eventually hurt him. She wanted him to hurt. She needed him to hurt—as much as he’d hurt her. Not only did she hate him for making her do this, but she hated herself for allowing this to happen.

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.

“Why 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?