Read Online Ex-Factor (Diamond Girls) by Elisa Dane - Free Book Online
Authors: Elisa Dane
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as per usual. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s not polite to stare?”
I jerked my head back in shock, her vicious reference to my mom a painful stab to my heart. Eyes narrowed, I glared up at her in silence, arms crossed, jaw tight.
No doubt realizing I had no plan to engage her, she bent forward, placed her hands on her knees and spoke to me in a high-pitched voice as though I were a child. “Dumb and mute, I see. Guess I’ll just have to spell things out for you again. I. Don’t. Like. You.” She said the words both slowly and forcefully, exaggerating her mouth movements as she enunciated each word. “Keep your eyes to yourself. Off Eli. And out of my fucking business. Got. It?”
Skin flushed, fists clenched, I stood from my seat, body shaking and filled with anger. Never. I’d never had anyone speak to me that way before, much less get up in my face while doing so. What the hell had she meant when she told me to keep my eyes off Eli? Eli was about as far off my radar as a guy could get. Sick of her crap, I gnashed my teeth, fully prepared to let the girl have it when Erin and Eli waltzed back over to the table, fingers laced together.
Erin’s smile faded, quickly turning to a frown as she eyed the tense scene in front of her. Eli, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the harem of past, present—and what I assumed he hoped would be—future women surrounding him, and swiped a thumb across his crooked grin. “Is there a problem here?” He glanced at Callie, brow raised, then to me. “Nev? You okay?”
The scowl that adorned Callie’s face morphed into a fake, sickly smile, and she turned her attention from me to Eli, swatting him on the upper arm. “Nev’s fine. No problem here. I was just congratulating her on making the Diamond team.” She flashed Eli a plastic grin, then regarded me once more, this time speaking to me as though she were my best friend. “The girls and I are so excited to have you on our team.” She clapped her hands together, the tips of her acrylic nails clacking in an irritating rhythm. “See you at the gym.” With that, she turned on her heel and breezed across the quad leaving me, once again, speechless.
“Nev?” Erin stepped forward, face drawn into a mask of concern, and clamped down on my arm. “What just happened between you and Callie?”
Lips mashed together, I glanced down at her hand, which was still entwined with Eli’s. He was talking to some random guy I didn’t know. I shook my head. “Nothing. It was just… nothing. I have to use the restroom.” I peered over my shoulder toward Claire and Tayla, who both thankfully remained silent, before focusing on Erin once more. “I’m sorry. Excuse me.”
Head down, arms and legs shaky, I hauled ass through the busy quad toward the nearest restroom, trying and subsequently failing to keep my emotions in check. Heat flushed beneath my cheeks and hot, traitor tears welled in my eyes, threatening to give me away. I’d come across my fair share of jerks and mean girls before, but never one I’d wanted to physically strike.
I couldn’t stand Callie, but I was more upset by the fact that I’d let her get under my skin and affect me so negatively. Life was short, and the last thing I wanted was to get caught up in a bunch of squabbling, jealous girl drama. For as much as I disliked Callie Porter—and trust me, I wanted to pummel her—she was merely a symptom, a byproduct of a larger, more pressing issue, or should I say person, that needed to be dealt with: Eli Walker.
I didn’t see him until it was too late. Head down in an effort to hide my emotions, I rammed into the last person on the planet I ever wanted to see me upset, Bodie Scott.
“Whoa!”
Off-balance, I pitched sideways and nearly hit the pavement before a pair of strong hands righted me. My arms tingled where his hands met my flesh and my overheated skin flushed even more. Why? Why, after the crap I’d just been through, did I have to
I jerked my head back in shock, her vicious reference to my mom a painful stab to my heart. Eyes narrowed, I glared up at her in silence, arms crossed, jaw tight.
No doubt realizing I had no plan to engage her, she bent forward, placed her hands on her knees and spoke to me in a high-pitched voice as though I were a child. “Dumb and mute, I see. Guess I’ll just have to spell things out for you again. I. Don’t. Like. You.” She said the words both slowly and forcefully, exaggerating her mouth movements as she enunciated each word. “Keep your eyes to yourself. Off Eli. And out of my fucking business. Got. It?”
Skin flushed, fists clenched, I stood from my seat, body shaking and filled with anger. Never. I’d never had anyone speak to me that way before, much less get up in my face while doing so. What the hell had she meant when she told me to keep my eyes off Eli? Eli was about as far off my radar as a guy could get. Sick of her crap, I gnashed my teeth, fully prepared to let the girl have it when Erin and Eli waltzed back over to the table, fingers laced together.
Erin’s smile faded, quickly turning to a frown as she eyed the tense scene in front of her. Eli, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the harem of past, present—and what I assumed he hoped would be—future women surrounding him, and swiped a thumb across his crooked grin. “Is there a problem here?” He glanced at Callie, brow raised, then to me. “Nev? You okay?”
The scowl that adorned Callie’s face morphed into a fake, sickly smile, and she turned her attention from me to Eli, swatting him on the upper arm. “Nev’s fine. No problem here. I was just congratulating her on making the Diamond team.” She flashed Eli a plastic grin, then regarded me once more, this time speaking to me as though she were my best friend. “The girls and I are so excited to have you on our team.” She clapped her hands together, the tips of her acrylic nails clacking in an irritating rhythm. “See you at the gym.” With that, she turned on her heel and breezed across the quad leaving me, once again, speechless.
“Nev?” Erin stepped forward, face drawn into a mask of concern, and clamped down on my arm. “What just happened between you and Callie?”
Lips mashed together, I glanced down at her hand, which was still entwined with Eli’s. He was talking to some random guy I didn’t know. I shook my head. “Nothing. It was just… nothing. I have to use the restroom.” I peered over my shoulder toward Claire and Tayla, who both thankfully remained silent, before focusing on Erin once more. “I’m sorry. Excuse me.”
Head down, arms and legs shaky, I hauled ass through the busy quad toward the nearest restroom, trying and subsequently failing to keep my emotions in check. Heat flushed beneath my cheeks and hot, traitor tears welled in my eyes, threatening to give me away. I’d come across my fair share of jerks and mean girls before, but never one I’d wanted to physically strike.
I couldn’t stand Callie, but I was more upset by the fact that I’d let her get under my skin and affect me so negatively. Life was short, and the last thing I wanted was to get caught up in a bunch of squabbling, jealous girl drama. For as much as I disliked Callie Porter—and trust me, I wanted to pummel her—she was merely a symptom, a byproduct of a larger, more pressing issue, or should I say person, that needed to be dealt with: Eli Walker.
I didn’t see him until it was too late. Head down in an effort to hide my emotions, I rammed into the last person on the planet I ever wanted to see me upset, Bodie Scott.
“Whoa!”
Off-balance, I pitched sideways and nearly hit the pavement before a pair of strong hands righted me. My arms tingled where his hands met my flesh and my overheated skin flushed even more. Why? Why, after the crap I’d just been through, did I have to
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