Rivalry

Elijah shrugged himself out of Valerie's hold and stepped in beside me. “I wasn’t going to your party,” he replied coldly. “I came over to ask Hailey if she wanted to hang out.”

The color drained from Valerie’s face, but her fake, stiff smile didn’t falter. “Oh, really, huh?”

When her eyes flicked my way, I couldn't help but gulp nervously, thinking what she plotted next for her revenge. I could almost see my demise unfolding inside her eyes as she glared at me.

It took her a long moment to work her mouth, her eyes not moving from me. “Her? But you know I throw the best parties here. Everyone’s going.”

“Not everyone,” Elijah replied stiffly. “I’m definitely not going.”

“Well, telling from all the poor effort Hailey put into her outfit, she was planning to go.” Valerie’s cold eyes worked their way down my body, then back up. “Looking at her, even if she had money in her reach, she wouldn’t even be able to put a decent outfit together. Poor thing.”