I had formally lost control of my life. Cathy Carter is.
It went beyond only the bogus link or the viral video that seemed too realistic. It was not even the steady murmurs I could follow along the corridors.
The mystery SMS message was this one.
Unknown: Nina, please concentrate extremely hard. Finish of several games is unsatisfactory.
I clutched tightly and pushed my phone far from the horrible sensation slithering in my gut.
Jake would have squarely confronted me. Enzo never wasted time engaging in mental games. Who the Hell was then observing?
And why did it seem like something much worse than the drama high school was producing?
Damage had been done by the morning I got to the university.
I was everywhere.
The footage has made its way to gossip websites, social media, even competing institutions.
I was not just Nina Carter now.
I was the New Girl for Enzo Knight.
Friend requests, DMs, even phoney accounts posing as me had exploded on my phone overnight.
Not exactly under debate was me.
I was being watched by someone.
Ignoring the hockey players' astonished glances, I raced inside the team locker room.
"Where is he?" I said with assertive demand.
Leant on a chair and smiling, Jaxon, one of Enzo's colleagues, "Wonderful, Knight, I suppose your girl is going to kick your ass."
Enzo hardly turned to see from his far end of the changing room.
Arm crossed, leant back against the lockers as if he had been waiting for me.
He had a pretty subdued smile. "Morning, Carter," I handed over my trash phone to him. " Care to explain why I suddenly am a trending item?"
Pulling the phone easily, he glanced at the screen. A few clicks later he passed over the ridiculous volume of entries on us.
couple of power or PR stunt Nina, or Enzo?
It Nina Carter that is the one? Why is she everywhere right now?
Jake Against Enzo: The Hockey Rivalry Now Personal
His mouth moved. You are well-known, princess.
I clenched my mouth. "This isn't funny."
His eyes piercing and impenetrable flew to me. Not numerically. not precisely.
At something in his voice, I stopped.
I was aware of this happening. You were also aware.
He let out a breath then ran his fingers through his hair. "I knew that was a likelihood. You were supposed to have warned me.
"We did." Closing the distance between us, he said, "I warned you the game would turn dirty. You decide to have fun however you choose.
I sucked hard, detested his precision.
I wanted to stay even though I detested the anarchy and the continuous strain of being watched.
Since now this was about more than simply retribution.
One has to take survival into account here.
And this places only one chance of survival.
Still going to carry on acting.
I tried to ignore the looks, the murmurs, the ongoing invasions of my personal life.
But as I entered the café, nowhere was hiding place.
People fled places as I arrived, as if I were some kinds of impervious celebrity.
Then too, I started to notice them.
Jake: Kayla drew together.
I tasted bad in my mouth and tightened my hands.
I then began behaving in somewhat risky way.
I dropped down to Enzo's table onto the seat next to him and then extended my arm over his shoulders.
The hall gave out a sigh.
Jake's stare blazing into me made sense.
I turned away from the vista.
Instead, I slanted in and urged, "Do something."
Completely apathetic, Enzo put down his drink.
Then he kissed my jaw and lightly swept my hair back without thinking twice.
a slow, slow, deliberate, mocking kiss.
Like live wire, heat shot goes across me.
The chair of Jake scraped on the floor.
The warning came far too late.
Two seconds later Jake was before us.
Before I could blink, Jake grabbed my wrist and dragged me upward.
The cafeteria started to stop talking.
He said, "Enough," between clenched teeth. "You pointed up a valid issue."
I wracked my hand free and pointed at him fiercely. Did I? Since you seem not to be grasping it.
His jaws locked. You belong nowhere with him, Nina.
One let out a bitter laugh. and I matched you?
His flickering face exposed regret, anger, something twisted between the two.
Pressing, Jake said, "You're just a game to him." All he does is that. Act and be compensated for it.
At last Enzo stood sloppily over Jake.
He said naturally, "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Jake's hands became tighter. You pay her scarcely any attention at all.
Enzo laughed then as well.
Low, dark, angrily confident.
"That's where you're wrong, Matthews," he said, tone softening. "Because I do not play games I do not intend to win." An sudden, tight halt.
Then Jake turned quickly leaving the café.
And just like that—I discovered I was not the only one suddenly caught in the spotlight.
Sitting in my car grasping the steering wheel that evening, I attempted to make sense of everything.
The muffle. The defences. As he had intended it, Enzo had helped me.
My phone trembled.
Still another undetermined figure.
Unknown: Nina, now days this is not just a game. Keep a check on your backside.
A freezing shudder slid my back.
I breathed hard, focused on the letter.
About Jake, nothing really stood out here.
This has not whatsoever to do with Enzo.
Seeing was another person's experience.
And suddenly I found myself not just at the front stage.
I could have killed it really easily.