Chapter 218

“So you really don’t have any confidence in yourself, huh?” Caitlin raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in her eyes.
“It’s not that I lack confidence-it’s just that you’re that good.” Carson had studied Caitlin’s test papers closely, and what he discovered was almost unsettling. Her essay was nearly perfect, she’d missed just a handful of words on the foreign language section, and the only mistakes in math were the simplest ones-typos, not wrong answers.
He’d even tried taking the test himself, without peeking at the answers. Even if he pushed himself to the limit, he’d barely scrape a 690.
He knew, deep down, that he didn’t stand a chance of beating Caitlin in the next round of exams.
Carson looked up at her, determination shining in his eyes. “Still, even if I can’t beat you next month, don’t get cocky, Caitlin. I’m going to work my tail off and beat you on the finals. Just watch me—I will.”
“Alright.” Caitlin nodded with a small smile.
And with that, Carson turned and walked away.
Celeste watched him go, arms crossed and a bright grin on her face. “That nerd’s actually pretty funny!” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ.net
Caitlin nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he really is.”
As soon as Bonnie stepped onto campus, she caught sight of Carson going out of his way to talk to Caitlin.
A frown creased Bonnie’s brow, jealousy flaring in her eyes. “Unbelievable. She just got here and she’s already got Carson wrapped around her finger.”
Carson wasn’t just the school’s top student; his family was well-off, and he was undeniably good-looking. Plenty of girls had a thing for him. But Carson was a classic bookworm-obsessed with studying, never showing much interest in girls. Caitlin had only been here a few days, and now even Carson was chasing after her.
The more Bonnie thought about it, the more it stung. The jealousy was suffocating.
No. She couldn’t let Caitlin get away with this-she wouldn’t let her gloat. Bonnie quickened her pace, catching up to Carson. “Hey, Carson-wait up!” Carson stopped and looked at her. “Hey, do you need something?”
Bonnie’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Did you know Caitlin’s been divorced?” Carson frowned, not immediately understanding.
Bonnie’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction. “You heard me-Caitlin was married before. She’s damaged goods, Carson. You really shouldn’t get so close to her.”
The words hit Carson like a slap. His expression hardened, his voice suddenly cold. “So what if she’s been married? Frankly, I think it’s a lot more shameful to go around trash-talking someone behind their back than it is to have a divorce in your past.”
Bonnie froze, her face draining of color, then flushing in embarrassment.
Why? Why wasn’t this going the way she’d imagined? Wasn’t Carson supposed to join her in shaming Caitlin? Why was he sticking up for her instead?
Damn it. Damn her.
Time slipped by faster than anyone expected.
Before they knew it, the semester was over.
On the first day of winter break, Celeste came to find Caitlin, eager as ever. “Catie, let’s go on a trip for a few days, and we’ll be back just in time for New Year’s! Want to come with me?”
As it happened, Caitlin had been toying with the idea of traveling before the holidays herself, though she hadn’t made any concrete plans. She turned to Celeste. “Sounds good, March. Where do you want to go?”
Celeste’s eyes sparkled. “How about Neon Spire?”