My dearest rival

XV

Kianora's pov

I try to discreetly mask a tear falling from my eye, swiping a quick finger to catch it before it can roll on my face.

I've been trying to keep the sobs at bay since we knew Bianca would lose her hearing. Yes, we're watching all the Creed's again. An eye candy for the girls and a lot of fights for the guys -and me. Analyzing all of their swift moves and the amount of training this must have taken truly amazes me.

I catch another tear when a hugging scene comes and I'd call myself overdramatic if I didn't  almost cry yesterday when I saw three grandmas meeting in the street, then come to realize I was having my period as soon as I got home.

I sniffle quietly and look up to see Jayden's looking at me. He's sitting across from me, on the other end of the couch at a good four feet distance. Amber is between my feet, hugging my knees, Max is on the floor next to her and Mateo and Terik are sharing the other couch next to us. For once he isn't glaring but it doesn't make the expression on his face warm in any way. And when I lean forward to catch the box of Oreos and take another packet, opening it loudly enough to distract the others. They have the decency to not say anything, the noise gone in a second, not like my dear friend Jay, glaring at me.

I smile sweetly and take one and bite happily into it. I extend the packet with the remaining one in his direction and smile with my teeth, my mouth full. I hear a muttered "Gross", before he rolls his eyes and lean forward anyways, showing me his hand to drop the packet in it.

My eyes brighten at the sudden opportunity showing itself to me. I grab the packet by the end of it, careful not to let the Oreo fall, and show it to him. He leans in my direction and goes to grab it before I quickly snatch my hand away, bringing it to my chest. He glares and I genuinely smile at it, and lean my hand forward again. He sighs and I chuckle, "Go ahead, I won't do it again."

He doesn't look convinced but support himself on an elbow anyway, a lot closer to me than before. He extend his arm again and when I get the packet out of the way once again, he smirks and throws himself at me, quite literally. "I lied, I'm sorry." I crackle.

He closes the remaining distance between us by bringing his legs up on the couch and crawling on me before I can register it. I take my legs away from Amber's grip, curling on myself when he goes on top of me, his hands on my sides. Tickling.

"Stop," I laugh as he he sits on his knee next to me on the couch. "Never." he continues the tickling, and I hear shuffling as the movie I forgot we were watching is put in pause.

"What in the hell are you two doing?" Terik in dad mode come hovering between the two of us, Jayden not stopping the assault on my ribs, continuing making me laugh as try to tickle him too and get one or two laugh coming from him.

"Amber. Charges!" I ignore Terik as I see Amber getting up from her position the floor to throw herself at Jayden, successfully knocking him further on me, as he momentarily draws back his hands, and I use the opportunity to slip myself from his grip but I'm not going farther away as two hands belonging to Mateo grabs me once again.

"Team Jayden, here." he grins as I try to escape him when he lunges me back on the couch. Max comes from behind him and tickle his sides suddenly, making him lose balance and fall on a bent Jayden on the armrest. "Yes, Max." Amber yells as she grabs my hand, tucking me behind her so she can throw some pillows at a laughing Terik.

I crouch on the floor behind the couch for a few second, trying to tame back my hair on a ponytail when a hand brushes my neck. "Now, how am I supposed to taste if the Oreos are as good as you say?" Jayden whispers in my ear, crouching next to me. "I'm pretty sure they've been lost in the battle."