Campus King | 18+

Chapter Forty-Three

Hannah

"Hannah! Hi!" Skylar exclaimed, releasing me from her surprisingly strong grip with a huge. "I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages. It's so good to see you," she gushed, flashing me a broad red-lipped grin.

I blinked, trying to process the sudden, unexpected interaction. "Skylar... hey. It's, um, nice to see you too." I looked at her like a fish out of water. "H-how have you been?"

Bailey arched a brow at me, obviously curious about who the new girl was and waiting for some context or an introduction. I'd told her bits and pieces about Skylar over the phone, but I'd never thought it necessary to reveal her name — so it would be hard letting Bailey know that this was the pretty blonde who had a massive crush on Tristan. And that this was the woman who suited him so much better than I did.

She was literally the perfect athlete's girlfriend — an athlete herself, she looked like a Viking goddess, was extremely outgoing, and very familiar with public attention and scrutiny. If she and Tristan ever got together, they'd undoubtedly be a power couple.

It was easy to picture her as one of those social media wives who nailed meal prep, worked out daily, and appeared to have everything under control all the while looking perfectly put together. It wasn't that I despised those women — it's just that I'd never be one of them.

"I'm doing amazing! I just got here, but I'm so excited to join in on the festivities. I see everyone has already gotten into the full swing of things," she remarked, looking around with a mix of excitement and wonder.

She wore an iridescent crop top revealing her toned abs, a tulle mini-skirt adorned with pearls and crystals, and knee-high pink boots that accentuated her model-long legs. She looked gorgeous. Meanwhile, I felt like a blobfish beside her, wearing basic jean shorts and a plain white shirt, stained with face paint and dirt from this morning. And let's not forget the faded goggles around my eyes — while she seemed to be glowing in glitter, jewels, and a full face of makeup.

"Oh, yeah. It's been fun..." I trailed off because it felt like my throat was closing in on itself.

I hadn't felt this self-conscious and out of place since Dylan. I hated the thoughts currently racing through my head, comparing every aspect of myself to her. And worst of all, I was developing this stupid, irrational hatred toward her. For no reason at all.

I missed not caring.

Seeing the turmoil on my face, Bailey stepped forward, baring a wide, confident smile. "Hi, I'm Hannah's best friend, Bailey. I love your boots! I can already tell I'll be browsing online for them as soon as I can."

Skylar laughed, lifting her leg to give Bailey a better look. "Because I'm a girl's girl, I'll tell you exactly where I got them."

See? She was just so fucking nice.