Competing With Desire (GxG)

{four} "jealous much?"

Isabelle Hartman

Of all the fucking people in this entire university, I had to be paired with her. I couldn't stop glaring at the lab table as I walked into the room, my bag slung over my shoulder. The place smelled like chemicals, cold and clinical, and my mood matched it perfectly.

Chloe was already sitting there, leaning back in her chair with that obnoxious smirk she always wore, her arms crossed like she owned the place. As if she wasn't the most annoying person on this entire campus.

My eyes flickered over her as I approached the table, and I couldn't help but notice something that made my blood boil even more—a hickey, dark and unmistakable, blooming on the side of her neck.

Great, I thought, my stomach churning with disgust. Of course she'd waltz in here, all smug and nonchalant, looking like she just rolled out of some girl's bed. It took everything in me to keep from rolling my eyes, to stop myself from reacting at all. I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of thinking I cared one bit about whatever trashy hookup she'd been involved in.

I dropped my bag on the table with a loud thud, pulling out my notebook and laptop as if I hadn't noticed anything at all. But that stupid mark on her neck kept catching my eye, taunting me. I wanted to scratch it off her skin, pretend it wasn't there. Pretend she wasn't here.

"Morning," Chloe said, her voice dripping with that same arrogance she always had, like she knew she was getting under my skin.

"Whatever," I muttered, not bothering to look at her as I opened my laptop. I refused to give her any more attention than she deserved.

We sat in tense silence as the lab filled with students, the sound of chairs scraping across the floor and people shuffling around filling the air. Emily shot me a sympathetic glance from across the room, already aware of the hell I was about to endure. I returned her look with a slight nod, knowing we'd gossip about this disaster later.

Chloe, of course, seemed completely unfazed by the situation. She was too busy fiddling with her phone, probably texting whoever had given her that mark. Every time she shifted, that hickey became even more obvious, and I had to force myself not to stare. I hated how much it bothered me.

"So, what's the plan?" she finally asked, her voice casual, like we weren't in the middle of a war zone. "You gonna tell me what we're doing, or should I just let you boss me around all semester?"

I clenched my teeth, my fingers tightening around my pen. Boss her around? If only. I'd love to put her in her place, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, not with the way she constantly acted like she was above everything.

"Just follow my lead and try not to fuck anything up," I snapped, glancing at her with narrowed eyes. "I'd rather get this project over with sooner rather than later."

Chloe shrugged, leaning forward in her chair, her stupid grin never faltering. "Whatever you say, princess. I'm just here to make sure we don't fail."

Princess. That nickname made my skin crawl. She always knew exactly what to say to piss me off, and I hated that it worked. I shifted in my seat, trying to focus on the assignment, the lab manual in front of me, anything other than Chloe's obnoxious presence.

As we started going over the experiment, Chloe leaned in closer, and I could smell her—something fresh, like soap, but with a hint of something musky underneath. I swallowed, trying to focus on the instructions, but my mind kept drifting to that hickey again.

Who was she even with last night? Was it someone from our class? Some random girl from the dorms? And why did I care so damn much?

"Jealous much?" Chloe's voice cut through my thoughts, low and teasing. She must have noticed me glancing at her neck, and that smug grin widened, her eyes glinting with amusement.