Rival Dreams (Rival Love #3) Read Online Free

need to hook me up.”
    I laugh, thinking about Lidia, Sky’s half-sister, and Kyle, hooking up. Fuck, that would be a mess. Lidia is a lot less annoying than she used to be, but she’s still not what I’d call girlfriend material. Hook-up material, yes, long-term, nope.
    Kyle drinks some more of his beer and shakes his head. “I had a girl like yours once. She was sweet, brought me surprise meals, and was just … awesome. She wasn’t the jealous type. Didn’t give a fuck if I hung out with my boys. She was fucking perfect.”
    “What happened?”
    “I fucked up. I dumped her before college. My boys told me, ‘Hey man, there are all kinds of girls in college, don’t be tied down to just one. What are you, fucking married?’ And being the fucking idiot I am, I listened to them. Dumped her. Last week when I went home, I found out she’s engaged.” Kyle shakes his head.
    “Dude, I’m sorry. That sucks.” It’s like looking at a future version of myself. This is going to be me if I lose Sky because I want to get a head start on my dreams. I’m not prepared for it either.

Chapter 5
     
    Skylar
     
    It’s twenty minutes until four and Caleb’s a half-hour late. I give a middle-aged man named Ralph an apologetic look and say, “I’m going to try his phone again.”
    Ralph looks annoyed and grumbles, and I take a few steps away from him to call Caleb again. I’m sent straight to voicemail. Worry gnaws at my insides. What if something horrible has happened to him? He would never break a promise to me. And he promised he’d be here.
    What should I do? Leave and try to find Caleb? Call the hospitals? Look at the apartment without him?
    Ralph clears his throat and I feel like a child in front of him. I probably look too irresponsible to have a place of my own. The more he stares, the worse I feel about this whole thing.
    “I’ve got other appointments, doll. Do ya wanna take a look or not?”
    I bite my lower lip and sigh. I’m about to tell Ralph that I can’t do this without Caleb when my phone chimes.
     
    Brie: Your man stopped by. Where are you?
     
    I text my roommate back quickly.
     
    Skylar: He stopped by when?
     
    My phone chimes again.
     
    Brie: Two seconds ago. Are you working?
     
    I shake my head. He told me he was ready for this, but I knew he wasn’t. God, I feel like an idiot. I glance up at Ralph and say, “I’ll take a look at the place. I’m sorry to keep you waiting for so long.”
    He nods and opens the door to the apartment. I step through the threshold and it feels just like it should: like entering a new chapter of my life. Only it’s not the way I pictured it would be. The person who is supposed to be beside me, doing this with me, is not here. I should feel devastated by the fact he’s not coming. I’m not devastated, though, I’m pissed off.
    I look around the place and it’s perfect. The rooms are the right size. The living room is huge and there’s a cute balcony attached. I can image exactly how I’d want each room to look. “And it’s $500 a month?” I ask, as Ralph walks me to the door.
    “Yes,” he says, handing me the application. “You’ve got to fill this out, and if we accept you, we’ll need a $500 security deposit and first month’s rent.”
    I carefully place the application in my messenger bag and shake Ralph’s hand. “Thank you.”
    Once I walk away from Ralph and the apartment, my worries and thoughts seep in. Can I do this without Caleb? Yes. But do I want to? I don’t know. This was supposed to be our next step—something I’m more than ready for, but he clearly isn’t. Now what? Do I wait for him to be ready, or is this the end of us?
    I’ve seen it so many times in movies, read about it in books and magazines, but I never thought I’d have this problem. Caleb and I have been on the same page for so long. At least, I thought we were. Maybe I’ve been so blinded by love that I missed something.
    Driving back to the dorm, I can feel