Rival Dreams (Rival Love #3) Read Online Free Page A

the tears gathering on my lashes. I blink and a couple fall while I wait for the light to turn green. I run my hand across my cheeks and sniffle. Glancing over at the car to my right, I instantly regret it. A young woman driving a red Mustang is staring at me.
    I turn back to face the light and wish it would change soon. My heart pounds hard and my stomach sours. What if Caleb doesn’t want me anymore?
    As soon as the green arrow appears, I go. Instead of driving over to Caleb’s dorm and demanding an answer from him, I go to my own dorm. I actually get lucky and score a parking spot near the front entrance of my building. It should make me happy, but honestly, I don’t think anything could make me smile right now.
    I enter and make my way to the elevator. It’s vacant, which is not normal at this time of day, but I’m grateful for the silence. However, the damn thing seems to move exceptionally slow. At the rate I’m traveling, I could have taken the stairs to my room and back at least three times.
    When the doors ding and slide open onto my floor, I feel exhausted. I walk to my room and pull out my keys. My eyes lock on the white board. The words Caleb+Skylar always and forever make my insides tighten, and my heart feels like it’s in a vise. Hot tears roll slowly down my cheeks. Using my coat sleeve, I erase the words.
    Why didn’t he tell me he wasn’t ready?
    I wipe my eyes again and open the door. Brie’s strawberry-blond hair with electric blue tips hangs like a curtain in front of her face. She runs a brush through the strands and doesn’t acknowledge me entering our room. Which is fine; I don’t want her to look at me and ask what’s wrong.
    I drop my keys into the jar on my desk, sling my bag into my chair, and lie down on my bed. My phone rings and Caleb’s face lights up the screen. I hit ignore and then shut off my phone. Whatever he has to say to me will not be on the phone. He can tell me his excuses for breaking a promise to me to my face.
    Brie hops onto my bed and says, “Hey, you. You didn’t answer me … Hey, what’s wrong?” She frowns.
    “Nothing. I’m sorry. I was looking at an apartment.”
    “Oh, yeah. Wait, by yourself?”
    I nod.
    “I thought you and Caleb were moving in together?”
    Didn’t we all? Apparently I’m not the only one who didn’t get the memo that that wasn’t actually happening. I shrug. “I guess not.”
    “Oh.” She hugs me. “Are you okay? I mean like … are you two still …”
    “Yeah. We’re fine,” I lie.
    A knock comes at our door. Brie hops off my bed and answers it. I grab my messenger bag and pull out the apartment application as Brie says, “It’s for you.” The door swings open wider, and Caleb enters.
    I glare at him and turn away. His arms wrap around my waist and his lips brush against my neck. “Babe, why aren’t you answering your phone? You had me worried.”
    I pry myself from his hold and face him. My finger prods his hard chest and I glower. “I had you worried? Where the hell were you today? You didn’t answer my calls. You ignored me. You promised, Caleb!”
    Brie gasps. “Hey, I’m gonna bounce. I gotta date with Wesley tonight, so I’ll see you later.”
    Caleb and I watch her as she leaves. Once the door is shut, Caleb looks at me. “Sky, I…”
    “Before you make an excuse, let me warn you right now if someone isn’t dead, I don’t want to hear it.” I blink back tears and move to the opposite end of the room.
    He tries to come near me but I sob, “No!”
    “Babe, please. Please let me explain.”
    I take a step toward him and shove. “Explain what? How you don’t actually want to move in with me? How you broke my heart when you didn’t show? I thought you were in a hospital somewhere. But, no. You were here, perfectly fine!”
    He scrubs his hand across his face and sighs. “Skylar, please sit down and listen to me.”
    “Why?”
    He leans in close like he’s going to kiss me, and I scowl.