Chapter 4Replacing My Ex With Her Rival

I assumed Braden would transfer into Gemma’s advanced placement class. But no, he transferred into my standard track.

The first time we met, Gemma helped him move his books. He walked up to me, grinning a little too brightly.

“You must be Kai. The guy Gemma is absolutely obsessed with, huh? You’re definitely good-looking, I’ll give you that.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “We’re friends now, right?”

I felt a little awkward but nodded.

Jesse muttered under his breath, "Didn't he used to be a total bully in middle school?"

I hadn't heard. As soon as the bell rang, I grabbed the gift I’d spent weeks saving for.

“Braden, I heard you like the limited edition Adidas line. This is a welcome gift.”

He reached for the box with a smile.

But just as his fingers brushed the cardboard, he jerked his hand away. The box tumbled to the floor and picked up dust.

I stared, stunned.

Braden’s easy smile turned into a sneer. “You’re a charity case, Kai. Without Gemma, you probably wouldn’t even know what Adidas stands for, would you?”

He scoffed. “Too bad. Now that it’s been touched by your hands, I don’t want it anymore.”

I stared at him, unable to reconcile this venomous person with the friendly face from moments earlier. He’d changed like flipping a switch.

Later that afternoon, I was still distracted when I went to meet Gemma after school. Braden was already there. He was leaning over her desk, his body practically boxing her in. They were laughing about a new designer sneaker release I’d never heard of.

I stood there silently, feeling useless.

Gemma finally noticed me. She walked over and squeezed my hand.

“Kai, I need you to go home alone tonight.”

“Braden just got back, and his dad invited me for dinner. It’s a welcome-back thing.”

“Oh.” I managed a blank nod and glanced over at Braden.

He caught my eye. He gave me a slow, triumphant smile.