Alyssa Brandy has never been a run-of-the-mill type of girl. She's a diva and knows how to get her way. But even the strongest people can be broken.
In high school, she was hurt by the guy she thought she could trust. Now, in college, she's built...
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POV: Alyssa
"Sorry but there's is no way in hell that I'm staying with him," I say, slamming my hands onto the counter. The lady at the front desk slides her glasses down the bridge of her nose to avoid looking through the thick frame.
"I'm sorry, but unless you want to downgrade, you'll have to deal with it." She chews her gum like a horse and shrugs her shoulders. A snicker can be heard from Eden whose towering over me.
"Looks like you'll have to downgrade," he says behind me. I look over my shoulder to glare at him. He shakes his curly honey hair.
I put my hands on my hips. "I don't think so. You'll have to downgrade. My dad didn't pay extra so I could share a tiny room."
His pink lips twitch. "Some of us didn't have daddy's money to pay for it." Is he saying he paid for the room himself? I look away in thought.
"Well, there's no way I'm going to change rooms. I already unpacked. You're just going to have to deal with it," I say. Just because we are in the same dorm doesn't mean we have to spend time with each other.
He tilts his head and smirks. "We'll see how long you last." My brow quirks up.
"You know I can never say no to a challenge," I say licking my bottom lip. And again another thing for me and Eden to compete for.
For as long as I can remember we've been rivals. It all started in the first grade. We were in the same class. I had a small crush on him and I thought he liked me too. At recess, we decided to have a wedding ceremony.
During the ceremony, he said he rather marry Ella-Mae. Little me was heartbroken and so threw my bouquet at his face. I won't ever get laughed at like that again. I knew how to hold a grudge. After that, we hated each other.
We competed every chance we got: For class president, captain of the school committee, and student of the year. In high school, we were both a part of the student body. We disagreed on everything. Every conversation was a debate. We constantly tried to one-up each other.
I whip my hair over my shoulder and storm off back to our dorm. Eden follows in pursuit. My heels click against the linoleum. We walk through the hallways and suddenly a door springs open in front of me.
I try to dodge it, but I'm smacked and thrown backward. My back hits what feels like a wall. A hard chest to be exact. Eden straightens me out while I regain my balance. "Watch where you're going," he whispers into my ear. My throat dries.
"Shit, are you okay?" A voice asks. It sends chills up my spine. Banks Lewis. He comes around the door and I shrink against Eden's chest. Banks' dark eyes meet mine. "Oh hey, Alyssa. Are you okay?" Amusement plays in his eyes.
"I'm fine," I say aggressively. He acts as if nothing happened and I hate it. I hate him. I regain my confidence and shove past him.
I walk faster, looking over my shoulder to make sure he isn't following me. Eden walks closer behind me this time. His jaw is clenched.
I suck in a deep breath and push forward. When we make it into our dorm I rush into my room and close the door.
I pat the sweat that formed on my forehead. I take a look at myself in the mirror and repeat the words I've told myself many times before. " You have all the power."
***
The next morning I wake up bright and early to shower and brush my teeth. I beat my face to perfection with my beauty blender and curl my hair into brown rings. The whole time I get ready I hear no sound coming from Eden's room.
I dig through my closet to find the perfect outfit. I settle with a black skirt, cream turtle neck, and Mary Jane Wedges. Everything on my outfit is perfect down to the detail.
When I finish preparing my tote bag I head to the bathroom. I groan when I notice it's occupied. I hear the water running.
I bang on the door. "I have to pee!" I shout through the door.
The shower turns off and I cross my arms. "You can come in if you want, but you'll get an eye full of my gorgeous naked body."
My eyes widen. "N-no thank you," I say stepping away from the door. My cheeks turn red as I peel out of the dorm and into the hallway. Usually, I don't get flustered with comments like that, but hearing it from Eden was in a whole different ballpark.
I bang on Arlo's door instead. The door swings open and a shirtless Arlo stands there dumbfounded. "Move, I need to pee." I scoot past him. "And put clothes on, we're leaving in 5 for coffee."
"I thought we got separate dorm rooms so this problem wouldn't happen," Arlo growls. I shut the bathroom door behind me and muffle the sound of his voice.
I'm finally happy when I get a cup of coffee. I can't start my day without one. I hum in satisfaction. "So, how's your roommate?" Arlo asks.
My eyes roll. "You wouldn't believe who my roommate is." He quirks up a brow. "Eden Valentine," I say and he gasps.
"How the fuck did that happen?" He asks.
"I don't know, but there's nothing I can do about it." I rub my temples. "I don't know how long I'm going to last cooped up with that man."
Arlo chuckles and I punch his arm. "You two need to get over that shit. I know you like the back of my hand. You like him."
My eyes widen. I stop in my tracks. "I what? Like him?" I ask dumbfounded. "What in the world makes you think that?" I ask slightly raising my voice.
A sly grin appears on his face. "Why are you getting so defensive about it?" He asks. We resume walking and I try to look unaffected.
"How would you like it if I assumed you had a crush on a dog?" I ask than take a long sip from my cup. I suddenly wish there was alcohol in this.
Arlo laughs and shakes his head. I can't help the small smile and blush that creeps up my cheeks. But one thing was for sure. I did not have a thing for Eden Valentine.
