She Ruined Me, So I Loved Her

She Ruined Me, So I Loved Her

Author: Elizabeth Baker

Chapter 3: Jealousy, Genius, and a Tennis Ball

Since I was a kid, I knew all my skill points were in studying.

Other people had to memorize stuff a dozen times; I could recite it backwards after just one go.

Any concept clicked instantly, tough problems were a breeze.

But I also knew, in a small, ordinary town like this, nobody likes a show-off.

This wasn’t the kind of place that celebrated outliers. Here, you kept your head down, got your grades, and didn’t give the neighbors anything to gossip about.

So, even though I had to get first place every year for the scholarship, I always made sure my score was never more than five points above Carter’s.

Except once.

The day before a big exam, I saw Savannah and Carter kissing outside the classroom.

A dazzlingly beautiful girl and a handsome, polished guy—it should’ve been picture-perfect, straight out of a teen drama. But all I felt was this hot, ugly jealousy.

It burned in my chest, sharp and bitter. For a second, I wished I could be anyone but me.

I couldn’t stop myself—I answered one more question than I should have on the math test.

On the physics test, I filled in every multiple choice, just out of spite.

That month, I beat Carter by thirty-five points.

Afterwards, I regretted my lack of self-control for days.

I replayed it in my head a hundred times, wishing I could take it back, but the damage was done.

Until the third day, when Savannah showed up in front of me.

She came jogging over in a bright yellow tennis dress, an apologetic look on her pretty face. “Sorry, Alex—I shanked it and it hit you.”

“Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the nurse’s office?”

Anyone could see that shot wasn’t an accident.

Just like I knew for sure, Savannah getting close to me was because of Carter.

Maybe she was standing up for him. Maybe it was some bet. Whatever it was, I knew the score.

But whatever the reason—

This was my only chance to get close to Savannah Pierce.

I wasn’t about to let it slip by. Not for anything.

*

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