Fraud

Gabriel

The first time I met Ivy, we were nine.

It wasn’t the best meeting two children could have, mostly because I was in a bad mood and took it out on the first person I saw. I had a hell of a temper when I was young, something I eventually learned to control, but she was the unfortunate target of it that morning.

This war we have?

I started it.

I’m not sure if Ivy remembers that since this has lasted so long, but the begi

I’m a big enough person to admit it.

What happened that day started a fierce hatred and competition that would last the next nine years.

And fate has a lovely habit of bringing things full circle.

It takes effort to control my expression, the corners of my lips fighting to curve because the universe was kind enough to place Ivy in my path again.

I haven’t seen this woman since the night she sank my car in a pool.

The last memory I have of Ivy is the way she stared down at me from the second story balcony of Kevin’s mansion, surrounded by her entourage, a smirk gracing her poisonous lips because she believed she’d won the war. She hadn’t.

She may have won that battle.

And I’ll admit, a few others.

But the war never ended.

It was only postponed for a little while.

That was the last party I attended in our neighborhood before leaving for Yale, the last time I locked eyes with the person I’d fought since we were children.

I’d heard Ivy was sent to an all-women’s college because her father was fed up with the notoriety her pranks and bad behavior had earned her in high school.

That was only part of the reason, but then I know more about it than I should.

Governor Callahan wanted a well-behaved social darling for a daughter. And judging by what I’ve seen of Ivy tonight, he got it.

I should feel sad to see such a fierce competitor defeated by the life that cages her, but instead, I count myself fortunate. I have every intention of using her forced compliance to my every advantage. Although, it’s a shame she won’t be as much fun this time.

Escorting Ivy to one of the lesser occupied white tents set up throughout the large party, I lean against a half wall that runs the perimeter of the yard.

My eyes search her face, my carefully controlled expression feigning concern instead of superiority. And fuck me, she’s somehow grown more beautiful in the ten years since we’ve seen each other.

It can’t matter.

I have a job to do.

Yet it reminds me of one underlying problem I’ve had when it comes to her:

There has never been a moment when I didn’t want her as much as I hated her.

Voice a soft croon that disguises my contempt, I ask, “Why should you hate me?”

She’s a vision in blue, the color of her one-shouldered gown highlighting the startling white blond of her hair and the hypnotic aqua of her eyes.

Seeing tears shimmering at the rims, I’m a bit thrown off. Ivy has been known to do many things, but crying was never one of them.

Never.

Not when I wrecked her sweet sixteen party, her prom or her graduation.

She never cried.

Ivy simply got even.

But then, that was our history.

What the hell had the last ten years done to her?

Her gaze escapes me for only a second before returning to my face. Stepping closer, she doesn’t pull away when my hands reach forward to take soft possession of her hips.

She’s definitely subdued.

The girl I once knew would have rather sucked face with a piranha than let me anywhere near her.

“I can’t pay the price Ta

She wipes a tear from her cheek, her eyes blinking them away. “I’ve already caused him enough problems. I’ll do anything else.”

Anything?

Interesting...

Another flicker of a glance away from me, and when I follow the direction of it, I see Governor Callahan standing with a group of men, his polished smile firmly in place.

Really, I have nothing against the guy, and I couldn’t care less about whatever political aspirations he may have.

But Warbucks feels differently. Which only makes my life hell.

Ivy leans against me, the scent of her floral perfume wafting beneath my nose, a soft strand of her hair brushing against my face.

“I can’t do it,” she insists. “He’ll disown me if I fuck up again. He almost did last time.”

Salty tears slip from her eyes to roll down her cheeks. I watch each and every one of them, staring at the way they slide down her immaculate skin.

It’s impossible to know if they’re real or fake, but from the way she’s shaking, I want to believe she’s truly frightened.

Good.

She deserves it for everything she’s put me through.

And bad.

This will make the entire game boring.

Still, I can’t help wondering what happened to her. This is not the woman who matched me toe for toe when we were growing up.

This isn’t the girl who somehow filled my locker with sex lube and smiled to see me open it. That shit doused the bottom of my legs and tops of my shoes when it poured out. Walking away was damn near impossible. I looked like a newborn giraffe on shaky legs walking through a particularly nasty porn set. After watching me bust my ass twice, Ta

This definitely isn’t the girl who managed to hide a glitter bomb in my backpack. The fucking thing exploded in my face, and no matter how hard I scrubbed my skin for the next month, I looked like a reject vampire who was denied a role on Twilight every time I walked in sunlight.

And it most certainly isn’t the devious bitch that snuck fifty live chickens into my house an hour before I was throwing a blowout party. I’d intentionally not invited her just to piss her off, but the guys and I had to call everything off as soon as we got there and discovered the chaos. We spent most of the night chasing the feathered fuckers through my house before spending the next few hours cleaning up bird shit.

To this day, I still can’t figure out where she got the chickens.

Sadly, that wasn’t the worst of it, and I’m reminded suddenly just how much I can’t trust her.

Not that she can trust me either.

Easing an arm around her shoulder, I hold her close. We’ve never stood like this before, never done more than trade angry barbs and lash out with the intent to destroy each other.

“It’s doubtful he’ll disown you,” I lie.

The truth is I can’t wait to see this social darling fall. The fact that I was the cause of it makes the victory even better.

Another delicious tear slips out as she tips her eyes to mine.

I know I have her.

Right here and right now, I begin the game I have every intention of using against her.

We meet again, Ivy Callahan.

You have no idea how much I’ve looked forward to this.

Of fucking course, that’s when shouting filters from the house followed by a few catcalls and people laughing. Because that’s the way my life goes. I’m so busy chasing everybody else’s fuckups that it’s hard to focus on my own.

“Oh, my God! Yes, Ta