Chapter 6
"But didn't you have a thing for Ben..." Maya's voice faded.
I shook my head.
"I'm just a regular girl. My crushes don't last forever," I said.
Maya still looked skeptical, giving me a once-over, but I just let her stare, totally unfazed.
Just then, the school announcements came on, and Maya crossed her arms and said, "You better really mean it, Aubrey. I've been wanting to tell you this for ages."
"Ben's not worth all that. The first time he messed around with Martha, you should've kicked him to the curb."
I patted her shoulder. "Alright, let's head to the field."
Maya said, "Sure! Let's go check out the other hot guys. Honestly, I think George is pretty great too."
She suddenly shot me a playful smile.
I arched an eyebrow but kept quiet.
After my argument with Ben, I'd thought it all over. Even after being reborn, the Dotson and Robertson families were still inseparable. There was no escaping our tangled fate.
Their influence ran so deep in Goldsburg, it was impossible to unravel. So honestly, George was the smartest choice I had right now.
There were only six days left until my engagement party with George.
But I looked down at my messages with George, still no reply.
"Is he running the long run today?" I asked.
Maya nodded. "Both Benjamin and George are in it. There's even a poll on the school forum about who'll win, but Ben's way ahead. George might be the school tough guy, but everyone knows long-distance is his Achilles' heel."
"So you voted for Ben?" I asked.
Maya waved her finger at me. "Nope, I went with George."
"Doesn't matter who wins, but you can't lose your swagger," she said.
I couldn't help but laugh, just going along with her.
But I didn't expect to bump into Martha on my way to the field. She was dressed in her uniform, a bottle of water in hand.
When she saw me, she greeted me first with a smile, "Hey, Aubrey, what a coincidence."
"Hey, Aubrey, what a coincidence."
My smile faded, my face calm as I got ready to walk right past her without saying a word.
Suddenly, Martha twisted open her water bottle, pretended to stumble, and poured the whole thing down my back. The icy water soaked my shirt in seconds, clinging to my skin, my black bra showing through for everyone to see.
Everyone around sucked in a breath, and a couple of guys were checking me out like I was some kind of show.
Martha just tilted her head, flashing me an innocent, wide-eyed grin.
She cooed, "Oops, my hand slipped. You're not mad at me, are you, Aubrey?"
Before I could react, Maya was already pissed.
"Has Martha lost her damn mind?!" she snapped. "What the hell did Aubrey ever do to you?"
Martha shot us a mocking look, her lips just starting to curl into a sneer, but the moment she spotted someone nearby, her expression froze.
She lowered her head, playing the victim, her voice suddenly turning soft and meek.
"I'm... I'm so sorry... It's all my fault..." she murmured.
"I swear I didn't mean it. If you want me to kneel and apologize, I'm fine with that."
With that, she bit her lip, eyes reddening, and actually started to kneel down right there...
But before she could hit the ground, an arm suddenly reached out, grabbed her waist, and hauled her upright.
"What's going on here?" A deep voice rang out, cold as ice, and everyone instantly went quiet.
Martha stumbled, her back bumping into someone's chest. She looked up, meeting Ben's cold, chiseled jawline.
"It's all my fault. I... I accidentally spilled water on Aubrey..." Martha said, putting on her best innocent act.
Benjamin's gaze swept over me, and when he saw my soaked shirt plastered to my skin, he took off his jacket without even thinking.
He reached out to put it around my shoulders, but I stopped him with a quick gesture.
His face instantly turned cold. "What's all this about? Are you trying to put on a show for everyone?
"If you're pissed at Martha, I'll apologize for her. She didn't do it on purpose. Can we just call it even?"
My lips moved, about to speak.
But Maya jumped in, her mouth twisting into a sarcastic grin. "Benjamin, trying to play the hero in front of our Aubrey again?
"Let me ask you. What exactly gives you the right to apologize for Martha?
"Are you doing it as Aubrey's ex, or as Martha's boyfriend now?"
Ben frowned, clearly annoyed as he looked at Maya. "Maya, quit making trouble and trying to pit us against each other, will you?"