AVA POV(⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠ ⁠)

Of all the ways I’d pictured my Friday night going, gettingtrapped in a pool room by a blonde who eyed me like I’dstolen her favorite Prada purse wasn’t one of them.“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I strove for politeness evenas I took a step back. The woman looked familiar, but Icouldn’t place where I’d seen her before.“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Her smile could’ve cut glass.Objectively, she was one of the most beautiful women I’dever met. With her spun-gold hair, cerulean eyes, andstatuesque body, she was what I imagined Aphrodite wouldlook like had she been a real person. But there wassomething hard about her expression that made her notattractive at all. “Madeline Hauss of the petrochemicalHausses. This is my house.”“Oh. I’m Ava. Chen,” I added when she continued staringat me. “Of the, uh, Maryland Chens. Can I…help you?” Ihoped that didn’t come off rude, considering this was herhouse, but I hadn’t wanted to attend this party in the firstplace. Stella, who was friends with what must be Madeline’ssister, had persuaded me to go out after I spent the past fewdays buried in school, work, and my fellowship application.Jules and Bridget were both busy tonight, so it was only thetwo of us.“I wanted a good look at you,” Madeline purred. “Sinceyou captured so much of Alex’s attention during the gala.”The gala. Of course. This was the woman I’d seen Alextalking to while I danced with Colton. I’d tried not to look,but I couldn’t help staring and comparing myself to her thewhole time.To Jules’s dismay, I’d nixed the jealousy part of OperationEmotion, but I’d admittedly used Colton to make Alex jealousat the gala. It was stupid and petty, but Colton had shown uparound the same time I saw Alex with Madeline, and I’d beenso consumed with jealousy myself I went for it. Judging byAlex’s reaction when he saw us dancing, it had worked—alittle too well, judging by Madeline’s glare.“I didn’t realize you knew Alex,” I fibbed. My stomachchurned, and not because of Madeline’s poisonous tone.The Hausses’ pool room looked like a luxurious, modernRoman bath, all white marble and gilded columns. The poolitself gleamed turquoise beneath a glass dome that revealedthe night sky in all its glory, and I spotted the colorful swirlof mosaics beneath the water forming the shape of amermaid. But the smell of chlorine and sight of all thatwater…My dinner rose in my throat.The Hausses lived in a giant house in Bethesda, and Stellaand I had spent the night room hopping, enjoying thedifferent music and entertainment options in each space.While Stella left to find us fresh drinks, I’d wandered intothe room next to the one we’d been in and found myselffacing my worst, watery nightmare. Madeline had corneredme before I could leave, and here we were.“Oh, I know Alex very well,” Madeline said, and I knew,with a sickening drop in my stomach, that she was one of the“certain women” he’d been involved with. Were they stillinvolved? Was she the one he’d almost gone on a date withbefore I ambushed him for movie night?Jealousy gnawed at me, almost overpowering my nauseafrom the chlorine.“What I don’t get is why he would be interested in you.”She flicked her gaze over me. “I doubt you can keep up withhis tastes in the bedroom.”Despite myself, curiosity reared its ugly head. What tastes?“You’d be surprised,” I bluffed, hoping she’d reveal moreinformation.My mind flashed back to my sex dream starring Alex, andmy heart raced.Madeline smirked. “Please. You look like the type whoexpects tender kisses and sweet nothings in bed. But as youprobably know—” Her smirk turned vicious. “Alex doesn’tdo either of those things. It’s well known amongst a certainsegment of D.C.’s female population. No kissing, no face-toface contact during sex.” She lowered her head so she couldwhisper in my ear. “But he will take you from behind. Chokeand **** you till you see stars. Call you the filthiest namesand treat you like a ****.” She straightened, her eyesgleaming with triumph at my scarlet face. “Some womenlike that. You…” She looked me over again with a laugh. “Goback to your bake sales, honey. You’re way out of yourleague.”My body throbbed at her words, both out of anger at hercondescension and stunning arousal at the picture she’dpainted.We were attracting attention. Other partygoers gatheredaround us, hungry for drama. A few even had their phonesout, recording. I guessed Madeline was the draw, because Iwasn’t well-known enough to be that interesting.“Maybe,” I said, matching the blonde’s honey-lacedpoison. “He just doesn’t like looking at you during sex.Because he’s never had that problem with me.”Lies. But she didn’t need to know that.I kept my head above the fray best I can, but I could playdirty when the situation called for it.Madeline’s smile disappeared. “He’ll be sick of you in aweek. There’s only so much sugar a man like Alex can takebefore he gets a stomachache.”“And there’s only so much bitterness he can take beforehe kicks it to the curb.” I raised my eyebrows. “But youalready know that, don’t you?” I wasn’t sure where my sasscame from, since I wasn’t a sassy person, but Madelinebrought out all my claws.I hated being the type of girl who fought with other girlsover a guy, but she’d attacked me first. I wouldn’t stand hereand let her walk all over me.Madeline’s creamy skin flushed with anger. “Are youcalling me bitter?”Walk away, my better angels encouraged me. I almost did,until I pictured Madeline and Alex together, and the wordsfell out of my mouth. “Yes, and? What are you going to doabout it?”Childish. So freakin’ childish. But the taunt was out there,and I couldn’t—My mind blanked when my body pitched backward andhit the pool with a splash.She’d pushed me. Into the pool.The pool.Ohgodohgodohgod.Grotesque, echoing laughter broke out, but it soundeddim compared to the roaring in my ears. Shock and panicsuffused me, freezing my limbs, and all I could do was stareat Madeline’s twisted smirk until my face sank beneath thewater.I’m going to die.

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