“Yup.” The whole sordid mess leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Although, not nearly as bad of a taste as Annica had in her mouth last night. God only knows where his you-know-what has been.
Sydney collapses onto the mattress next to me before rolling onto her back. “What a dirty little bitch.”
“My thoughts exactly.” There’s a pause. “Honestly, I don’t give a crap about Justin or what he does. We weren’t going anywhere as a couple but if he felt the same way, he should have been straight with me instead of hooking up behind my back.” More like right in front of my face. “It’s Annica’s behavior that bothers me the most.” I swivel my head to meet her gaze. “You know what I mean?”
“Yeah. That’s some super shady shit right there.”
Tell me about it.
An image of Annica on her knees forces its way into my head. “You should have seen the way she looked at me, Syd. It was like she was thrilled that I’d stumbled upon them as if it had been her intent all along. She didn’t even bother to stop blowing him. Kept right on going until he pushed her away.” A shudder of disgust works its way through my body.
“Seriously?” Sydney’s brows rise as if even she’s shocked, which is saying something. She doesn’t bat an eyelash over much.
“Yup.” My voice softens. “I don’t understand what her problem is.” My brain trips over the past two years. When Annica had come in as a freshman, she’d been so sweet and nice. Eager to soak up everything she could learn on the soccer field. She had shadowed my every move around campus. She was like the little sister I’d never had but always wanted. Fast forward two years, and I could have never imagined our relationship would be so contentious. I’ve done nothing to her. Certainly nothing to incite this kind of single-minded hatred. I’m at a loss as to how to change the path we’re careening down.
A contemplative expression settles over Sydney’s face as she chews her lower lip. “Do you want my honest opinion?”
“Of course.” I steel myself for what will come next. Sydney isn’t the kind of girl who pulls punches. Ask her for the truth, and she’ll give you the unvarnished version. Her unflinching honesty is one of the things I love about her.
“I think Annica has been eaten alive by the green-eyed monster. She wants your position on the team.” When I remain silent, she continues. “If that girl could skin you alive and wear you as a coat, she would.”
I scrunch my nose at the vivid image she paints. “That’s fairly disturbing.”
“You know what?” She doesn’t bother waiting for a response. “Her behavior has been pretty disturbing.”
Sydney’s right about that. The situation with Annica has spun out of control. I’d hoped that if I gave it enough time and didn’t give her the reaction she was looking for, the girl would get bored and move on, but that has yet to happen. If anything, her behavior has only become more spiteful and ruthless.
“Dem,” she says, cutting into my thoughts, “you can’t let this slide anymore. Some of the younger girls already seek her out for advice and look up to her as a leader. She’ll continue to wreak havoc on this team if you let her.”
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
When did it all go so wrong?
When I was named co-captain last season? Our relationship was definitely tense last year, but I have no idea if that’s what caused the rift. Now I’m captain and Annica is my co-captain. I suppose I’d been holding out hope that it would appease her, and she’d settle into her leadership role with more grace. That hasn’t happened. At every turn, she attempts to undermine my authority. I haven’t taken this issue to Coach because I should be able to solve this on my own. That’s part of the responsibility of being captain.
What a fucking mess.
“I’ll talk to her,” I mutter, not looking forward to the conversation.
Sydney reaches out and tangles her fingers with mine. “Good. Now...what do you say to making me breakfast?” With her other hand, she rubs her toned belly. “I’m starving.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I say you’re crazy.”
“You’ve known that for a while, and you’re still here. So, I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”
I wrap my arms around her and squeeze tight. Honestly, there’s no one else in life I’d