81. A Wolf and A Bat

"Are you feeling alright?" She extended her hand to touch his forehead, but he yanked her hand away. “You’ve always been my enemy,” Jayden snarled, his voice tight with months of pain. “Everyone who ever got close to me—they got hurt! And why? Because you were the one pulling the strings. You wanted to get close… so you could destroy me from the inside.” His breath came heavy. Rage and regret warred in his chest. "Why not! Because this is how things work, Rita can't let anyone have what she can't have!" He buried his hands in his pockets. “And Felix?” he added bitterly, his eyes narrowing. “What if that had come out? They all would’ve turned against me—hated me—just so you could be the one left standing beside me.” The memories hit like a storm. The party. Rita humiliating him in front of Rose. Her cruel smirk. The shattered pride. The way she’d ruined her dress. It all began to piece together. All this time… her cold games, the whispered rumors, the way she always seemed to orbit clos