Page 24 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

Caroline followed the arm up to a pair of wide shoulders, and the irony almost made her laugh. Marcus Boatman, the whole stupid, meat-headed reason for their falling-out, was staring down at her with an expression Caroline didn’t like at all. It was a mix of astonishment and lust.

Do not engage. Do Not Engage. DO NOT ENGAGE.

“First I’m a skank, and now I’m a bitch?” Caroline said. “Really, Shelby, if you’re going to toss around insults, you should at least stick to ones you can’t be lumped into.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Let’s see. Since you’ve sunk into immature name-calling . . . what’s that old saying? I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you?”

Shelby’s lips thinned as Marcus stepped in. “Come on, Shelby, can’t you just let it go?”

“Let it go?” Shelby squealed, dropping his arm like he was diseased. “The only reason she ever slept with you was because I wanted you, and she wanted to hurt me. How can you just let that go?”

Marcus turned away from Shelby, his face beet-red as he asked, “So, how long have you been in town?”

“Three weeks,” she said. “I’ve been lying low.”

“That shouldn’t be much of a challenge, considering how low you can get,” Shelby said with a sneer. Shelby’s innuendo was not lost on Caroline, and despite her personal vow to rise above and make amends, she just couldn’t do it.

“Still pouting, Shell? Didn’t anyone tell you that sulking is one of the least attractive qualities in a woman?” Caroline said.

Shelby stepped forward, as if she was going to hit her. Considering that the last time Shelby had started a fight with her, Caroline had kicked her ass, she had to give her former bestie props for being scrappy.

Or stupid.

“I didn’t come back to cause trouble or fight,” Caroline said calmly, though she knew her stance belied her soothing words. If the bitch threw a single fist, she was going to drop her to the pavement. Hard.

Yes, what Caroline had done to Shelby had sucked, and she regretted the petty mistake, but the fact that Shelby hadn’t gotten over it by now spoke volumes about her own issues.

Poor Shelby. Still chasing after the perfect guy and the perfect life.

The two of them had met in pre-K and, while they had both gotten good grades and stayed out of trouble over the years, Caroline had been the extrovert, and by the time she’d started her freshman year, she’d begun turning heads. Shelby had been pretty but shy, tagging along behind Caroline to parties and such but always hanging back.

It wasn’t Shelby’s fault that she had been sheltered. She’d grown up as an only child, with perfect parents who had spoiled her and promised her she would have everything her heart desired if she just worked hard. She had been raised to be a little self-centered, but Caroline had loved her anyway.

Until Kyle had taken everything from her—including her virginity—and she had needed her best friend. Deeply depressed, she had called Shelby to confide in her.

The minute she picked up, Shelby went on and on about something amazing Marcus had done, how hot he was, and if he would only notice her. For almost an hour, Caroline couldn’t get a word in, until finally she’d exploded, “I was raped!”

Shelby went dead quiet on the other end of the phone for a moment. “What?”

Taking a deep breath, Caroline repeated, “I was raped. By Kyle Jenner.”

“The senator’s son?” Shelby said.

“Yes.”

“Tell me what happened,” Shelby said, and as Caroline told her everything she could remember, Shelby’s silence was deafening.

When she finally finished, Caroline asked, “What should I do? I was going to tell my dad, but he stayed behind to talk to the senator and isn’t home yet.”

“You can’t tell your dad,” Shelby said quickly, surprising Caroline.

“Why not?”

“Because . . . I mean, what are you going to say? You were flirting with Kyle before it happened, right?” Shelby said.

“Yeah, but . . . but that doesn’t give him the right to . . . and he must have slipped me something, because I don’t remember most of it—”