Antagonize Me

By T.L. Smith

I wanted what she had, she had what I wanted. With her long blonde hair and her legs that never ended, she had him, but I wanted him.

We can’t always have what we want, and sometimes that’s the way life is meant to be. Sometimes destiny places other people in our path, a path that should not be mixed. But also sometimes, just sometimes, the paths cross, causing an explosive reaction.

Tanner was my crush. A crush that I’ve had since I first laid eyes on him. But now he’s dating my friend… my beautiful, flawless and perfect friend.

Then out of nowhere Kyrone bursts into my life, taking me over bit by bit. I don’t know how to feel about that. I don’t know what to do. He frustrates me. He annoys me. But most of all, he makes me smile.

• Language: English
• Publisher: T.L Smith
• Release date: May 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507079980

T.L. Smith

T.L. Smith is a USA Today bestselling author who loves to write about characters with flaws so beautiful and dark they’re hard to turn away from. Her books have been translated into several languages. She can be found in her home state of Queensland, Australia, or off traveling the world—sitting on a beach in Bali or exploring Alcatraz in San Francisco or walking the streets of New York.

Book preview

Dedication

This book goes to my grandfather, who loved me like no one ever could. Who showed me how I should be loved. Who will always be in my heart no matter what time or day it is. He is a fixture. And not a day goes by that the thought of you leaves me.

He believed I could do anything, that the world was my oyster. And for that, I give you this oyster. And hopefully so many more.

RIP, Granddad.

Other Books by T.L. Smith

Sasha's Dilemma (Dilemma #1)

Adam’s Heaven (Dilemma #1.5)

Sasha’s Demons (Dilemma #2)

Krinos (Take Over #1)

Kalon (Take Over #2)

Kratos  (Take Over #3)

Pure Punishment (Standalone)

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This book is a standalone.

I wanted what she had, she had what I wanted. With her long blonde hair and her legs that never ended, she had him, but I wanted him.

We can’t always have what we want, and sometimes that’s the way life is meant to be. Sometimes destiny places other people in our path, a path that should not be mixed. But also sometimes, just sometimes, the paths cross, causing an explosive reaction.

Tanner was my crush. A crush that I’ve had since I first laid eyes on him. But now he’s dating my friend... my beautiful, flawless and perfect friend.

Then out of nowhere, Kyrone bursts into my life, taking me over bit by bit. I don’t know how to feel about that. I don’t know what to do. He frustrates me. He annoys me. But most of all, he makes me smile.

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Epilogue

prologue

They say dreams are a powerful thing, that our imagination is a powerful thing. And that sometimes all you have to do is dream big, or imagine big, to get what you want. To strive for what you want.

I dream big. My grandfather taught me to do so. The world is my oyster and yada yada. I never believed him, though maybe I should have. Maybe, just maybe, I should have dreamed and imagined bigger for myself. Maybe I could have taken a different path if my dreams were bigger if I imagined bigger.

Though sometimes we have no choice to, sometimes life takes us in the direction it thinks we should have been in. The life that is our path.

I don’t believe my life took the right path, some of it was great and some of it was hard.

I always tried to dream a little, maybe that was my downfall. I dreamed, but I didn’t dream big enough.

Shoot for the stars, he would say to me. Dream as big as the ocean, you can do anything you want, anything. Just imagine you can and your possibilities are endless.

So that’s what I am going to do, dream as big as the ocean, imagine like the sky above. No one can stop me.

part 1C1

The way he touches her hair makes me envious. The way he kisses her lips makes me wish they were my lips. The way his hand brushes across her cheek makes me mad.

Why can’t I have him? I want him so bad.

His short dark hair, his athletic body that I know would sculpt to me so perfectly. If... if... he wasn’t with her! Her, the blonde bombshell of our school. The one that all girls try to be that they envy. With her perfect hair and her perfect teeth. Her perfect face that has never seen a bad day in her life.

Seriously, all women get pimples. But no not her, not the perfect, ever-loving beautiful, Katrina. She has it all, everything I’ve ever wanted. Well, mainly the heartthrob of our school. Who is now tracing kisses down her neck for all to see. She giggles in response and I can’t take it anymore, I have to leave before I throw something at them. Arghh.

Just as I get up to leave, Katrina’s hand stops me. I try to plaster a smile as I turn to face her. I do, I really do.

You aren’t leaving, are you? she asks, looking up at me with her perfect teeth. I instantly look behind her and stare at Tanner. I don’t mean to, but I like watching his facial expressions. His aqua green eyes shoot to mine and he smiles softly, showcasing his perfectly white teeth.

Yes, I have class, I lie. I can’t sit here any longer. She pulls her bottom lip out like she’s sad and I half-smile at her. I will see you tonight, I tell her and she stands up and kisses my cheek.

I know what you’re thinking. I’m crushing hard on my friend’s boyfriend. And even if that might be half-true, technically I saw him first. Though, I guess that doesn’t really count for much. Katrina is a friend. She’s not a close friend, but still a friend. She is captain of the cheerleading team, beautiful body with legs that could run for days. Blonde hair that looks like she spends all day in the sun to get that perfect look. Smallish boobs and a one hundred dollar smile that just makes you do whatever she’s asking.

I haven’t known her long, one year to be exact. That’s when I started here. I transferred from California to get away from my life and I thought Texas would do that for me. Somewhere to drown out my annoying ex-boyfriend, though my grandfather is still there and he’s who I will miss the most. You’re probably wondering why I mentioned my grandfather? Well, the answer to that is long and painful, and it’s something I’m not particularly interested in anymore. My grandfather raised me from when I was a baby. He is my constant.

I’m different from most girls I hang around with at school. They all have perfect hair, perfect clothes. Most are beautiful inside as well as out, even Katrina. Me, well... I’m different. My hair is colored brightly nearly every week. This week it’s pastel pink, last week it was purple. I’m shorter than most of the girls and I have thick legs, which is mostly from dancing. Dancing is my escape and I’ve danced for as long as I can remember. My grandfather once told me that as soon as I was walking, I was dancing. He loved to watch me lose control to the music, the way it pulls me in and makes me forget the world. I used to dance four days a week, alternating between hip-hop, contemporary and even tango. I wanted to learn them all, but I didn’t choose to major in dancing. That, my grandfather was very disappointed in. He told me once I was put on this earth to dance and that I shouldn’t hide it from anyone. I do though, I hide it from everyone.

I feel like that is a part of me that’s just me. That no one here knows and can judge me on it. If I have a bad day, I usually sneak off to the gym once everyone has left and bring my beats. When I dance, I need the music so loud that it’s all I can hear or think about. I don’t want voices while the artist is taking control of me with his or her voice. I want to get lost in it.

As I step out of the cafeteria, I head outside to take a seat on the grass. It’s so green and lush here compared to California. I take off my ballet slippers and place my feet in the cool, lavish green grass. I wiggle my toes in it and lie back. My mind automatically goes to him... Tanner, and I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips. He’s a quarterback on the football team and absolutely heavenly. The captain of the team is his best mate, Kyrone. Kyrone is a douche, a complete and utter asshole. Most girls fall at his feet. He’s the ultimate playboy and he knows it. Though to this day, I’ve never seen him with a girlfriend. Which is odd, since he has his pick of girls lined up.

Tanner has been with Katrina for almost three months now and does not look like he will stray from her. I think he’s infatuated with her. Even though their so-called couple status may piss me off inside, it actually makes me want to scream it from the rooftops. I know I can't. They’re both too good, such nice people. He has charm, so much charm that when he smiles at you, you can’t help but smile like a girl with a crush on the ultimate boy in school.

Why on earth are you lying in the grass? Hillary shrieks behind me. I open my eyes and smile up at her. She’s much like Katrina, except she has brown wavy hair and is just a bit shorter. Not as short as me, but shorter than her. I open my eyes to tell her a lie when another figure steps up next to her. My mouth closes and I can't remember the question as I stare at Tanner smiling down at me.

I thought you had class, CJ? Tanner asks, smiling down at me as he takes a seat beside me on the grass. As Hillary huffs and walks off I look for Katrina but don’t see her. She went to practice, no need to run now, Tanner says, nudging me as he lies down on the soft grass. I close my eyes and breathe in heavily. His cologne floods my senses and it makes me nervous at just how close he is, even though he’s one of my closest friends here.

Why do you always run? Where do you go after school? he asks surprising me. I turn to face him and notice he’s already looking at me. I feel my cheeks start to heat and turn my head, so I’m not looking into his perfect face. He has a pretty boy face, and though that usually doesn’t attract me, but in him, it does. He totally pulls it off.

Just... around, I reply trying to remember the question as I answer him. I see his shadow move and I turn to face him as he lays on his belly, hands under his chin.

You won’t tell me? he asks sounding astonished. I laugh at his eagerness as he’s asked me this before, but I’ve just brushed him off. What can I do to persuade you? He leans closer, so he’s nearly looming over me and right then I want to tell him. I want to tell him that watching him with her makes me feel all kinds of things, but mostly jealousy. But I don’t.

Me? Persuade me? I laugh and look back up to the sky.

I might just stalk you one day, he says teasingly, lying back on his hands.

Do you have practice? I ask, changing the subject.

Yes, don’t remind me, he huffs into his hands. I laugh at him and stand up. I have to make it to English before I’m last in class, yet again. He stares as I move and sits up so he’s watching me. Why are you running now? he asks half joking.

Well, if you ever want to see me again, I need to get my ass to class. I’ve been slacking too much and need to pull my grades up for finals, I say huffing as I stand and look back down at him one more time.

I always want to see you. Just have to keep you in the same spot long enough before you run away on me, he says, standing up. I might just do what I said and stalk you one day. To see what the girl with colorful hair gets up to, he says, leaning in for a quick hug before he takes off. I try to calm my racing heart as I make a run for my class that I’m more than likely late for.

C2

My back is covered with sweat, my hair is soaked and I feel fucking great. Dancing does that to me. Having a bad day? Tune everything else out and let your body take over, it knows what to do. As I grab my portable beats, I stop the track on my phone and my head snaps up as the door to the gym closes. I look around to see if anyone saw me and can't see anyone else in here. I think back to the other day when Tanner said he would stalk me and wonder if it was him. I know it wasn’t though, as he was wrapped up in Katrina after our last class together and I, of course, had to leave that situation.

As I make my way out of the gym, I spot Kyrone leaning outside on the wall. I stop dead in my tracks and hope it wasn’t him that walked in. I glare at him as I pull my backpack tighter around my shoulder and he smirks down at me.

Nice moves, Christina, he says, and to my ultimate humiliation, I now know it was him. I can’t believe he just called me that. No one calls me that, not even my grandfather.

Whatever, I say and start to walk off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not embarrassed to be seen dancing. I love it. I just didn’t want people to know why I always escape and where I go to do it. Hey, wait up, he says, catching up to me. I try to speed up to get as far away from him as possible and he laughs when he reaches me. I know, stupid idea running from the captain of the football team, who is constantly running.

I look at him as he starts a steady pace next to me. He is handsome, I can’t deny that. His hair is almost black and he has beautiful cheekbones that look like they have been airbrushed and he has the body to match. He smiles when he catches me looking at him and I notice he has one dimple on the side of his left cheek.

Where’s the fire? he asks, looking around and joking with me while I’m trying to get away from him. My face scrunches up and I try hard to hide my annoyance at him. So, you got a thing for Tanner? he asks casually. I stop dead in my tracks and stare at him. He’s smiling brightly now.

What is your problem? I scream. He’s always like this to me. He likes to annoy and antagonize me by getting on my every nerve until I snap at him, then he laughs at me