𝐑 𝐎 𝐒 𝐀 𝐋 𝐈 𝐄 ' 𝐒    𝐏 𝐎 𝐕

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫...

Revenge.

Sweet, sweet revenge.

It comes in different forms and always comes when you least expect it. Something Roman is about to find out.

As confident as ever, his broad frame gained from years of playing ice hockey leans against one of the lab benches in the center of the room. His stance draws the eyes of every female in the room to his muscles that flex against the t-shirt and clings to his bulging biceps as he flirts with a girl in our class. Cassie.

The so-called panty dropping smile plays on his lips as she stares at him with hearts in her eyes.

Some people would call it attractive. I would rather punch his teeth out after seeing him reuse the same tactics time and time again on different women. Running his hand through his sandy blonde hair, he then pushes the glasses that are perched on the middle of his nose further up. As if they belong there all the time, rather than when he doesn't wear his contacts.

A smirk rests on my nude-stained full lips as I observe from the doorway of the biochemistry laboratory. My books are pressed against my sweater covered chest, and my cream boot heels are a contrast to my dark washed tight jeans, tapping against the wooden floor as I formulate my master plan.

He reaches his hand forward to move some of her hair behind her ear, a giggle tumbling from her lips as he does so. Rolling my eyes at his blatant flirting, something I've become used to seeing over the past few years, I go over the steps he always uses.

The typical tucking of the hair, the playing with the girls' fingertips, the smoldering look. Hook, line, and sinker. Wrinkling my nose as she falls under his spell and places her hand over to the top of his, I can't help as a scoff escapes my lips at how she fell for that.

Someone clears their throat next to me. A fellow student who has walked through the door has a raised eyebrow at my reaction to the scene occurring in the middle of the room, before he shakes his head and makes his way to his own lab desk.

Adjusting my posture and standing up straight, I plaster a sweet smile onto my face before strutting away from the doorway and into the lab. My boots click against the floor as I maneuver around the lab desks, making my way over to Roman and Cassie.

Payback is a bitch, Roman.

Cassie's eyes flicker away from Roman and to me. Her lips pursing as she sees me, getting Roman's attention to follow hers. His eyes land on me and his eyebrow raises in a questioning glance at the sweet smile plastered on my lips, something he's not used to seeing. His stance tenses as if preparing for battle. Not as relaxed and content as he was moments ago. Perfect.

"Hollywood."

Scowling at Roman as the annoying nickname he has called me ever since freshman year rolls off his lips without challenge, the girl snickers. Even though she does not know why he calls me Hollywood. Oh Roman, you have no idea what is about to hit you.

"Figure skater."

Roman's jaw clenches at the term, which then brings a prideful look to my face. The term my dad uses to describe hockey players, from a feud that took place when he was in university, came in handy when I met Roman.

Hockey is more than guys skating around the ice. It's a rough sport that requires a lot of skill and talent. But I'd never tell Roman that. In fact, I compare him to a figure skater to get under his skin. It works every single time.

"Why do you always insist that my hockey playing is the same as figure skating?"

"Because all you guys do is skate around and twirl with hockey sticks in your hands." I provoke him and I see his eyes flare up in annoyance.

He turns his body to me, abandoning his flirt fest. "Have you ever been to a game?"

"Believe it or not, watching you isn't my favorite pastime." I cross my arms, not at all intimidated by his height that towers over my 5'6 frame. "Aww, does it bother you, Rome?"

He rolls his eyes at the nickname everyone on campus calls him, including his teammates. "Is there a reason you came over here? Or was it just to be a pain in my ass like always?"

"Pleasure as always." I smile and his eyebrows furrow at my sudden niceness rather than the insulting comeback I would usually provide. "I was wondering if you got that problem of yours sorted?"

The girl Roman was flirting with, who he now seems to remember is here, and is witnessing our back-and-forth pipes up before Roman can. "Problem?" She echoes.

I nod my head, turning to face her, an innocent look covering my features. "Oh yeah. Roman here was asking for my advice the other day. He's been struggling to get little Roman to stand to attention around girls, if that's what you want to call it. He thinks the girls he's been with recently have been faking their orgasm as he's been having a rough time getting a girl to finish."

"Really?" The girl raises her eyebrows, and Roman's jaw ticks as he realizes this is payback for the other day.

"You know, I think it's a medical thing. He should really get that checked." I place my hand to my heart, feigning innocence.

Cassie gives me a grateful smile before opening her textbook, completely blocking Roman out. Satisfied with my revenge, I send a wink his way before turning around and heading over to my lab desk, a few rows back.

Placing my books down onto the desk and my bag under the table, I get my white lab coat and protective glasses off the hook on the wall. Putting on the coat and then tying my dark brown hair up into a high ponytail, I sit down at the desk, placing my protective glasses down onto the table.

The definition of hate is the feeling of an intense dislike for a person. Something I felt for Roman King as soon as we first met on campus, the first day of freshman year.

Our mutual hatred of one another has run deep ever since. It was the pivotal moment in time when I discovered Roman King is an ass. To say I was already having a terrible morning when we met was an understatement.

Understandable when your new roommate in the dorms smoked pot that stunk out the room and dorm security barged in at two in the morning to search the place for drugs. So oversleeping my alarm and already being late to my General Biochemistry class, crashing into Roman's truck—literally—was the icing on top of the cake.

It's fair to say we already had poor impressions of each other when Roman swiped my parking space as I was about to drive my car into it. A dent in both of our cars later, I couldn't despise him more when the first words out of Roman's mouth were him telling me it was my fault, and I needed to pay for the damages.

How it was my fault when he was the one who he hijacked the space off me, causing me to crash into him, was beyond me. Then he had the audacity to ignore and brush past me.

Meaning I had to drive to a parking lot further away, so I was even later for class. As if my bad luck couldn't get worse, our professor, as punishment for our lateness, made us lab partners for the rest of the year...and last year...and now this year too.

"Cute. Very cute," Roman scoffs, as he sidles up to the opposite side of our lab bench. Resting his forearms on the bench, he leans down to my level, looking directly at me. "This is revenge for the other day, right?"

"You mean when you told the guy that was flirting with me, I was your psycho ex-girlfriend who slashed your tires and stalked you for months after you dumped me?" I clarify, and he laughs, proud of his actions. "Did you really think I wouldn't get you back?"

"Oh no, I knew you would. But come on, that girl is going to spread that rumor around campus now."

I raise my eyebrow. "You're so full of yourself."

He shrugs as his eyes dart about the room. "Just stating facts. The ice hockey team here is the main sport on campus, which means people love to spread rumors about the team...me included."

I lean my elbows on the desk, resting my clasped hands under my chin as I bat my eyelids innocently. "Aww don't worry, Roman. I'm sure people will find something actually worth talking about and forget that rumor."

He grumbles under his breath, making me laugh, as he stands up and rounds the desk, sitting next to me. Turning my attention to my notebook, I flick through as I place a loose strand of hair that I didn't get in my ponytail behind my ear.

"I'll get you back, just you wait."

"I know you will."

Our hatred eventually turned to academic rivalry. More so when we both got the position of student researchers to assist our professor in sophomore year, which is still ongoing. With the amount of time we spend together, it's no surprise we get under each other's skin.

Especially when we're always getting on the other's nerves on purpose. Coffee spills over papers, embarrassing one another in public, no-shows for work we have to do together for the professor—which is mostly Roman not showing—as well as back-and-forth insults.

"Even I must admit, even though it would never happen, because no girl has ever faked it with me. I'm impressed," Roman mutters as he flicks open his notebook.

"Is that a compliment from Roman King?" My eyes widen, fake shock covering my features and he rolls his eyes. My phone vibrates on the desk as a text message pops up on my screen from a guy Cara is setting me up with on a blind date.

Before I can even look properly or pick it up, it's snatched off the table. Getting my attention, I snap my head up, seeing it sitting in Roman's large hands, a smirk on his face. He waves it around and his arm holds me back as I try to reach over to take it back, while he reads the message.

"Hot date?" He questions, twirling my phone around, and my face goes red before I take my phone back off him.

"Cara is setting me up on a blind date tomorrow," I explain, before replying to the text.

"Another one? Why would you put yourself through that? Cara does not have a good streak of setting you up on successful blind dates," Roman warns, tapping his pen against his notebook.

"That's not true," I defend, pointing my finger at him.

He raises his eyebrow in a challenge. "Really? I always know when you've been on a date. You come into class in a bad mood the next day."

"That's because I have to see your face," I taunt, and he mimics my words immaturely.

"I wonder what poor guy she's set you up with this time," Roman questions, as he flicks through his own phone. "Why does she do that to them?"

"Why do your friends throw parties and invite the girls that fawn over you? They're just subjecting them to your awful personality."

"Trust me, those girls leave extremely satisfied." Roman smirks, and I scrunch my nose up in disgust. "Shame you'll never get to experience it."

"I'd run myself over with your truck before I'd want to experience it."

Roman opens his mouth to retort, but before he can, Professor Erikson walks into the lab. Roman glares my way, angry that he is unable to get the last word before turning his attention to the front where our professor stands.

Rosalie...one. Roman...zero.

❈❈❈

"You're not supposed to be in here."

Cara's voice floats to my ears as she spins around in the office chair that sits behind the recording equipment in the campus radio station booth as I walk through the door. Somewhere she has worked since freshman year.

My eyes run over the familiar surroundings, having been here plenty of times before as Cara spends fifty percent of her time here working, and the other fifty in her art classes. Her raven black hair stands out against her pale skin and a black flat cap rests on her head. Her signature red lipstick decorates her lips, which are pulled into a frown.

Holding out the paper bag and the drinks holder that is in my hand, I shake them. "But I brought you your favorite muffin...and your cold venti with almond milk..."

Her eyebrow raises as she glances over before she sighs and gets up. Taking them off me and holding them up as a sign of gratitude before she sits down in her chair again. Walking over, I perch on the edge of the recording desk, next to where she sits.

"My supervisor keeps giving me the evils because I let you in here when we're recording," Cara explains, and I shrug my shoulders.

"I stay perfectly quiet...most of the time." I defend myself as best as I can when, in reality, I know that's not entirely true.

"Sure you do," Kendrick, Cara's co-worker, hums as he raises his eyebrow sarcastically. Pushing his chair back, he stands up from the desk and removes his headphones from around his neck.

"This is why I don't bring you coffee," I point out and he flips me off before he heads out of the booth and Cara laughs.

"You don't bring him coffee because he doesn't drink it." Cara rolls her eyes and I wave her off. "How was class? Commit any crimes I should know about?"

"Not yet, but if you hear a rumor going around that girls are faking their orgasms with Roman and him being unable to get it up, it wasn't me." I hold my hands up in defense and she laughs.

"Wouldn't be the first time I cover for you, and nor will it be the last."

"Hey! Who helped you protest in freshman year to get more funding for the art department?"

Cara scoffs. "We met in line at a coffee shop, and you offered to help protest."

I shrug. "You were wearing a dress covered in paint splatters and a brightly colored faux fur jacket with them on. I felt sorry for you."

Cara's jaw drops as I laugh, and she throws a crumpled up piece of paper at me, which I dodge.

"That dress was a statement," Cara exclaims, and I chuckle, shaking my head as I bring my coffee to my lips. "Are you excited about your date tomorrow? It's been too long."

I gape. "It hasn't been that long."

"Babe, it's like the Sahara desert down there."

I scowl at her. "Ok, first, I got laid a few months ago thank you very much and second, there is nothing wrong with that. Which you should know better than anyone."

"I do know that. I mean I only have sex as a compromise for whoever I'm with or to feel closer to them. Just because I'm asexual and have no desire to have sex or feel any sexual attraction, doesn't mean I can't be excited for you." Cara stands up and places her hands on the desk.

"Well, let's see how this date goes first. You aren't the best at setting me up on blind dates."

Cara's jaw drops. "I'm great at it!"

I raise my eyebrow. "Really? What about that guy you set me up with, who wore his pajamas to a date? Or the guy that picked me up on his bicycle?"

"Ok, so I've had a few regretful matches, but this guy is good." Cara throws her empty bag and cup in the bin.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Have you two finished gossiping yet? We're going back on air." Kendrick walks back in, taking the chair next to Cara as I stick my tongue out at him.

"Please, you gossip more than anyone else I know," Cara tells him before the on-air sign lights up. "And we're back on the air. That was a song from a band that was formed right here on our BU campus. Thoughts?"

"Well, I loved it and that's saying something because some bands on this campus are more than questionable," Kendrick offers and I snicker, holding my fist to my mouth to prevent any noise.

"Now that we've heard what Kendrick thinks, let's get some opinions from some less critical people." Cara glares at Kendrick before pressing a button. "You're on."

Roman's voice fills the booth, and my jaw drops at his audacity. "Yeah, love the song, but I actually have a message for Hollywood. Tell her not to suck the soul out of her date tomorrow night. I know she's great at that."

Fuck you Roman King.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑    𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄

「  Q: What did you all think of chapter one and the enemyship Roman and Rosalie have?

IMPORTANT: Enemies to lovers can be quite hard to write and I feel like lots of books put the reason they hate each other as sexual related reasons so I wanted to do something different. So I decided to have recurring events that led up to their dislike of one another, and they have the competitive academic rivalry going on too. 

I know everyone will have different opinions or wouldn't do the same as the characters but remember this is a fictional book and character flaws are there for a reason or else we wouldn't have a book.

FEEDBACK: I know in my previous books I've had long paragraphs, I write on Word and upload my chapters on the computer so the paragraphs look a lot smaller than they appear on the phone version. I've gone through on my phone and made them smaller, so I just want to know are the ones in this chapter still too long and need to be split up more or are they good?

Tasha Jade 」