I push past her and shut my door tightly behind me.
“I was on a walk,” I say, hoping she’ll get the message that my whereabouts are none of her business.
“Yeah, like I believe that,” Karina says hotly, her lips pinched in anger. “In the middle of the night? Please girlfriend, I wasn’t born yesterday.”
“What are you, my mother?” I huff fiercely, tired of her constant bullying.
“Well, it’s clear you need a better one,” she retorts.
It takes every ounce of my self-control to not punch Karina in her dainty nose then and there. I’m not normally a violent person, but something about the bitchy blonde makes me want to put her in her place. But instead, I focus on my breathing and try to remember all the feelings of peace I’ve been working to build over the last several weeks.
“Karina, I’m going downstairs to get a drink of water. Is there something you need or not?” I cross my own arms against my chest, mimicking her aggressive stance.
“I don’t think you were out on a walk,” she says haughtily.
“Then where was I?” I ask her, daring the bully to speak.
Karina’s blue eyes blaze angrily. “Not on a walk, that’s for sure.”
“So where?” I dare again.
“I think you’re not being totally honest about how you’re spending your time,” she says fiercely.
I shake my head at the annoying woman. “You don’t know anything about anything. Why don’t you just butt out?” I ask forcefully. “It’s not your job to be my boss.”
Karina’s entire body looks coiled, as if she wants to leap at me. I take a small step back, just in case she gives into the urge and gets violent. I may be working hard to learn how to control my emotions, but it’s clear that Karina has not. But then a calm descends over her. She straightens and chillingly, there’s no light in those blue eyes.
“I think you’re sneaking out to be with Shane and Stanton,” she says with an eerie calmness.
I feel my heart tighten in my chest, but I won’t give her the satisfaction of confirming or denying her claim.
Instead, I roll my eyes and start walking toward the stairs. “Leave me alone, Karina,” I tell her calmly, hoping she hears the warning in my tone. “We’re not friends, but we don’t have to be enemies. Get a life.”
“You’re not the only girl they spend time with you know,” she calls after me. “It’s not like you’re special or something.”
I spin halfway around and stare at the venomous blonde, but my expression gives nothing away. “I don’t care who they spend time with,” I inform her in a neutral tone. “Besides, we all spend time with one another because it’s a small group,” I offer blandly. “You know, teamwork and all that. Maybe you should worry about yourself. Work on building character. Work on building integrity. That’s what we’re all here for, right?”
Karina’s entire body is shaking with barely controlled rage now, but I don’t care. She’s a bully through and through, and she’s been on a rampage to try and destroy me since the very first day when she hated me on sight.
“No one likes you,” she hisses, a dribble of spit flying at me as she speaks. “Everyone thinks you’re a suck up, Juniper.”
I shrug. “I don’t believe that and I don’t care what you say,” I reply, growing tired of the conversation. “I’m just trying to learn something while I’m here. I don’t need your approval to do that.”
Karina’s face is red with rage, her eyes practically bulging, she’s so pissed. I shake my head with pity.
“Leave me alone,” is my statement. And with that, I walk the rest of the way down the hall and descend the stairs to the kitchen. But my shoulders are rigid because the truth is that Karina’s words do bother me. I know she’s frustrated because she’s tried flirting with Shane and Stanton on several occasions, but the twins barely acknowledge her presence. It’s not my fault they’re not attracted to a woman with a bad personality.
But more irksome than her misplaced ire is her claim that the other girls don’t like me because I’m a teacher’s pet. I’m not trying to be a suck up at the Lazy R, but it’s like I told the guys: I’m genuinely happy with my life here, and it shows. I can’t help it that my happiness has manifested itself into hard work and a desire to learn what ranching entails.
I sigh softly, feeling very alone suddenly.
And my night had been going so well, I lament, full of self-pity. Who knew it would end like this? Slowly, I sip at a glass of water before placing it back in the kitchen sink. Then, I trudge upstairs and re-enter my room before getting into bed. It’s been an incredible night at the hands of Shane and Stanton Reed, but also one that’s made me think twice.