The Downfall of a Good Girl by Kimberly Lang Read Free Book Online Page A

and clinging to past glory.
    Depression hit like a brick.
    She didn’t begrudge Connor his success or his popularity—even she would admit that he was extremely talented—but it still forced her to admit that Connor had something she didn’t: the “It” factor. Nothing really set her apart. She was just average.
    Average wasn’t bad, but being stuck next to someone so obviously above average was more damaging to her ego thanshe’d expected. Was this new simpering and flustered reaction to Connor a symptom of a larger issue?
    Was she really that shallow?
    Something was off. Vivi answered all the questions, shook all the hands and smiled for the cameras appropriately, but
something
wasn’t right. Connor couldn’t put his finger on exactly what, but he had no doubt that Vivi had something on her mind.
    He was hardly an expert on Vivi’s moods, but she lacked her normal sparkle—or at least the sparkle she normally gave off to other people. People who weren’t him.
    When she did speak to him directly—which wasn’t often and lessened to almost complete silence as the day continued—her voice lacked that normal Vivi edge. Her answers bordered on a monotone, and she passed up several easy opportunities to mock him outright.
    He’d been looking for ways to broker some kind of peace, but this wasn’t at all how he imagined that peace would be.
    It was just plain odd. Disturbing, even.
    After several hours of this uncomfortable non-conversation—plus a few strange, indefinable looks from Vivi—they were finally done and the driver was taking them home. Vivi spent her time playing with her phone or staring out the window as if she’d never seen the city before.
    He’d had a hard time pulling himself back under control after…after whatever it was that had happened earlier. Coupled with her dramatic attitude change, he began to wonder if he’d misread the look on her face. Maybe that hadn’t been shock. Horror? Disgust? Offense? Give Vivi the choice of landing in his lap or a slime pit and she’d probably ask if there was any difference.
    No, he knew his strengths and weaknesses, and he hadn’t misread that look. He’d seen it plenty before. Vivi might havebeen horrified, but it wasn’t necessarily because she’d landed on him. Or that he’d accidentally copped a feel.
    Damn
. He shouldn’t have gone there. The palms of his hands burned with the memory and now he needed a cold shower to offset the effects of it.
    Vivi cleared her throat. “About earlier…I was serious.”
    Connor’s train of thought derailed. Surely Vivi wasn’t—?
    “This is a competition, but we should focus on what’s really important.”
    Oh
. He gave himself a good mental shake. “Agreed.”
    She slid her finger over her phone, looking at something. “You’re already kicking my butt with online donations to your war chest, but I still plan to put on a good showing—in the competitions, if nothing else.”
    “Because that’s what’s important.”
    “Of course. You’re going to bring in buckets of money and—”
    Enough
. “I’ll match yours.” The words were out before he’d even thought them through.
    Vivi chuckled. “Oh, you’ll surpass mine. I’ve accepted that.”
    “No. I mean I’ll match yours. Dollar for dollar, whatever you raise, I’ll match.”
    That got her attention and she finally met his eyes. “You can’t.”
    “Worried about my finances?”
    “Oh, I don’t doubt you can afford it. It’s just that any money donated personally by the Sinner and the Saint doesn’t go into the final tally.”
    He relaxed back into his seat and got comfortable. This might be interesting. Could her personal dislike of him outweigh her competitive spirit? His money had never brought him quite so much pleasure before. “I can’t count personaldonations into my own war chest, but there’s nothing in the rules that says I can’t donate to yours.”
    “But why would you?” Vivi was too competitive to even