"Cut the crap. What do you want?"

She really wasn't going to make this easy. I folded my hands over my lap. "I want to apologize for the way I acted. I should 802/890

have never started dating Liam while he was our coach and had I chosen my actions better, you might not have been kicked off the team."

My apology was clearly the last thing she was expecting because her face contorted in-to an amused glare.

"Oh, please. Anyone of us could have dated Liam. You were just the first one to open your legs. So don't think you're so high and mighty because you sucked him off in the field house and now you think you're actually his girlfriend."

I could feel my eyebrows drifting toward my hairline. Welp, I guess we hadn’t actually gotten away with that as smoothly as I’d thought.

Alriiiighty, then. On to plan B.

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"Well, if you aren't mad at me about those things, I'm a little confused why you're still going after me in the press. I've seen multiple quotes from you that are aimed directly at me."

She rolled her eyes and tipped back in her chair as if bored with the conversation.

"I do what I have to do to stay in the public eye. I put a pause on the soccer crap and now I have a bit more time to devote to my career."

"Your career?" I asked, trying to keep my tone attitude free.

"Modeling and acting," she answered dully, as if I was a blubbering idiot for having to ask.

"Oh, that's awesome. I think you'd be great at that." And I actually did mean it. She 804/890

was dramatic, crazy, and beautiful. What better person to be cast as the villain in films than a person who actually played the role in real life?

"Thanks, but I don't care about your opinion."

I nodded and shifted my gaze to the street for a moment. Camera flashes caught my attention and reminded me about the task at hand.

"So then, if you're focusing on your career now, maybe we can come to an understanding..." I began.

"And what might that be?" She cocked her eyebrow with an incredulous look.

"You have to stop finding fame by dragging me down. The story will fade and eventually people will see right through it. Not to 805/890

mention people will realize that I'm actually very boring and they won't care what I eat for lunch or how I take my coffee. This won't last forever so there's no reason to prolong the inevitable."

A sinful smile spread across her lips.

"Kinsley. The beauty of free speech in this country is that I can say whatever I want, whenever I want. If I want to keep telling the press lies about you then I will because I don't actually give a fuck about you or Liam.

I care about making it big. So this whole conversation has been a colossal waste of your time. In fact, I think you've just made it all the more fun to talk about you to the press because now I know that it's bothering you.

Honestly, Kinsley, you make it just too easy."

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I'll admit there was only a small part of me that had hoped that Tara would come to the light and change her ways. The other 99% of me took pride in the fact that I'd been right in masterminding my plan from the very beginning.

I reached forward and set my phone on the table so that Tara could see the recording screen. Then I hit pause and glanced up at her with a confident smile.

"You know, you think you're so brilliant, Tara, but what you're actually doing is against the law."

"Oh please, I'd love to see you try and take this to court."

I laughed and saw her perfect facade start to crack. "No. I don't plan on suing you.

I don't give a shit about your money. What 807/890

I'm after is public opinion. You see, yesterday I met with a lawyer and filed a restraining order against you. I outlined all of the facts that happened concerning your hazing and bullying, and then I had the other teammates and Coach Davis corroborate my story."

That was complete bullshit, but she totally bought it. Her mask had a giant crack straight down the center.

"But still, I thought that wouldn't be enough for you, Tara, because let's face it, you are the most psychotic bitch I've ever met. So then I set up this meeting today so that I could record you confessing to telling the media lies all in the name of becoming a star."

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She scoffed. "As if, Kinsley. You think you've outmatched me, but you have no clue who you're dealing with."

"No one likes a bully, Tara, and now I have proof. So if you spew one more thing about me in the press, I'll release the tape and we'll see what America decides to do about it."

"They'll assume its fake," she protested, still clinging onto her confident air.

"Maybe they will, but your voice is pretty recognizable. And you know the funny thing about the media? They want the most interesting story. So what's better than an accur-ate story that's also interesting? So why don't you consider which would sell the most magazines? A headline that reads Kinsley Bryant Goes to Soccer Practice Yet Again...

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or Crazed ex-ULA Soccer Player Stalking and Harassing America's Sweetheart?"

I was not America’s sweetheart, not even close, but she didn’t need to know that.

A pregnant pause passed between us and I knew I'd finally broken through to her.

While slightly off her rocker, Tara was still fairly intelligent and she knew I had her.

"I could just come back at you with something twice as big. I'll reveal more details about you and Liam," she said, grasping at her last hope.

"You could, or we could stop this entire show right now. You can walk away with a little bit of your dignity left and I could forget that I even have this recording," I said, pulling my phone off the table and dropping it back into my purse.

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"You're just as conniving as I am," she spat, pushing to stand. Her metal chair scraped against the concrete.

"Maybe I am. Or maybe my claws just come out when someone backs me into a corner," I suggested with an even tone. I had no clue which path she would choose, but I had a good feeling that my talk got through to her.

She stood to leave, casting one last evil glare in my direction before heading away.

The paparazzi's shutters went wild and I sat there for a moment, collecting the last few minutes in my mind, before retrieving my phone to call Becca.

"Kinsley! How'd it go? Are you alive or are you calling me from the other side?"

Becca asked as soon as she answered.

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I tossed my head back and laughed, feeling instantly lighter now that I was done with that showdown.

"I really think she'll back off now, Bec. I won't know for sure until enough time has passed, but she'd be an idiot to not move on and forget about this."

"I hope so.”

I glanced down at the time. "Hey, I'll call you back when I get to Liam's place. He's out of practice soon and I want to beat him home."

"Why?"

"You don't want to know," I laughed.

"Oh my god, ew. Are you going to like wait for him naked on the bed or something?"

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"Becca! Stop! We have to have boundaries," I laughed, standing up and grabbing my purse.

She couldn't stop giggling on the other end of the phone. "Let me know how that works out for you." Then she thought better of it. "On second thought, don't tell me anything about it."

"Ha-ha.

I'll

see

you

at

practice

tomorrow."

"Bye, Kins."