The Pick-Me Takedown

[ Shh, my super nerd is exhausted. Let me just borrow him as a pillow. ]

In the photo, Nadia, the senior girl from my boyfriend's lab, was covering her mouth in a coy smile. Right next to her, my boyfriends handsome, sleeping face was perfectly in focus.

This pathetic pick-me.

An entire project team pulled an all-nighter to meet a deadline, but she deliberately cropped the angle to make it look like theyd just spent a steamy night together in some luxury penthouse.

I narrowed my eyes. Sorry, sweetie, but you messed with the wrong bitch this time.

Chapter 1

The guy in question, Callahan, was currently fast asleep in his bedroom. Id given him the cold shoulder for a few days, figured he'd suffered enough, and drove over to his off-campus place to check on him. Instead, I ended up scrolling past Nadias Instagram post on the way.

The three of us were in the same major, so our mutuals overlapped. It didn't take long for the comments to start rolling in under her post.

[ Did the experiment work out? ]

[ Gotta say, Callahan's side profile is totally top-tier. ]

[ Nadia, is there something you're not telling us? ?? ]

[ Exhausted? Hahaha, is it what I think it is? ]

[ Whoa there, keep it PG! ]

I stared at the screen as the comments got more and more out of hand, my jaw tightening. This was exactly the kind of traction she wanted. She hadnt blocked me from viewing it for a reason. She wanted me to see the photo, lose my mind, pick a massive fight with Callahan, and ideally, dump him.

Other people might be blind to her stage-five clinger tendencies, but I wasn't. We'd been in the same program since undergrad, and I knew exactly how many relationships this homewrecker had ruined.

I never understood what sick kick she got out of itflirting with taken guys until they dumped their girlfriends, only to drop the guys immediately after.

I picked up Callahans phone from the nightstand, unlocked it with my thumbprint, and left a comment on her post from his account.

[ "Delete the photo of me immediately. This lack of boundaries will disgust my girlfriend." ]

A direct message from Nadia popped up.

[ "Callahan, is your girlfriend really that petty? I think girls should be a bit more open-minded. Getting mad over every little thing just puts so much pressure on guys." ]

Ha. Textbook pick-me garbage.

[ "Of course not, I love everything about Blair. But there's one behavior I loathe. It actually makes me sick to my stomach." ]

She replied in seconds, even adding a cute little winking emoji.

[ "Really? What is it?" ]

[ "When girls post photos of men who aren't their boyfriends on their feeds." ]

Radio silence. A few minutes later, I refreshed Instagram. The post was gone.

I locked the screen, a satisfied smirk on my face. Nice try, amateur.

Callahan opened his eyes, his dark gaze instantly lighting up when he saw me sitting there. His strong arm hooked around my waist, yanking me flat against his scorching hot chest. His voice was thick with that sexy, gravelly morning rasp. "Blair. I missed you so much these past few days."

Heat rushed up my neck, but the thought of Nadia's post instantly killed the mood. The heat in my cheeks cooled, my jaw tightening.

I shoved lightly at his chest. "Liar. Weren't you giving me the silent treatment? I thought we were having a cold war. Didn't you find yourself a shiny new toy?"

Callahan gripped my shoulders, forcing me to look him dead in the eye. "First of all, go check our texts and see who left who on read. Second, I could never handle giving you the cold shoulder. You've been eating the takeout I ordered for you every single day, you ungrateful little brat."

"And third a new toy? You mean my lab experiment? Its basically done. I just need to wrap up the final report, and then Im all yours for the next few days."

He leaned in, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine. I didn't let him close the distance.

I swiped his phone open and shoved the screenshot Id taken right in his face. "Look at it yourself."

Callahans brows pulled together in a tight frown as his eyes scanned the photo and the trashy comments beneath it.

Chapter 2

I crossed my arms and looked him dead in the eye. "So, how exactly are you going to explain this 'lacking boundaries' lab mate of yours?"

Callahan tossed his phone onto the bed, his brow furrowing. "She is a senior in my lab, but I don't even remember her last name. We're not close. This is seriously out of line."

"You guys work in the same lab. Don't tell me you have zero impression of her."

Callahan frowned, thinking for a second. "I have one impression. Her skills are garbage. Professor Douglas ripped into her during the weekly meeting because her progress was dragging the whole team down."

A snort escaped me. I couldn't hold back my laugh.

Callahan saw my smile and leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. His voice dropped to a dangerous, husky murmur. "Good. Let's stop talking about irrelevant people. You've been ignoring me for days, Blair. I think you need to be punished for that"

Later that afternoon, Callahan and I ran into Nadia right outside the science building.

Nadia definitely played up the fragile, pale aesthetic. She had long, pin-straight black hair and a tall, slender figure. Even if her actual facial features were pretty average, she knew how to cultivate that "effortless" vibe.

She brushed past me like I was invisible.

She focused on Callahan, flashing him a sickeningly sweet smile, her voice dripping with fake adoration. "Callahan, you are just incredible. The team has been stuck on that problem for a month, and you crushed it in one all-nighter!"

I just stood there, quietly listening to her desperate pick-me performance.

Callahan gave her a curt, dismissive nod. He immediately looked down at me, his tone shifting entirely. "Once I wrap things up here, I'll review your code. Then I'll take you to that upscale steakhouse downtown."

"When we get back, I'll pick up your packages and run a hot bath for you. Sound good?"

I arched an eyebrow, giving my orders like a spoiled queen. "That's not going to cut it. You also need to go wait in line at that viral cafe one street over and get me an iced latte. I need something to drink while I binge my shows tonight."

We were basically acting like she wasn't there, which clearly grated on Nadia.

She interjected, "Callahan, you treat your girlfriend so well. If you were my boyfriend, I could never bear to boss you around like that."

I shot her a sideways glance. Here we go again. My boyfriend likes spoiling me. What the hell does it have to do with you?

But Callahan beat me to the punch. He looked at Nadia dead-on, his expression flat. "Blair is my girlfriend. I'll do whatever she wants. Anyway, we have things to discuss."

"If you've got this much free time, maybe you should review your own data. It might stop Professor Douglas from constantly riding your ass."

Nadia's fake smile faltered, but she quickly pinned it back into place. Feigning a pout, she reached out to playfully punch his shoulder. "Callahan, you're so mean!"

Callahan took a sharp half-step back, his eyes instantly turning ice-cold. He dodged her hand like he was avoiding a piece of trash.

My eyebrows snapped together. Okay, that's crossing a line. I'm literally standing right here, and you're trying to flirt with him?

I didn't hold back this time. I gave her a mock-sympathetic smile. "Nadia, the other seniors in your cohort have all published their papers. You're the only one who hasn't."

"Professor Douglas is notoriously strict. You better be careful, or you might not graduate."

Nadia finally peeled her eyes off Callahan and glared at me. "Blair, you really don't need to worry about my academic career."

She pivoted right back to Callahan. "Callahan, our lab is having a dinner tonight. You absolutely have to come. Professor Douglas wants us all to bond. Attendance is mandatory."

A lab dinner?

I raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering a very specific photo she had posted on her feed a few days ago.

Chapter 3

She had posted a picture of a skimpy, deep-V red bodycon dress with barely more fabric than a napkin, the kind you wear when you're hunting for a sugar daddy at a club. The caption read: Ready for a surprise?

My intuition told me she was definitely going to wear it tonight.

When Nadia made her grand entrance, I was smiling, accepting the compliments from her research group.

"gorgeous and talented! You and Callahan are totally a match made in heaven!"

"Professor Reginald is insanely strict about who he accepts. Your research skills must be top-tier."

"Yeah, even Professor Douglas praises Blair and tells us to learn from you."

"Wait, is that Nadia? Holy"

"Wow, you look stunning tonight!"

I glanced up. Nadia had clearly spent hours getting ready. She had her hair styled in cute princess braids and wore flawless makeup.

Paired with that eye-catching red dress and stilettos, she was trying hard to pull off that 'innocent but sexy' vibe. She usually played up the pure, girl-next-door look, so this sudden, flashy transformation definitely turned heads.

Nadia tilted her chin up, soaking in everyone's amazed stares. She scanned the room, her eyes locking onto Callahan, only to freeze when she realized I was sitting right there.

Her smile tightened for a fraction of a second. "This is a lab dinner. Why is an outsider here?"

The atmosphere flatlined.

Callahan dropped a freshly peeled shrimp into my bowl. He didn't even bother looking up. "Blair came with me. Got a problem with that?"

Someone quickly tried to smooth things over. "Come on, Blair is Professor Reginald's star student. She's hardly an outsider."

A couple of guys eagerly offered her the empty seats next to them, but Nadia marched straight over to Callahan's right side. "Move over," she snapped at the guy sitting there. "I need to talk to Callahan about something."

She shoved her way into the seat next to Callahan. The heavy stench of cheap perfume immediately wafted over.

Callahan didn't hide his disgust; his brows slammed together, and he aggressively yanked his chair closer to mine. He shot me a look, and I got the hint.

"Callahan, let's switch seats. I want to sit next to Nadia." I stood up.

The second I slid into his spot, I mentally rolled my eyes. I finally figured out the exact strategy behind this outfit. That plunging neckline looked fine when she was standing up, but the moment she sat down, the fabric gaped open.

She was basically flashing the person next to her, putting her cleavage on full, unavoidable display. And the skirt was riding up so high that if she didn't have her tiny clutch covering her lap, Id be genuinely concerned for her.

My gaze dropped to her chest. I couldn't help myself.

"Nadia, the AC is pretty strong in here. Be careful not to catch a cold." I smiled