“She said she wants me.”
“That’s what she says every time,” Preston points out. “And you fall for her shit every… damn… time. Don’t do it, J. You deserve better than her.”
“You should talk to her,” Drake says. “Because I want my revenge.”
Tucker smirks. “Me, too.”
Trent agrees.
“Let me handle her,” I say. “I know how to teach Cece a lesson.”
And by handle, I mean avoid. Cece is a narcissist. The only way to get your revenge on a narcissist is to starve them of attention. And I plan to do just that.
Without another word, I exit the living room. It’s time to grovel and beg. Because I have to go after the one person who deserves the biggest apology of them all—Shannon.
Chapter Twenty-One
Shannon
I hear feet slamming on the pavement behind me, followed by a man yelling my name. And I know the voice without turning around. It’s Jamie. He jogs up to my right side, not even the slightest bit out of breath.
I continue walking without slowing my pace.
“Can we talk?” he asks, now walking in line with me.
He pushes the hood from his head, a mess of disheveled dark hair underneath. Jamie always looks gorgeous without even trying. My heart slams into my chest as I make eye contact with him. Too many emotions hit me all at once.
“I said everything I had to say,” I tell him.
“But I didn’t,” he counters. “You never let me explain myself.”
“What’s there to say? You have a girlfriend, and I’m not going to be the other woman.”
Jamie grabs my shoulder to stop me, turning my body so we’re facing. “C’mon, Shan. Talk to me. I don’t have a girlfriend. I didn’t have one when we were together. You were my girlfriend. You’re the only woman I want.”
I push my hands to my hips, staring a hole through him. “If that’s true, then why do you keep pictures of your ex? Why do you still keep in contact with her?”
“Look, I’ll be honest with you… I’ll see Cece again, but it won’t be by choice. Her dad’s company is merging with my dad’s. Even if that weren’t happening, I would still see her at gaming conventions. Cece is unavoidable. She’s also The Queen.”
I gasp at his last comment. “Your ex is The Queen?”
He nods. “I finally found The Queen, and after all this time, it was Cece.”
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” I mutter, stunned by his confession. “Why would she do that? She trashed Tucker and Trent more than you. So, what was her end game? Did she date them, too?”
He shakes his head. “No, she was never with any of my friends. She doesn’t like them, never did, and the feeling is mutual. She did it to get my attention because she wants me back. I also think she did it to pay me back for crashing her hard drive at the Gamer Nation Con. But she deserved it.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
Jamie slides his hand up my arm, his fingers causing tiny bumps to dot along my skin in his wake. “Because I miss you, Shan. Because I want to be with you and only you. I’m sorry for everything I put you through. I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. And I’m hoping you’ll give me one more chance to prove how sorry I am.”
“I accept your apology,” I say, slipping from his grasp. “But we can’t go back to the way things were before, not without you showing me. Words mean nothing without actions.”
“You want me to make a grand gesture? Is that it?” He drops to one knee in front of me, taking my hand in his. Jamie lifts my hand to his mouth and plants a kiss on my skin causing me to laugh at his silliness. “I’ll do whatever you want, Shan. I’m an idiot for messing this up. I care about you, even though I haven’t shown it. Just give me one more chance.”
He kisses my hand repeatedly, his breath warming my skin. “Please.” His voice is so desperate, pleading, and I want to say yes to him. But I can’t. Not until he shows me he’s changed.
I chuckle. “How about you get up and stop making a fool of yourself? That would be a good start.” Glancing over at the crowd gathering to our right, I add, “You’re making a scene, Jamie.”
I tug his hand, and he rises to his full height. A crowd forms around us, dozens of eyes on us. Jamie and his teammates attract enough attention on campus. Everything they do is blasted all over the Internet. I’m sure people have already uploaded pictures of us online.
“If you want me back…” I say, lowering my voice, “… then prove it. Show me you’re serious. Your actions have to speak louder than your words.”