“She left you,” Preston says. “She’s the one who walked away.”
“Yeah, but I…” Jamie has a mischievous look on his face. He switches his balance from one foot to the other, avoiding our gazes.
“But what?” Preston asks.
“I did something I shouldn’t have done. I brought this on all of us.”
“Jamie,” Preston says, his voice like gravel.
“What did you do?” Drake finishes.
“Last summer, I hacked through the firewall at her father’s company.”
Preston frowns, blowing out a puff of air. “Why would you do that?”
“Because she stole a game I was working on for my dad and tried to pass it off as her own.”
“I don’t get it.” Drake leans on the arm of the couch, confusion scrolling across his face. I’m just as confused as the rest of my friends. None of us are computer nerds like Jamie. We like video games. What guy doesn’t? But all of this tech shit is lost on us.
“What are you talking about?” Preston asks. “You haven’t seen Cece in years. How could she have known about anything you were working on to steal it?”
“I fucked up.” Jamie sighs and joins Preston and Drake on the couch. He runs his hand through his short, brown hair, tugging at the ends. “I did something stupid. I saw her in a forum and wanted to get her attention.”
“What is it with you and that girl?” Trent says. “You need to let her go. Yeah, she’s hot, but she’s not worth all the bullshit.”
Jamie looks away, ashamed. Now that I’ve found the love of my life, I couldn’t imagine living without Sam. That’s why I forgave her so quickly. It hurt too much not to have her in my life. Cecelia Carmichael, aka Cece, is Jamie’s kryptonite, the only girl who makes him weak, and now he’s struggling with doing the right thing. I can’t believe he fucked her again. She uses sex to manipulate him every time. And every time she wins.
“So, what are you going to do?” I ask Jamie. “You gonna see her again or get rid of her?”
“I don’t know.” He leans back against a stack of pillows and groans. “I hate her. I love her. I want her out of my life. But I don’t. She’s one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever known. Cece just gets me.”
Lord knows we don’t get Jamie on that level. His dad does. So do his online gamer friends. And then there’s Cece. She’s a genius, rich, beautiful, everything a man could ever want. Except she’s cruel and cold and only uses Jamie when it benefits her. Maybe at one time she loved him, but I have trouble believing she cares about anyone other than herself.
“Don’t go back to her,” Preston pleads. “Go beg Shannon to take your sorry ass back instead. You don’t need Cece. She’s only going to leave after she gets what she wants from you.”
“She said she wants me.” Jamie’s voice is so low his words are almost a whisper.
“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.”
I smirk, liking the way he thinks. “Me, too.”
Trent agrees.
“Let me handle her,” Jamie says. “I know how to teach Cece a lesson.”
And with that, the conversation is over. Jamie leaves the living room without another word.
Sam is afraid of The Queen. She doesn’t want me to engage with her. I promised her I would leave it in the past if we found out her identity. This is Jamie’s cross to bear.
My entire life wasn’t derailed from The Queen’s monthly dethroning. Neither were my friends. All of this bullshit helped Sam pay for college. In some ways, The Queen brought Sam and me closer together. If not for her bitterness over Jamie, Sam might not have given me a chance.
Regardless of the circumstances, I have to consider this a win. Because I still got the girl. All of us did.
Except for Jamie…
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sam
Three months later
We’re in Vancouver for the NHL Draft. My nerves are uncontainable, though I try to hide it from Tucker. He pretends as though he’s cool and confident, but I know he’s terrified. So, I put on my game face for him.
Sitting between Tucker and his mom, I hold both of their hands, praying he’s selected. Kennedy is biting the inside of her cheek, her fear shaking through me, so I squeeze her hand tighter. His dad looks worried, not just for Tucker but also for Trent. They were both eligible for the draft.
Digging his elbows into his thighs, Tucker leans forward. He sucks in a deep breath and then turns to me giving me a quick wink and a playful smile. I return the gesture, and his attention falls back to the stage where the next draft pick is being announced.