Jocking Jameson (Face-Off Legacy/Campus Kings 4)

She steps forward, her nails scraping against my arm. “You need me, Jamie. I know you do. That’s why I made all of this happen. I wanted you to see how much we need each other.”

I shake my head, jaw clenched as I think about everything she’s done. “No, you ruined my relationship with Shannon to make me miserable, to make sure I was alone.”

“I watched you from afar. You weren’t miserable without her, Jamie, so don’t even try to lie to me. The only person you thought about was The Queen, which means you did nothing but think of me. You still love me. I still love you. Everything’s finally falling into place with us. I did this so we could be together.”

I shake her off, moving backward until my shoulder hits the wall behind me. She follows, closing the distance between us. No matter where I move, I can’t escape her. Cece has always known how to hurt me, how to make me suffer. As usual, she’s done a good job.

“What do you have on my dad?”

She smirks at my question. “Oh, nothing. Just a little something I cooked up to help coerce the merger.”

“Whatever you found is a lie, and you know it. My dad isn’t a fraud. He didn’t steal from those games.”

Another smirk stretches across her lips. “Maybe, maybe not. I guess it depends how you look at the code.”

“What did you do?” I lean forward to grip her shoulders, staring into her cold, blue eyes. “You fucking bitch, so help me God—”

She cuts me off before I can finish, her hand outstretched to cover my mouth. “It’s nothing that can’t be undone.”

I peel her fingers from my lips. “Then undo it. I’m not fucking working for your dad. Neither is my brother or sister… or my dad.”

“See, I knew this would motivate you to make a decision.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“You were so set on playing pro hockey, but we both know you’re a gamer. That’s who you really are. Hockey is just a hobby for you.”

“That’s not true,” I snap. “I love hockey. I’m good enough to play in the NHL.”

“But that’s not your true calling. I’m only trying to push you along, help you reach your full potential.”

I sigh in frustration. “What do you really want, Cece?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She rubs her lips together, staring up at me with greed in her eyes. “I want you.”

“Too bad,” I grunt. “We can’t always get what we want.”

Done with this conversation, I exit the room and rush down the stairs. She follows behind, gripping my arm as I attempt to leave.

“Don’t go, Jamie.” Her tone is soft, pleading. “Don’t throw away the last ten years. We belong together. You know it.”

I spin around to face her, my hatred for her burning through me. “You broke up with me, Cece.” Something inside me snaps when all the feelings I’ve tried to suppress flood through my veins causing my hands to tremble. “I waited for you to change your mind. It’s been three years, three fucking years of waiting for you. And this is how you choose to get my attention? You only came back because I was happy with someone who wasn’t you. Now, I don’t even want you.”

She sniffs away fake tears, all part of the show. Cece is a good actress. When we were kids, she used to mimic the voices and expressions of the characters from our favorite video games. Though she’s an amazing coder, acting is her true calling.

“I’ve always loved you, Jamie. When I broke up with you, it was because we were moving apart for college. I thought it was better that way. Because I knew we would find our way back to each other.”

“Well, your plan backfired,” I shoot back. “Too much time has passed. You’ve done too many things to make me hate you. Whatever love I had for you is gone. Now that I know you’re The Queen, I can put all of this behind me. So, I guess, in some ways, I should be thanking you. Because now I can move on… without you.”

She covers her mouth with her hand and gasps, the tears now falling from her eyes. Mascara streaks slide down her cheeks. They might be actual tears, but I doubt they’re real. Unable to look at her anymore, I push open the front door. One last time, I look back at her. To think I ever loved someone like her breaks my heart all over again.

“Cece.” Her eyes find mine. The corners of my mouth turn up into a wide grin. “Game over,” I say with a wink before I leave my first love behind.

I hear glass breaking from inside the house. Something hard hits the door behind me followed by Cece’s shrill voice. My smile widens as I slide behind the wheel of my car.