Page 82 of The Game

“Nope. This is exactly what I was looking for. I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Charlene.”

She snaps the gum she’s chomping on, pursing the lips that are as shiny as her blonde hair.

“I know who you are.” I turn back to the papers I was about to gather up. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’m finished here and there’s nothing you can have to say to me that I’d care to hear.”

“Oh, I think you’re wrong there. See, I’ve heard some things about your relationship with my boyfriend.” I don’t like her at all, but I really don’t like the way she’s holding her fingers up in the air in air quotes. She can’t know. No one knows. The only person I’ve told is Amira and I think Cole said he told Beau and that was it. I know Beau would never blab out a secret.

“I doubt it, Charlene. I’m tired and I really want to get out of here.”

“Here’s the thing, Jazmin. I know all about what you and Cole have going on. I know it’s not real. You’ve been faking it with him. I get it. He’s a good guy. I’m sure he was helping you out with something, but it’s over. He told me about it because he wants me back. And now you’re just in the way. So if you can just back off, that would be great.”

Cole told her? No way. She’s lying. I know she’s lying, but at the same time, where would she get this information? How is this girl, this stranger, getting under my skin?

“Whatever you’ve heard, it’s a lie.” No way am I telling her it used to be true. She doesn’t need to know that. What matters is that it’s true now. “You’re not getting between us. You cheated on him and hurt him so badly he left his old team. So why don’t you run along and find some guy who actually wants you?”

There’s a gleam in her eyes that I don’t trust. But I guess there’s not much I trust about her. “You think he left because I cheated on him? I’m sorry to disappoint you. He got kicked off his last team.”

It’s like a physical blow to my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I don’t want to satisfy her smug expression, but I can’t help it. I need to know. “What are you talking about?”

“See, I knew you were lying. You’re not as close as you’re pretending to be. He beat up one of his teammates. Jeremy was off the ice for like two weeks because of him.”

That doesn’t sound like the Cole I know. Except when I remember that feverish look in his eyes when he was going after Darryl. I guess it is possible he’s capable of something like that, but not without reason.

“What did they do to him?”

“That’s not for me to share. But Jeremy was his best friend before that.”

There’s got to be more to the story, but if so, why didn’t he tell me himself. Especially after I shared all my secrets with him. It hurst that he didn’t trust me enough to share.

“It doesn’t matter.” It does, but I’m not giving her the satisfaction of knowing how much she got under my skin. “He’s never going back to you. We’re together, so leave us alone.”

I stand up, satisfied that she backs up a step when I move into her. I would never get physical, but I don’t mind using the intimidation tactic just a little to tell her to mind her own business.

She huffs. “You’re going to be sorry about this. In fact, you might already be.”

What does that mean? I don’t know and I don’t care. Nothing she says can affect what I’ve got with Cole. This fragile, growing thing that still needs all our love and attention if it’s going to grow. I’ll got to him. I’ll find out the truth.

“Anyway. I thought you should know the fake dating thing isn’t a secret. Cole’s laughing at you behind your back when he talks about you.”

My fists are clenched at my sides, and I’ve never wanted to punch anyone more. Now I’m starting to understand why Cole lost in on Darryl. If I saw someone threatening him like Darryl was threatening me, I might lose it, too.

“Get out of here, Charlene. I’m not going to fall for your lies and, like I said, even if I did, he’s not coming back to you. Why would you follow him here? That’s some next level stalker shit.”

“Whatever. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I know there is nothing but lies spilling from her pink painted lips, but I can’t help the little seed of doubt from poking up. She knew the truth. So who told her? Five minutes ago I would have said with a hundred percent certainty it wasn’t him. But now I’m not so sure.

I collapse on my couch when I get home. I have to work early tomorrow, and I’m beat. My brain is aching from staring at those blueprints and also from my conversation with Charlene.I keep running her words through my head trying to fit the pieces together but nothings seems to match up. Someone told her, and Cole has been keeping secrets from me.

My head is so full of competing thoughts it feels heavy, and it’s a struggle to get up to answer the buzzer when it goes off.

It doesn’t make sense to collapse back on the couch, so I hover by the door until the knock sounds out. A distortion of Amira’s face is visible through the peephole so I let her in.

Soft arms wrap around me, and I relax into them, craving the comfort.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“It’s Cole.”

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