Page 118 of Fielder's Choice

It’s not even Valentine’s Day, but it’s still the best Valentine’s Day I’ve had.

I keep my eyes trained ahead, waiting for Lane to come back, and I don’t hear when somebody jogs up the trail behind me.

“Olive?”

Instantly, my blood runs cold, and I gasp because Iknowthat voice.

It’s the same voice that’s haunted my nightmares since I was seventeen.

Jake.

It doesn’t matter how much strength I’ve gained recently when I turn to face him, visibly shaking.

“Holy shit, it is you!” he smiles like we’re lifelong friends.

“What are you doing here?” I manage, trying to feign some semblance of nonchalance.

“Out for a jog,” he replies, gesturing to his running attire. “What areyoudoing here? I haven’t seen you since we were teenagers.”

Yeah, and there’s a damn good reason for that.

“Out for an early Valentine’s Day.”

Jake raises his eyebrow. “You’re alone right now, Liv.”

“Olive,” I correct him. “You can call me Olive.”

He rolls his eyes. “Really? That’s how it’s going to be?”

I don’t get a chance to reply before I feel a strong, comforting hand on my shoulder, and I look up to find Lane standing behind me. I stand up from the bench and let him wrap his arm around me, needing to feel his calming embrace. “I’m back, Liv. Who is this?”

Jake’s eyes practically bug out of his head. “You’re Lane Brooks!”

“Uh, yeah…” he replies, not impressed by the man before him. “And you are?”

“An old friend of Olive’s.” He sticks his hand out. “I’m Jake.”

Immediately, I feel Lane tense, and I can see rage boiling beneath his skin.

“Jake?You’reJake?”

“Yeah,” he shrugs like he can’t see Lane seething right now. “How do you two know each other?”

“I know Olive because she’s my fucking girlfriend,” Lane bites.

“Whoa, man. What’s with the tone?”

“The tone is because I know all about what a pathetic waste of fucking space you are,Jake.You have the audacity to say you’re an old friend after the hell you put Olive through?”

Jake shakes his head. “We were seventeen. I think she can move on from our time together.”

Our time together?!

If Jake still thinks I’m the type to let somebody fight my battles for me, he’s sorely mistaken. I’m not the girl I used to be.

And that’s all because of what he did.

“We had no time together,” I yell, and I see Jake take a step back in surprise. “Youassaultedme.”

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