Page 523 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 11
But this was my chance to tell Jacob how I really felt. I turned to look up at him just as Olivia walked up to us.
“Hey,” Olivia said. “You don’t mind if we dance, do you, Scarlett?” she asked. She stepped closer. “Jacob told me what was really going on.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “What?” I wasn’t even sure she had heard my question over the music, but then she smiled.
“That this isn’t real between the two of you.”
He told her?!
“That you’re just trying to get with the homecoming king. So you don’t mind, right? If I dance with Jacob?”
I felt completely frozen. No, it wasn’t fine! I loved him. The words running through my mind settled on that last thought.Screw me.I loved him. But I didn’t even get a chance to respond to Olivia.
Jacob dropped his arm from around my shoulders.
“Wait,” I said. “Jacob, I really need to talk to you.”
He nodded. “Okay. Save the next dance for me, Scarlett?”
I was used to him calling me love. Hearing my actual name fall from his lips felt like a slap in the face. But there was no reason for cute nicknames in front of someone in on the plan. Because this whole thing was freaking fake. And it always had been to him.
God I was such an idiot.
Jacob was everything that I wanted. And I was a few minutes too late in telling him the truth.
When Luis had asked me to dance while I was dancing with Axel, he’d basically told Luis to fuck off. I should have done that. Told Olivia to beat it. But Jacob could have said it too.
He didn’t want to dance with me.
He didn’t like me.
Not anymore.
And I’d already known that. He’d stopped liking me when I lost my confidence.
I watched as Jacob’s fingers intertwined with Olivia’s and he pulled her farther onto the dance floor.
I watched as my mom and dad danced.
I watched as Axel and Sophie both did some cute shimmy thing together.
And I watched as Jacob’s hands settled on Olivia’s hips.
I was used to feeling like shit at homecoming. But I’d really wanted this year to be different. I felt tears welling in the corners of my eyes.
I put my hand on the center of my chest. As if the warmth of my palm could somehow stop my heart from shattering.
I can’t be here.It was like witnessing the spin the bottle fiasco in slow motion all over again. I couldn’t watch this. I hurried off the dance floor. I walked over to the bar that my parents were no longer manning. But Mr. Halifax was standing behind the counter now.
Nope.I changed direction and headed out into the hall.
I took a deep breath but the air felt stale out here too. And a few students were out here making out. I hurried into the restroom to get away from all the happy couples.
I was relieved to see that every stall was empty. I closed the door of one and leaned against it. And I let myself cry.
I pulled a long sheet of toilet paper off and held it under my eyes.
This had to be some kind of cruel joke.
