Page 142 of A Love Letter to Whiskey
I let my hands fall to my sides again. “What are you even saying right now? Do you hear yourself?” I asked her, my brows folding in ward. “Do you see yourself? You’re shaking, B.”
Her bottom lip trembled with that, and I tried to reach for her, tried to find that connection that I knew would get her back to her right self.
But she backed away, hitting the counter in an effort to stay away from me.
“I see just fine, thank you. Well enough to see that whatever happened the other night clearly didn’t stop you from shacking up with Tina yesterday.”
Her eyes were hard when they met mine, and I balked, confused.
“What? Tina?”
“It’s fine, Jamie. I saw you two together, but it’s okay. What happened with us… it didn’t mean anything to me either.”
My heart thundered in my chest.
It didn’t mean anything.
“So we’re cool,” she finished. “Like I said, shit happens.”
B went back to plating the tacos like the conversation was done.
Like we were done.
Part of me was absolutely gutted. I felt like she’d taken a rusty blade and shoved it right between my ribs into my lungs, depriving me of a clean breath.
It hurt.
God, it hurt to hear her say those words.
But it also pissed me the fuck off.
Because I knew, even then, that she was lying.
“Wow,” I finally breathed, shaking my head as I moved in closer. I invaded her space, noting how she stiffened when my breath hit her ear. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but if this is really how you feel, I’m glad your twisted little mind made this shit up to make you feel better about it.”
With that, I pushed off the counter and stormed to my room, slamming the door behind me.
• • •
I was still seeing red when I made it to the bonfire later that night, alcohol already swimming deep and warm in my system. I’d started drinking as soon as B left our dorm that afternoon, and I hadn’t stopped since.
But I’d taken my time getting to the party, debating going at all since I knew she’d be there. Call me a masochist or the most lovesick sonofabitch to ever live, but even after what she’d said, even after how she’d acted — I had to see her.
A sick part of me hoped I could get her alone, that I could somehow get her to talk to me. And maybe the beer gave me confidence that her hearing me out would change everything.
Regardless, all of my plans went out the window when I finally got to the party.
Because Jenna was there.
And suddenly, a new plan had formed.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jenna said, staring at me like she’d seen a ghost as I approached her and B at one of the benches on the other side of the fire.
I’d spotted B’s hair from across the party, chest tightening, but I never stopped moving toward her. It wasn’t until I was halfway to her that I realized who she was with.
“Jamie?!” Jenna cried, shaking her head and laughing as she launched herself into my arms. She was so much like the girl I’d dated in high school, and yet she carried herself differently, enough for me to know that college had changed her, too.
B ignored me just like she had earlier, sipping her flask with her eyes focused somewhere else.
“What the hell? What are you doing here?” Jenna asked me when I released her.
I laughed. “What do you mean? I go to school here.”
Jenna’s jaw dropped, and she turned from me to B. “What? Oh my God, B, how did you never tell me Jamie went to the same school as you?”
It was my turn to look at her, and fuck did it hurt when I did. I could tell just by one glance that she was far from okay. Her eyes were bloodshot, glazed, her skin pallid.
But she had that little jaw of hers set, still determined to play whatever game she was playing.
I smiled. “She never told you, huh?”
B just shrugged, absentmindedly playing with her hair. “I figured you saw on social media or something.”
“Yeah, right,” Jenna said on a giggle. “This asshole deleted me after he broke my heart.”
I cocked a brow, noting the wicked smile on Jenna’s lips. I’d seen it a thousand times before, knew it like the back of my hand.
She was flirting.
And one little glance at B told me it was driving her insane.
I let my eyes sweep over Jenna, and while she was still as gorgeous as ever, I only did it to get under B’s skin.
Because if she wanted to play this fucking game, she’d learn soon enough that I wasn’t one to lose.
“I seem to remember being on the other side of that heartbreak,” I mused.
B shot to her feet suddenly, looping her arm through Jenna’s before she could respond. “We should make the rounds, I want to introduce you to everyone.”
