Page 24 of Huge Games

"Hey." Gab places her hand on my arm. "Eddie's the king of the douches, Celine. A fleck of dick cheese. Just forget about him. Focus on the good things in your life."

That's easy for her to say. She's got three men who love her. What have I got? Two men who can fuck like gods, and one who told me I was trying to bandage my wounds with sex. I've got some sexy photos on Instagram and some hot memories. None of it keeps me warm at night or makes this terrible sinking feeling disappear.

But I know what will. Turning up at Eclet with three of the sexiest men in this town and showing Eddie that I've beat him three times over.

Elias will come, and Dornan. Travis's parting words were that he's there for me if I need him. Well, I need him now.

"You're plotting something." Gab narrows her kohl-rimmed eyes at me, tucking her hair behind her ear and leaning closer. "Tell me."

"What do you think about me turning up at Eclet with Elias, Dornan, and Travis?"

"I think it's unnecessary."

Leaning back in my chair, I focus on my plate. "It feels necessary to me."

"Well, then you should do it…if they agree." When I meet her gaze, it's filled with concern. "I'm just worried about you, sweetie. You're not acting like yourself. Half the time you were with Eddie, you were moaning about him and trying to find ways to escape the relationship."

"Exactly. But that's what I wanted when it was on my terms. None of what's happened has been on my terms."

"So, you don't want him back?"

I screw up my nose in disgust. "No. Ewww."

"You just want to prove that you're unaffected by what he's done?"

"Moving on to bigger and better things."

"And do you have feelings for Elias or Dornan…or Travis?" It's her turn to wrinkle her nose at her brother's name.

I think about how it felt to be in Elias's and Dornan's arms and the soft way Travis spoke to me about not wanting to hurt me. None of it could be labeled as feelings, but I'm not dead inside. They're gorgeous men who are caring enough to bother wanting to help me out. I enjoyed my time with them, even when Travis was trying to do what he thought was the right thing. He challenged me, and I like that.

"It's all just a big game."

Gabriella seems reassured, and she doesn't press me any further. Instead, she tells me about Dalton's cateringsuccesses and Blake's new tattoo. Kain doesn't go unmentioned, either. He's almost entirely recovered from the incident that nearly took his life and back to giving her non-stop orgasms. Seeing her so happy leaves me with mixed feelings. She's my friend, and I couldn't be more ecstatic that she's found ‘the ones’. But my envy is sharp and only adds to my hurt.

I don't finish my sandwich before we both have to leave for our next lecture.

When I'm done for the day, I grab a box of donuts and a carton of milk from the store and head back to my dorm. It's not exactly a nutritious dinner, but I'm in the mood for a sugary overload. When life is sour, only sweet will do.

As I eat a chocolate-glazed donut, I start to type out a request to Dornan. He's the most likely to agree to my crazy plan on the basis that we're friends above everything else. Then, I pause and stop chewing while I consider a different approach. If I send each of them an individual message, they won't see that I've asked the others. If I set up a group, maybe that'll make each of them more likely to want to say yes. A little peer pressure driven by a smidge of jealousy. The friction between Elias and Dornan has built up over years. Regardless of whether they're possessive over me, the competitive spirit lingers. I don't get the feeling that Travis is competitive about women. He seems relaxed about life in general. But at least this way, I'm being transparent.

I call the group Fake Dates and invite them all. Then, I type out my message.

Emergency! Eddie is taking a new girlfriend out to a restaurant tomorrow. Please, can you guys take me there….all three of you for maximum impact? I'll owe you for life!

When I send it, the piece of donut I've been chewing gets caught in my throat, and I have to glug down half a glass of milk to stop myself from choking. The message is delivered, and Dornan is the first to start typing a response. But then he stops. Elias looks like he's typing something out too, but then he stops. Travis doesn't type at all.

I wait and wait, wondering if anyone will answer either way. They agreed to help me with this fake dating game, but now it seems like they're backing out. I rest my phone face down on my desk and press my hands to my face.

An image of Eddie and Abbey sharing food and making a toast with glasses of bubbling champagne floods my mind, making me want to scream. His smug face grins at me from my own imagination, and a bubble of fury swells up inside me, so visceral that I slam my hand down on my desk. My pen pot overturns, and the remaining donuts jump on the plate. The bones in my hand vibrate and then ache from the impact, and I'm immediately regretful. Using my good hand to rub my hurting palm, I grumble.Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Why can't I just do what Travis and Gab suggested and forget this whole thing? Why does Eddie's infidelity grate at my skin and crush my soul? I want to be able to put this all behind me, but even considering it makes Eddie the winner in my mind.Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I think about my dad and how easily he left and let the contact between us reduce to almost nothing. Eddie didn't even think about cheating because he didn't think I was worth worrying about losing.

I twist my hands together in my lap, hating the slick, dark pulse of rejection that fills me.

Maybe this final date will be enough? I can put all these ideas of revenge games behind me and move on.

---