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For the first time, in a long time, I’m finally ready to move on.
Now, if only Shannon will forgive me.
Chapter Twenty
Jamie
The next morning, I stop Tucker on his way into the kitchen, telling him I need to talk to everyone. He grabs an energy drink from the fridge and then follows me into the living room. I cup my hand around my mouth and yell upstairs for Drake, Preston, and Trent. I haven’t spoken a word to anyone since leaving Cece’s house. But I have to get this off my chest. They all deserve to know who’s been trying to ruin their lives.
A minute later, the rest of my friends shuffle into the living room. Trent sits next to Tucker on the couch. Drake and Preston take their places on the other side of the sectional. With my hands shoved into my pockets, I stand in front of the coffee table staring at each of them.
I suck in a deep breath to prepare myself for the barrage of questions I’m about to receive from them.
“Cece’s The Queen,” I confess.
My confession drains the energy from the room. All of them look too stunned to speak. Slack-jawed, Preston shakes his head at me.
“That bitch,” Drake says, breaking the silence. “Taylor wouldn’t even talk to me over the dick-pic post.”
“What about me?” Preston growls. “She called me out on dating Bex before I told Coach about us. He could’ve kicked me off the team.”
“Instead, you managed to kick yourself off the team,” I quip. But he doesn’t look so thrilled by my attempt at a joke.
Preston’s jaw hardens as he stares at me.
Tucker laughs which confuses all of us.
A beat passes between us before Tucker glances over at Preston and says, “You gotta be kidding me? You hooking up with Bex is nothing. How about what she did to Trent and me?”
“And Jemma,” Trent adds. “We weren’t planning to tell anyone she was pregnant.” He holds out his hand to motion to the group. “Except for you guys.”
“I’m sorry for what she did.” I wave my hand in the air to get their attention, and once I have it, I continue, “But we have bigger problems.”
Drake crosses his arms, pushing out his chest. “She put us all through hell.”
“Why did she do it?” Preston asks.
“To get to me,” I admit.
Preston smirks. “You fucked her, didn’t you?”
I look away from him shoving my hands into my pockets. He thinks he knows me so well. But the new Jamie can control himself around Cece because she’s no longer my weakness. I proved that much last night. Even Cece was shocked by my ability to push her away.
“Like you even had to ask,” Drake says. “He can’t resist that stupid cunt.”
“Never could,” Preston adds.
“Hey, all of you need to shut the fuck up,” I growl, throwing my hands in the air. “Look, I’m sorry she told the whole school about you and Bex…” I say to Preston, “… and about you showing your dick to every girl on campus,” I say to Drake. Then, I turn to Trent and Tucker. “And most of all, you two. I mean, what she said about you guys could’ve gotten Tuck kicked out of school. She exposed Jemma’s pregnancy and a whole bunch of other shit. I don’t even know what to say other than sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Tucker says, his tone sincere. “You didn’t make her do shitty things to us.”
Scratching the corner of my jaw, I sigh. “It’s my fault, though. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for me.”
“She left you,” Preston says. “She’s the one who walked away.”
“Yeah, but I…” I shift my weight to my other foot, avoiding their gazes.
“But what?” Preston asks.
“I did something I shouldn’t have done. I brought this on all of us.”
“Jamie,” Preston warns.
“What did you do?” Drake finishes.
“Last summer, I hacked through the firewall at her father’s company.”
Preston blows out a puff of air, his nostrils flared. “Why would you do that?”
“Because she stole a game I was working on for my dad and tried to pass it off as her own.”
“I don’t get it.” Drake leans on the arm of the couch, confusion scrolling across his face.
“What are you talking about?” Preston asks. “Cece broke up with you years ago. How could she have known anything about what you were working on to steal it?”
“I fucked up.” I join Preston and Drake on the couch, running a hand through my hair, tugging at the ends. “I did something stupid. I saw her in a forum and wanted to get her attention.”
“What’s it with you and that girl?” Trent says. “You need to let her go. Yeah, she’s hot, but she’s not worth all the bullshit.”
“Don’t go back to her,” Preston pleads. “Go beg Shannon to take your sorry ass back instead. You don’t need Cece. She’s only going to leave after she gets what she wants from you.”
