almost wince at the pain that flashes in her eyes.
After our breakup, I did everything possible to push Alyssa to the outer recesses of my mind. I fucked every jersey chaser who would spread her legs. And yet, it was never enough. They were never Alyssa. Every girl was a paper-thin imitation of the only one I’d ever cared about. She’s dominated my thoughts for more years than I care to admit. Laying my hands on her Saturday night only amplified the emotion coursing through me.
I have no idea if there’s anything I can do or say to earn her forgiveness, but I have to make an effort. Believe it or not, my intention hadn’t been to piss her off more than she already is. I’d only wanted her to acknowledge that there’s still something between us. If I can get her to admit that, then there’s a glimmer of hope we can pick up the pieces and move forward. “Lys—”
“Don’t call me that,” she snaps.
“Alyssa,” I correct, only wanting to soothe the fire I’ve inadvertently stoked to life. She swings away before I can finish. Unwilling to throw in the towel just yet, I huff out a breath and jog to catch up with her as she stalks toward the university.
A heavy silence settles over us as we walk side by side before stopping at a crosswalk. Campus looms on the other side of the street. Alyssa shifts impatiently. My guess is that she’s counting down the seconds until she can shake me loose. As I wrack my brain for something that will turn the tide of this doomed interaction, her phone dings with an incoming text. Without sparing me a glance, she pulls the slim device from her bag before peeking at the screen. I crowd closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the message.
Jack.
Who the fuck—
“Who the fuck is Jack?” I grunt as a surge of jealousy rushes through me.
Alyssa scowls as if she legit forgot I was hovering beside her before pocketing the phone without responding to the message. “None of your damn business.”
Wanna bet?
As difficult as it is, I keep that thought to myself. I don’t need to aggravate her any more than I already have. It’s almost impossible to believe there was ever a time she chased after me. You would never guess it from this disastrous interaction.
Even though I’m the one who fucked up our relationship, I don’t want her dating other guys. Maybe Alyssa doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s mine. She’s always been mine. Instead of holding her close and nurturing the love she had for me, I stomped on her heart and pushed her away.
There has to be a way for me to smooth this over. “Look, I—”
As soon as the light changes, Alyssa scrambles across the street. It only takes a few long-legged strides to catch up with her. It feels like that’s all I’ve done.
Given chase.
“How about we meet for lunch,” I suggest, knowing our time together is limited now that we’ve reached campus.
Her gaze stays focused on something in the distance only she can see. “Sorry, I’m busy.”
“That’s funny,” I narrow my eyes, “but I didn’t give you a specific time or date.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she says in a clipped tone before scowling. “Where you’re concerned, I’m busy for the foreseeable future.”
Damn, but she’s proving to be a tough nut to crack.
“Lys—” When she skewers me with a glare that could send a lesser man up in flames, I hastily correct myself. “Alyssa. I meant to say Alyssa.”
Impatience wafts off her in heavy waves as she grinds to a halt and swings toward me. She peers around before dropping her voice. “Whatever you’re trying to accomplish here, I’m not interested. I’m really not.” There’s a pause as she steps close enough for me to feel the heat of her body. It takes everything inside me not to reach out and grab hold of her just to prove her wrong. She still wants me. I see it buried beneath the fury in her eyes.
For the first time since Alyssa returned to Wesley, I wonder if it’s possible to break through the impenetrable walls she’s erected. Doubt trickles in before I stomp it out.
“Here’s the thing—you had me. I was all yours.” Pain flickers across her face before it’s once again masked behind a frosty exterior. “But you threw me away because you wanted to fuck your way through this campus.”