The Game Changer The Final Score - By L.M. Trio Page 0,74

n— no,” I stutter. Mikey gives me a frown.

“Oh good, so you don’t mind introducing us?” Cyndi responds, eyeing him up and down as she scoots closer to him.

I’m appalled and pissed that she actually acts this way in front of me. Mikey on the other hand seems amused by it.

“Mikey, this is Cyndi,” I say harshly, taking a step back.

“Nice to meet you,” Mikey says while noticeably checking her out. Now that I’m totally pissed off, I leave them to talk as I storm off.

Thankfully, I spot Luke and JJ talking with friends on the other side of the bar. Everyone is already congratulating them on their engagement. I catch up to meet them, thankful for the distraction. They look happy and seem to be having a good time hanging out with everyone.

I glance over, watching Cyndi and Mikey. She looks to be doing all of the talking, but he doesn’t seem to mind, especially when she runs her hand down his arms every time she laughs at something he says.

“I’ll be right back. I’m running to the bathroom,” JJ says, breaking my trance.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Luke asks, protectively wrapping his arm around her waist.

“I think I got it.” She laughs. He pulls her close and kisses her lips before releasing her. God, they’re pathetic.

Luke watches her as she walks away. His friends take note and tease him about it. He laughs along with them, knowing he’s caught.

***

(Jesse)

I step out of the stall, only to come face-to-face with Alexa who is standing at the mirror. She’s running her fingers through her sexy, blonde locks of hair, shaking it out wildly. The bathroom is tight and there isn’t much space, so I have no choice except to stand beside her as I wash my hands. I can feel her staring at me, wanting to say something.

“I’m sorry,” she finally says. I ignore her and continue washing. “I’m sorry for what I did to you,” she repeats, watching me through the mirror.

I confidently pull my lipstick from my purse, being sure to apply it with my left hand, baring my shiny new diamond as it glistens off the mirror. I’m not the scared girl I used to be.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. You weren’t a factor in my life then, and you most certainly aren’t a factor in my life now,” I say arrogantly as I continue to apply my lipstick with a steady hand.

Alexa smiles timidly. “I deserve that.” She pauses. “You’re right, I never was. From the first day I saw him with you, I knew that. He never looked at me the way he looked at you.” I don’t respond, but she gets my attention and I look at her through the mirror. “I hated you for it, and I did a lot of shitty things to try and get in your way. Obviously, it didn’t work.” A sorrowful smile falls from her face.

“Why are you telling me this? It doesn’t even matter now, it was high school,” I ask, turning to face her.

“See, that’s the thing. It doesn’t matter to you, but it was a huge wake up call for me. I guess you don’t know how it feels to have someone you care about not even be able to look at you because all they want is for you to be someone else. God, it’s not like he even tried to hide it, even when we were together. He made a point of telling me numerous times that I wasn’t you and I’d never be you.” She laughs to herself, shaking her head. “It took me a while, but I finally got it. I realized I didn’t want to be the girl that everyone used to have a good time. It made me want what you had, someone that respected me, loved me and defended me… someone that actually liked spending time with me.”

“Well then, good for you,” I reply, seeming a bit sarcastic. I’m not sure what to make of her. I stuff my lipstick in my purse and turn to leave.

“I guess, I shouldn’t have said, ‘I was sorry.’ I guess what I meant is, thank you. I think I’m a better person now. I still haven’t found that guy, yet, but at least I’m making better choices, hoping to find him some day.” She smiles and it’s a sincere smile.

It’s now clear to me that I’m not the only one who has changed over the last two