Cocky Notes - Leesa Bow Page 0,53

you?” Her green eyes search mine for honesty. The truth is bubbling up inside of me bursting to give it to her straight.

“Yes. Past tense. I can barely stand the sight of you now.”

“I don’t believe you.” She takes a step closer and gets in my face. “You’re angry and hurt at what I did, and you’re allowing those feelings to get in the way of how you really feel. I did what I had to do to keep you.”

“Keep me,” I croak. “You hadn’t lost me then. I still have no idea why you pretended you were pregnant.”

“Because you were going to leave me here until you settled in Adelaide. We both know you were not going to ask me to come, after living with three guys and starting to receive all the attention of famous football players. We were high school lovers. You were hitting the big time and would forget about me. Forget about us. I couldn’t risk it. I wanted to come with you and be by your side from the start of your football fame.”

I shake my head at the memory. “Why the hell are we even discussing this?”

“Because we never did when shit went down between us. You blocked me out.” She takes another step, clutches my hand holding the beer and stares up with an earnest gleam in her eye. A quality I remember from when I actually liked her. “Refused to talk to me or anyone else about us. You’re stubborn and block out what you don’t want to deal with.”

“We all deal in our own way and do what we need to go on. It took me a while to trust anyone again,” I snarl. “Guess I have you to thank for opening my eyes to what some girls are capable of to get their own way, and…” I swallow thinking about what facts I discovered after her fake pregnancy stunt, “… my future.”

I never shared those facts with anyone other than my parents and Chance.

“So why are you looking miserable about being home when you intend to return here at the end of the football season?”

Emptying the contents in one go, I reach into the ice and grab another beer. I clink my beer bottle against her wine glass. “A few more of these, and I won’t be so miserable, as you put it.”

“So, it’s not me,” she says and smiles as though she is a step closer to getting into my bed.

“Not this time.” I guzzle more beer.

“Trust me, they’re all easy to forget after a while. It comes back to the one person who you lost your heart to for real. We both know we’re meant to be together. You have to let some of the hurt go. You’re older, and I figure you’ve grown up since then.”

“You thought I acted immature telling you to fuck off after you lied about being pregnant? You carried the lie for a month and lied to the family. Christ, we are so different. And no. I don’t believe we were meant to be together. Since you want to know what’s bugging me, it’s that I found someone else. Someone I thought I could trust. Turns out she was no better than you. Guess I can’t pick ‘em. So, if I were to make a resolution… it’s to avoid heartless bitches like you and develop a sense to know a witch before she gets her claws into me.” Man, it felt good to get that out. I wash the good feeling down with more beer.

“Felicity. Reef. Happy new year.” Chance clinks his bottle against mine. “Strange to see you two talking and not shouting at each other.”

“It’s the new year,” Felicity says, batting her fake lashes. “We’re discussing resolutions and new beginnings. The new year is about hope. Right, Reef?”

“Right,” I groan and down another mouthful of beer. Her words remind me of what the assistant said to me in the jewellery store when I purchased the necklace for Macy. After drinking myself to sleep since Christmas Day, I told myself I wouldn’t think about her tonight. And like a switch, she’s back in my thoughts.

“How’s Macy?”

I clench my jaw trying not to lose my shit. “You could ask Brody,” I snap.

Both Chance and Felicity stare at me as if I’ve grown two heads.

“I thought there was a reason he was looking sombre,” she says to Chance. “If you need cheering up, you know where to find me.”

Felicity walks away leaving Chance