Heartbreak Lover (Broken Hearts Academy #2) - C.R. Jane Page 0,15
to possibly be ignored.
“You have to get back to Landry,” he growled, the sound setting my insides aflutter with lust, even as guilt over my actions battled for supremacy.
“We’re dating,” I told him, and I hated how it sounded apologetic coming out of my mouth.
“He’s telling everyone that you’re his girlfriend.”
“I think that’s none of your business.”
We stared at each other until another cheer told me I’d lingered for too long. I ran away, feeling his hot gaze licking along my spine the entire time.
People were still hugging each other and celebrating loudly when I found my way back to my seat. “We won!” Lane cried as she jumped at me, encompassing me in a warm hug I didn’t think I deserved.
She sniffed and pushed away from me. “You didn’t!” she practically yelled, sounding strangely not disappointed in me.
“Did what?” I asked, trying to sound innocent. Lane’s gaze flicked over to where Jackson was just sitting down in his seat again, Caiden questioning him about something with a frown on his face.
“I’m supposed to believe it’s just a coincidence that you came back smelling like Jackson and sex at the same time as him? Girl, y’all’s hair was not that rumpled before you left. And I was watching him, the second you got out of your seat and left, he was like a bat out of hell hustling up those stairs.”
I pulled on the bottom of my hair, near tears. “We didn’t have sex. Also, how do you know what Jackson smells like?” I commented defensively.
She rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t help but take a sniff a time or two as he passed by, I’m only human.”
I sighed and ran a stressed and guilty hand across my face.
“Oh honey…this is a good thing,” she cooed softly as she patted my arm.
“But Landry…”
She scoffed. “I know I’ve given you a hard time, but Landry knew the deal when he started after you. He knew you and Jackson were something, and he still didn’t give up. He knows you and Jackson are complicated, and yet he still is trying to be all up in your business. Frankly…it’s fucking annoying.”
I stare at her, shocked. I’d always thought that she liked Landry, that she was rooting for him.
“I’m just not convinced that the good guy is who you’re supposed to end up with in this story,” she told me with a shrug. She caught Jackson looking at me again and leveled him with a saucy wave. His eyebrows rose in surprise, and I could tell he didn’t know if he was supposed to respond or not.
The awkward moment was so unlike Jackson that I couldn’t help but laugh.
It felt good to laugh.
I didn’t know if Lane was right or not about Landry, but it sure helped to absolve some of my guilt.
“I need to tell Landry tonight, regardless,” I told her, looking over to where the hockey team was proudly hoisting the championship trophy up high.
She grabbed my shoulders. “No you do not. Why can’t you have fun while you figure all this crap out? Besides…he just won the championship, let’s not douse his hopes and dreams by telling him that the hottie he’s obsessed with was making out with his arch-rival at the end of the game and missed his final goal.”
My cheeks blazed scarlet, I could feel my blush heating up my neck and cheeks as it spread.
“He called me his girlfriend the other day,” I reminded her.
She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t hear you acknowledge it or call him boyfriend, babe. Trust me…Landry knows the score.”
I eyed her suspiciously.
“What do you know?” She pretended to look innocent, and I realized how laughable it was when I tried that same face on her. “Lane…”
“Tony may have mentioned that Landry had talked about it,” she finally said with a shrug. Tony was her goalie fling.
“What did he say?” I demanded.
“He just was ranting about how you’d acted when you saw Jackson the other day. He told Tony he was going to do everything he could to keep you but that Jackson would fight dirty.”
She shrugged as if what she was saying was no big deal. “Tony asked him if he thought you were fucking Jackson, and he said he didn’t care if you were, that eventually, he would win you over.”
My mouth dropped.
“So you see, that was a good thing. He knows he’s got to work for it, and he’s willing to.”