Heartbreak Lover (Broken Hearts Academy #2) - C.R. Jane Page 0,63

crazy. I threw with Tom Brady today. I might have a crush on him now too.

I had to swallow my scream. I was a big fan of all things Tom Brady, and Jackson knew it.

Jackson: Was your day good?

I hesitated, wishing he was back and I could go ahead and tell him what happened today.

Me: It was fine. Missing you.

Jackson: I have to be up at 5 for weights and conditioning. Is it ok if we talk tomorrow?

Me: Of course.

Jackson: I love you.

The butterflies in my stomach, they turned into freaking honeybees. I almost felt…happy.

Me: Love you too.

I plugged in my phone to my charger and then read his text over and over again until I fell asleep.

Melanie was blissfully absent when I returned to my room the next evening. Lane had just left for a date with Brad after we’d spent hours getting her ready, and she’d told me just to stay in her room and wait for her. But her roommate was back, and the girl was not fond of me for whatever reason. So I was back in my dorm again, flinching at every sound, thinking it meant Melanie was about to walk in.

After exchanging a few more texts with Jackson, who had another early morning the next day, I changed into some lounging clothes, deciding that I would just read in bed for the rest of the night and then sleep in Lane’s room tomorrow during the day.

I didn’t care if Jackson had to use his popularity with the front office, I was switching rooms next week.

I started reading a book, chugging an energy drink to try and stay awake.

But I must have fallen asleep anyway.

I was awakened by searing pain in my scalp as Melanie dragged me by my hair off my bed. “You fucking bitch,” she seethed as she knocked my head against my desk while pulling me to the ground.

I thrashed against her, panic scratching at my spine when I realized that the psycho had managed to tie my hands together while I was sleeping.

I must have been more tired than I thought.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yelled as I tried to get my hair out of her grip. With how hard she was pulling, I was pretty sure I was in danger of being scalped at any moment.

I looked up at her as I continued to struggle. Melanie was makeup-less, her hair up in a ponytail, a crazed look in her gaze as she stared down at me, holding onto me tightly.

“You’ve ruined everything. He would’ve been mine if you’d never showed up, ya know? He was mine that summer, spending every night in my bed after he finished with you.” She rambled on and on, and it took me a second to figure out what she was talking about. Or should I say, who…

“Are you talking about Caiden?” I groaned, confused, as she slammed my head against the ground for good measure.

“Of course I’m talking about Caiden, you idiot. He was mine. He was my boyfriend in high school. He loved me. And then you lured him away with your little sob story. And he felt sorry for you, so he spent time with you, acted like your boyfriend because you begged him to. But he wanted to be with me. Every second he could get away from you, he was with me.” Angry tears fell down her face as she spoke, not even realizing that with her words, she’d once again reshaped a summer that I’d just thought I’d finally figured out.

“You knew him in high school?” I asked dumbly, facts failing to connect because I was pretty sure I’d just sustained another concussion, which couldn’t be good since I’d just recovered from one.

“You really haven’t been able to recognize me.” She laughed.

They told you the key was to keep an assailant talking until you could get help. But in this case, I really was interested in everything that she was saying. I just was having trouble comprehending it.

“I went to Northridge High. I bet I was at almost all of the parties you were at.”

She didn’t look familiar to me at all.

“It figures,” she spat out, obviously having read the lack of recognition on my face. “Everly James doesn’t care about anyone but herself.”

She began to hum to herself, as if she was lost in another world, before she shook her head and refocused…on me.

“Caiden talked about you all the time. About how you were stringing