The Princess and The Jester - A.D. McCammon Page 0,24
further around my waist. “Yes and no.”
“I wouldn’t erase you, even if I could.”
My statement is acknowledged with a kiss on the back of my head.
“Cole?”
He chuckles. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Go to sleep, Princess.”
The buzz of my phone wakes me the next morning. My eyes slowly blink open, and an odd giddiness hums through my veins. Like a child waking up on Christmas morning anxious to see what Santa left for them. My groggy mind tries to separate the dream world from reality, searching for the cause of my good mood.
When I flop onto my back, a masculine scent wafts into the air. The sweet and spicy aroma isn’t foreign to me, though.
Cole.
My heart jumps, my head turning to the other side of the bed.
Empty.
I let out a sigh of relief, but a heaviness weighs on my chest. My brain conjures a memory of falling asleep in Cole’s arms, but it doesn’t seem real. The matching puzzle piece doesn’t fit the picture.
Rolling over, I eye the vacant spot next to me and slide my hand over the wrinkled sheets. They’re still warm. He was here. But why? Cole hates me.
“Around the time you ripped my fucking heart from my chest.”
I wince as his words echo in my head, the sting from them radiating through me. He’s been relentlessly wrathful for so long, but last night he seemed injured.
Broken.
He crawled into my bed and held me as we slept. Just like he’s done so many times before. Does that mean he might be able to forgive me?
“No more lies, Princess.”
It’ll never happen. There’s always going to be one thing standing in the way: the truth.
My phone vibrates again, and I roll back over to grab it. There’s a message from Cole to Phantom Girl, and my stomach knots as I open it.
He kissed me, touched me, and claimed me last night. Then climbed into my bed and slept with me. Now he’s messaging another girl first thing in the morning?
Yesterday 11:20 PM
Goodbye, Cole.
Until tomorrow, PG.
8:00 AM
Good morning. Ready to admit
you’re jealous of Violet yet?
His arrogant question gives me a bad case of déjà-vu, and my heart skips as the scene plays out in my mind.
“Ready to admit you want me yet?”
Is he playing with both of us—me and Phantom Girl? Or does he realize there’s only two players on the board? No, it has to be a coincidence. If he knew, why wouldn’t he say something?
To mess with your head. Duh!
The entire weekend felt like mental warfare with Cole. This could just be part of his arsenal. But how would he know? Maybe he only suspects and thinks he can get me to confess.
You can try to ignore me if you
want, but I can be very persistent.
I could always block you.
True. But you won’t.
Isn’t there someone else you’d
rather be annoying first thing in
the morning?
My stomach flutters as those typing bubbles blink. Asking him this type of question isn’t very smart. It’s too telling. And it’s very possible I won’t like his answer. But I can’t help myself.
Is that your way of asking me
about Violet?
I groan. Fucking Violet.
If that’s what you need to tell
yourself.
Damn. You’re so stubborn.
Because I find it adorable, I’ll
tell you. Violet and I are JUST
friends. She’s in love with my
best friend. And he’s in love with
her. Which means I would never
even think about hooking up
with her.
Relief washes over me, and I bite back a smile as if he can see me.
So, you expect me to believe
there’s no girl in your life?
Only you, PG.
My heart flutters, but quickly drops. He’s not talking about me. He means Phantom Girl. You know you’ve reached the peak of insanity when you’re jealous of yourself.
For all you know, I could be a
guy.
Lol. That’s what Thatcher said.
But you’re not. I’d bet my life on it.
My eyes widen and I sit up. I’m not sure which part of his message makes me more anxious.
How could he be so sure I’m not a dude? And why the hell would he tell Thatcher about our messages?
You told Thatcher about me?
Of course. Don’t you tell your best
friend everything?
“You didn’t even tell your best friend about me. About us.”
Guilt gnaws at my gut. He seemed so hurt Mia didn’t know about our relationship. She didn’t even know we knew each other. Though she finally got some of the story yesterday, I left out the part about tricking Cole into talking to me.