"Patience, Princess," I murmured against her lips, the words almost a growl.
She bit her lip, her frustration clear, but she didn't argue. Instead, she focused on the way I was driving her mad, her body trembling as I continued my slow, deliberate...
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JUSTINE
Jayden hasn’t reached out to me in days. I haven’t seen him at school, and he hasn’t come by my house. And while I know that’s what I asked for, the silence feels... unsettling. It’s what I thought I wanted—space, time to work on myself—but now that he’s stopped trying to make amends, it doesn’t feel good at all.
In a twisted way, I expected him to keep fighting. Keep begging for forgiveness. Keep proving that I mattered. But now that he's stopped, all I can think is that maybe he’s finally realized who he truly wants. And it’s not me.
I hate myself for sounding so toxic, but how could he go from texting me relentlessly, showing up at my window in the rain, to suddenly... nothing? It’s like he vanished. Like I never even existed. Just silence.
I still care about him so damn much. Deep down, I know he wasn’t lying. Especially now that I’ve had time to clear my head. Part of me wonders if I overreacted.
I can’t help comparing it, though. He mourned his past relationship with Madison for over two years, and yet, he only fought for me for a few days. That thought gnaws at me, even though I know I can’t compete with the history they had.
The traffic crawls along, matching my gloomy mood. It’s just one more layer of frustration on an already frustrating day. My mom forced me out of the house this morning. I ditched school yesterday, and she wasn’t having any more of it. I spent the weekend hiding in my room, replaying everything over and over. I wanted to do the same today, but she threatened to tell my dad I’d been skipping school. The last thing I need is for him to get involved—and for Jayden to somehow get in trouble because of me.
My phone rings, cutting through my thoughts. I glance down at the unknown number and my heart skips a beat. Maybe it’s Jayden, trying a different number to get through. My breath catches as I answer, but the voice on the other end isn’t his.
“Hello?” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Hi, Justine… it’s Madison,” her voice is shaky like she’s bracing herself for a confrontation.
My grip tightens on the phone. I can feel the anger bubbling up, but I force myself to stay calm. “Yes, I’m listening,” I manage, my voice clipped.
“I’d like to talk to you if you don’t mind. After school today.” She sounds nervous, but there’s determination in her voice.
“I don’t think seeing you right now will help me,” I say, trying to keep my tone even. Everything inside me is screaming at her, You ruined everything! You kissed him! You broke us! But I hold back.
“I promise I won’t take much of your time. I just want to clear some things up,” she pleads.
I grit my teeth but finally give in. “Fine. I can spare you an hour. After school.” My voice is sharp as I hang up, feeling a rush of annoyance.
