Twisted Deal | A not-so cliche fake dating romance

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sebastian

I knew I wanted to talk to Jen.

There was no argument about it. For the last few weeks, we have been running into each other. That was bound to happen because the girls liked to hang out at Andre's palace, and I did as well. So we passed each other sometimes, and when Jen would think I'm not looking, she would watch me. At first it was a genuine shock that I was around her, and then her gaze was softer as she studied me. Like she was trying to check in to make sure I was okay. I knew everyone was worried about me, and I didn't like it. But I was appreciative about it because there weren't many people who would care about me this much.

Jen watched me for the longest time. Then, as I got better and was no longer sulking at every hangout, she had been glaring at me. I felt her gazes harder now. I felt the heat of her glare and it really did shock me. I was shocked but also scared of how much I had hurt her. To have someone look at me like that was very hard, and to know it was Jen was even worse.

I only ever wanted to care for Jen as best I could.

I never meant to hurt her at all.

I'm wrapping up conversation with Miles, who was checking on Evie, when I hear most of the guests calling it a night. Miles looks over at me and says, "You're heading out as well?"

"Yeah," I answer, and he gives me a smile. "And," he starts softly, "And I assume you'll be talking to Jen tonight?"

"How do you know that?" I ask him, and he chuckles. "As if I don't know you," he says with a roll of his eye. "But also, you keep glancing at her even from here and how Jen has been looking at you expectantly."

"Hm," I muse with a sigh. Guess he really did know me after all. "So I guess I'll be heading out there now."

Miles nods, and when I turn away to leave, he calls out my name. I turn back to him, and he says, "Make sure to talk about everything, okay? Don't leave out details that you think aren't important. Trust me, they are to girls. And listen to her, okay? Don't act defensive, or else you'll lose the girl."

"Who says I don't want to lose the girl?" I ask him.

He shakes his head at me. "I don't know how you did it—or if it was your conscious—but you had been falling for Jen while you were still in love with Hannah. It's weird, and yet it happened."

"Miles, you don't know that," I say to him.

"Yeah, you can say what you want, but I do," he says with a shrug. Then he says, "Good luck."

I nod and say, "Thank you. Good night"

"Night, you fool," Miles answers, and I shake my head as I walk out of the room. When I get to the living room, I find Jen looking through her purse at the front door. She looks to be looking for something or stalling, but when I see her, I walk over to her. Then I say, "Hey."

She looks up at me, releasing a breath out of her mouth at the sight of me. '"I didn't know if you were too sure about us talking. Thought you left."

"I was talking to Miles," I answer, smiling at her to ease the tension. But nothing would be immediately better until we both talk everything out. "And I wasn't kidding when I told you to find me. You could have."

She tucks all pieces of her hair behind her ear, and she looks older for some reason. It was just the length of her hair, but it made her look good regardless. "Yeah, I know I just..." She trails off and instead concludes with a shrug.

"Talk in my car?" I ask her as I nod and hold the door open. She steps through, and when she looks back to speak to me, her hair barely grazes her shoulder. It makes me want to touch her bare shoulder, but I don't. Not when Jen couldn't look at me without a glare. Her hair was still blonde from all the years of bleaching, but now it was growing out to be a dirty blonde. She looked different, so different. I hadn't realized how much she had changed in the last six months I'd been gone and this month. It seemed she looked the most different this month. "Sure," she answers, and I nod.