The Jealousy Game {Completed}

Chapter Eleven - Denial

For a second, my whole world seemed to stop as my blood ran cold. I struggled to wrap my head around the words that Noah had just uttered. His eyes were downcast, as if he couldn't even bare to look at me.

“No. No way,” I denied, swallowing thickly and shaking my head vigorously. “Logan wasn’t like that.”

“Logan wasn’t who you thought he was. We all saw it. Everyone knew.”

Everyone knew? How was that even possible? How could everyone know and never tell me? It just didn't make sense! I refused to believe it was true, but a seed of doubt was still planted in my mind, which made me ask the question I asked next.

“Who was the girl?”

Noah cleared his throat and refused to make eye contact. He scratched the back of his head, and half-turned away from me. I stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, and my nails dug tightly into his skin. “Noah. Who. Was. The. Girl?” I asked again, my voice cold and deadly.

“There wasn’t just one girl,” he said finally.

I let go of his hand as I realized how painful my grip must’ve been. What was wrong with me?! It might not even be true! God, Marley, get a grip.

“He was with me all the time,” I said, denying it until the very end. I just couldn't let myself believe it might be true. “There was no way.”

“You hated parties, Marley. Every party, there were all kinds of girls throwing themselves at him. Didn’t you ever wonder why he never called Friday night? Why he blew you off?” Noah looked at me from under his lashes, and I felt tears brim my eyes at his words. The way each one was like an ice-cold knife stabbing into my heart.

I looked down at my lap. I thought about it. It was true. He was never available Friday nights. He never called or texted or went on a date with me. He always told me he was busy, or he had an after-party, or there was something else he had to do. And he left me at home like a fool, staring at my cell and praying for a call.

Was it because he was a little too busy with another girl?

I shook my head vehemently, dismissing the thoughts. No! Logan was a faithful boyfriend, and always had been. He was always by my side. He was the perfect boyfriend, and he'd never do that. 

“There’s no way,” I said, standing up and walking to the door. “I asked for answers. Noah. Not lies.”

“I’m not lying, Marley,” Noah said, his voice growing louder as he got angrier and more exasperated. “Do you have any idea how much it hurt me hiding it from you? Watching him walk all over you while you doted on him like the perfect girlfriend. Watching every Friday night as he disappeared upstairs with a new girl. One that wasn’t his girlfriend.”

I was speechless at the anger and emotion portrayed in his voice. How he truly seemed hurt. I couldn’t speak, but Noah filled up the tense silence for me.

“Do you know how much it hurt, knowing that he was with another girl, while you sat at home staring at your phone, waiting for him to call? Watching you every night when I came home from a party, knowing he was still there, in a spare bedroom with some new girl. I used to watch you  sitting on your bed, playing with your phone, waiting for him to call. But he never did." He closed the space between us, until we were mere inches apart. I could feel the body heat radiating off of him in waves, and his voice was almost inaudible when he finished. "Do you know how much it hurt me, knowing that he was the only thing on your mind, when he never even thought about you.”

Tears sprung to my eyes as he leant so close to me that his lips were centimeters from mine, and I could see every freckle on his nose. I could see each fleck of gold in his hazel eyes, feel each cool breath as he spoke.