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Game of Hearts 045
Jenna Brooks’s POV For the next few days, I stayed glued to Mum’s side. It had already been six days since the doctor told us she had a few more days to live. Auntie Laurel had arrived in Cronners yesterday to be there for us. Then she had apologized for not telling me about Mum’s condition. She had said she had kept it from me because Mum didn’t want me to know. It didn’t stop me from hating her though, she literally kept the fact that my Mum was dying, from me.I sat in the ICU, looking at Mum—to savor her, to remember her. But at the same time, I didn’t want to remember her like this. So every time I looked at her, within moments, I looked away again. Sometimes I’d force myself to grab her hands and tell her I loved her and that I was here for her, but most of the time I wasn’t strong enough to do that. So instead, I sat in the chair in a corner, and I looked at her occasionally, but otherwise I looked out the window and tried not to break down.My phone beeped with a text
Game of Hearts 046
Jenna Brooks’s POV I woke up and stretched in bed, feeling all my aching muscles and joints. It was early still, just after seven, but the sky was still dark and snowing outside my window. I sat up and rubbed my eyes as I looked around my room. Empty wrappers, dirty plates and toilet papers were everywhere. It was a complete mess because I hadn’t stepped out of my room and had been eating here since Mom’s funeral, four days ago.I was wearing one of Mom’s favorite floral dress and I’d worn them for four days now. My hair was also greasy. I knew staying in bed for most of the day wasn’t helping my situation but I just wanted to be left alone. As long as I could sleep and stuff my face, I felt numb, and numb was good; numb didn’t hurt.It felt like everyone else had moved on from Mom’s death, everyone except me. Dustin was back in boarding school, he was still too young to understand the gravity of what had happened. Liam had gone back to Houston and Auntie Laurel was still arou
Game of Hearts 047
Jenna Brooks’s POVA Month Later… Mrs. Andrés clutched her attendance book tightly to her chest as she said, "You should all strive for perfect attendance. It will greatly benefit your college applications." Then, her gaze landed on Bethany, the class president. "Take a page out of Beth's book. She hasn't missed a day of school since the semester started. Beth, your perfect attendance will be written in history someday.""Yes, in crayon," I mentally replied. Except, it wasn't so mental because the entire class was now staring at me. Did I really say that out loud?Mrs. Andrés's gaze bore into mine. "My office, now!"As I stood up and followed her, I caught Liam's gaze. Liam and I were no longer together, but he had helped me through these past few weeks. He didn't break up with me; I broke up with him because I was scared.I was afraid of becoming too attached to him. Since I had been most attached to mom when she was alive, I worried that all that attachment would transfer to whoev
Game of Hearts 048
Jenna Brooks’s POV“Yes, Jenna?" Mrs. Andrés finally acknowledged me when she noticed my raised hand."The seat belongs to Olivia. We can't just let a random stranger have it," I explained.Stig gasped dramatically, "Oh my God, Jenna. You're being racist.""What? I'm not! What does that have to do with this?""That's exactly what you're doing, Jenna," he retorted, raising his hand with a clenched fist in a protest-like manner. "It's the twenty-first century, Jenna. People don't think that way anymore. Say no to racism!"The class joined in, chanting, "No to racism!"I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows and drop my jaw in surprise. He had turned my simple statement into a protest?"Quiet!" Mrs. Andrés yelled, successfully calming the class. "Take the seat next to Jenna."Stig walked over to the chair beside me, and I glared at him as he did. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under from the intensity of my glare. I already hated him.*** Second semester came with sel
Game of Hearts 049
Conrad Declan’s POV “Mom, I love Jenna and I want to be with her," I said. Mom stared at me in surprise, glancing at Jenna and then back at me."What's going on?" Mom finally asked.Jenna kept her head down, so I spoke up for myself."I've liked Jenna for a while now, Mom," I said calmly."How long?""Since we were kids, I don't know. I tried to suppress my feelings for her, but I can't anymore."Mom turned to Jenna. "Did you know about this?""Yes, Auntie Laurel," Jenna replied.Mom took a step closer to Jenna and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do his feelings for you make you feel uncomfortable?""Nope," Jenna replied, but I knew she was lying."Then I have no say in this. You're both old enough to address your feelings, and I support whatever decision you make," Mom said, smiling and clutching her bag tightly. "I have to get back to the office now."Mom hugged Jenna and rushed down the hallway, leaving just Jenna and me standing there. As Jenna tried to walk into her room,
Game of Hearts 050
Jenna Brooks’s POV“Oh my God, Jenna, you look amazing!" Conrad exclaimed as he approached me."What are you doing here?" I asked calmly, trying not to sound evasive."Are you that surprised to see me here?" he asked with a smirk."Not really.""Exactly. The real question is, what are YOU doing here, Jenna?" he asked, taking a step closer to me as I took two steps back."I...came with a friend," I replied, not wanting to get Jeanette in trouble."You have no friends, Jenna. I know you came with Jeanette.""I...""It's cool, I'm not going to tell on you guys," Conrad replied, and I breathed a sigh of relief.There was nothing more to say to him. I turned and walked towards a chair by the bonfire in the middle of the lawn."It's really chilly, don't you think?" Conrad asked as he sat next to me. I watched as he took off his denim jacket and handed it to me. "You should wear this."I couldn't refuse; I was too cold to think. I slipped into the jacket and murmured a "Thanks."We sat i
Game of Hearts 051
Jenna Brooks’s POV“What the hell happened last night?" Jeanette exclaimed, her hand still covering her mouth.A familiar knot formed in my stomach. How could I not remember kissing Conrad? And why didn't he mention it to me? I clenched my fists and hurried down the hallway to my classroom.It felt like I was a magnet, drawing everyone's attention. As soon as I entered the classroom, all eyes turned towards me. Some glared at me with hatred, while others whispered in surprise, too afraid to show their true feelings.Conrad was nowhere to be found. As I turned to leave the class, I collided with Liam. Fuck, I completely forgot about him. When our eyes met, a wave of guilt washed over me, and I couldn't hold his gaze. Liam took my hand and led me out of the class, down the hall, and into the quiet auditorium.He released my hand and waited for an explanation."That video doesn't mean anything, Liam. I was drunk," I started, watching him grab a plastic chair and slowly sit down. "Are
Game of Hearts 052
Jenna Brooks’s POVI stormed out of the auditorium and down the hallway, ignoring the constant stares. I was determined to find Conrad and put an end to this."Do you know where Conrad is?" I asked Bethany, the class president, as I entered the classroom. Neither Conrad nor Liam were present.Bethany rolled her eyes at me. "You're his girlfriend, you should know where he is," she replied before walking away.As if being disliked by everyone wasn't enough, this whole Conrad situation was only going to make things worse. Stepping out of the classroom, I bumped into a girl, she was definitely a junior. Her gaze met mine and she shuddered under my stare.“I’m so sorry, Jenna. I shouldn’t have done it.” She said, almost in tears.I was taken aback, “It’s fine. It’s my fault.”The girl held my hand and I could see guilt in her deep blue eyes, “It’s not about that, Jenna. I did something bad. The video, I made the video.” she confessed.I cocked my eyebrows, I wasn’t sure I heard right becaus
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Game of Hearts Epilogue
Jenna Brooks’s POV As hugged Conrad tightly but he wasn’t hugging me back, I wasn’t sure why. I let my hands slip down to his waist and looked up at him but he wasn’t looking at me. It was like he don’t want to see me.I slowly let go of him and took a step back, searching his eyes. He didn’t say anything, instead, he held up his phone. My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the screen. It was definitely Liam and I at the theater. How did this get to Conrad’s phone? Who sent this to him? How long had he seen it? What did he think of me now? I had a lot of questions running in my mind. Questions I was just too afraid to ask because I was scared if what the answer might be."Someone sent this to me, Jenna. How could you lie to me? How could you be with Liam?" Conrad asked , his fists clenched as he took a step away from me.My face twisted in guilt. "Conrad, I..." I began, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you about it. It meant nothing, it was f
Game of Hearts 070
Jenna Brooks’s POV"Sure, I'll be there in thirty minutes," I hesitated before finally clicking the send button on my phone.I placed my phone on my dresser and took one last look in the mirror. I was dressed in a tank top, jeans, and black high tops. My hair was thrown up in a messy bun.I grabbed my jacket and tucked my phone into my bag before leaving the room. Liam and I were going to see a play today, and he was already on his way to the theater.I had asked him not to pick me up from home because I didn't want him to see me. I had already lied to Conrad, telling him I was going to the library to avoid any potential issues.As I walked down the hallway, I paused in front of Conrad's room and opened the door, scanning the room with my eyes as I stood in the doorway."Conrad?" I called out softly, but there was no response. I entered the room completely and closed the door behind me.As I approached his bed, I suddenly felt hands wrap around my waist from behind. I recognized tha
Game of Hearts 069
Jenna Brooks’s POV"I... I don't know," I stuttered, and Liam smiled.I watched as he picked up his phone and stared at the screen for a moment before raising his head to look at me."The play is this weekend. If we go watch it, we can study the staging, characters, analyze the theme, set design, and performance history all in one go. That's like fixing ninety-five percent of the project in one day without burying your face in a book for days."It was a great idea, but I still had my doubts. Conrad was already worried about me being paired with Liam. He would flip if he knew we were going to watch a play together, which was more like watching a movie together."You're worried about Conrad?" Liam asked, setting his phone down on the desk with a smirk on his lips. "Don't you think you're overthinking? It's just a play. For a project. Emphasis on 'project.' It's not personal.""Alright," I replied, and I could see Liam's face light up.The play was the best option. It would save us time
Game of Hearts 068
Jenna Brooks’s PerspectiveI didn't like the way Liam glared at me when Mr. Bassett called both of our names, nor did I appreciate Conrad's annoyed reaction as he walked out of the class. It was unusual for him to be so angry out of nowhere. I wasn't sure if he was mad because I got paired with Liam or if it was something unrelated.As Mr. Bassett left the class, Liam slowly approached my desk and leaned in, placing his hand on it. He didn't say anything, as if he was waiting for me to speak."Hey," he finally whispered."Hi," I replied softly."My grades have slipped a bit, and I really need this project to improve them. Will you work with me?" He leaned in closer and smiled suddenly. "So, what do you say? Let's work together?"I stared at him for a moment before regaining my composure. This was too easy. I had expected him to make a big deal out of it, but he was ready to work together. Was there something I needed to be worried about?"Sure, let's make this work," I replied, and h
Game of Hearts 067
Conrad Declan's POV"I have no idea what to get my girlfriend for Valentine's Day," I said to Carter as I sat in a chair next to his bed.We were in the school nurse's office because Carter had indigestion and needed to lie down for an hour."Dude, you're only worried about Valentine's Day? What kind of friend are you?" he managed to say, trying to nudge me with his elbow but I dodged."Come on, you'll be up in no time. This is my first Valentine's Day with Jenna and I want it to be special," I said, tapping my foot anxiously.Being with Jenna was amazing. I loved her and wanted everything to be perfect on Valentine's Day. I wanted her to feel special because she was special to me."Relax, bro. I have an idea.""Really?""Yeah, but first, get me my phone," Carter said with a smirk."Where is it?""In my locker, I forgot to grab it."Sighing, I stood up. "I'm only doing this for Jenna."Carter smiled. "I know you're crazy about her. Now, go get it."Rolling my eyes, I left the nurse'
Game of Hearts 066
Jenna Brooks’s POVLiam was one of the few guys I knew that didn’t smoke but seeing him with a cigarette and thick smoke coming out of his mouth, broke me.When did he start smoking? Didn’t he know about the repercussions? He had never smoked, why did he suddenly pick up the habit now?A smirk curled up on his lips as soon as he saw me, “If it isn’t Conrad’s little girlfriend,” he said in a sarcastic tone and leaned against the wall.His words didn’t hurt me as much as the sudden change in him. He was the opposite of what he used to be and it saddened me. I didn’t want to see him like this, I didn’t want him like this.“What happened to you?” I asked as softly as I could as I took a step closer to him. He frowned, “What do you mean?”“You know what I mean, Liam. This isn’t you.” I said again. He took out the cigarette from his lips and tossed it aside.“I haven’t changed, it’s still me.”“No, Liam. It isn’t. Everything about you is different now. Your hair is different, your dressing
Game of Hearts 065
Jenna Brooks’s POVThe same Liam who told me he would never dye his hair now had golden hair, the same Liam who told me he hated tattoos now had a cobra tattoo on the back of his palm, and the same Liam who hated ripped jeans was wearing one. What happened to him?Finally, I was able to find a breath and filled my lungs with air. “Liam…” I trailed off.He smirked at me before taking his seat, unfortunately, the one in front of me.Conrad soon walked in and he was equally surprised to see Liam. He walked up to his chair and said, “It’s good to have you back, man,” and then they fist-bumped.How? They weren’t even that close but he could fist bump him and not me? Conrad sat next me me and asked if I was okay. I nodded. Class soon commenced and I shut the thought of Liam out of my mind.***“What do you think?” Conrad asked me as he put the necklace around my neck. It was silver with clear rhinestones. I loved it.The class had just ended and we had recess before after school study sess
Game of Hearts 064
Jenna Brooks’s POVConrad and I had been together for more than a week now and everything had been perfect so far. We had both dropped out of the prom king and queen race and now, our relationship was drama-free.Everybody knew about us, when I said everybody, I meant everybody. Auntie Laurel had been so happy when we told her about us, Jamie jokingly said I deserved better and Jeanette said she already saw it coming although she still hadn’t forgiven me for giving up prom queen after everything she had put into it.Everybody at school also knew about Conrad and I. Stig was disappointed when I told him about the whole change of plans but he forgave me after I found him another prom date. Toralei’s reaction was the most shocking one. When I told her Conrad and I were now together and we both were dropping out of the race, she only said ‘Cool’ and then she walked away.But I knew there had to be something up her sleeves. I made both of us lose the chance of becoming prom queen, I would
Game of Hearts 063
Conrad Declan’s POVI leaned against the car as I waited for Jenna to step out. As I saw her walking out of the house, I felt like I’d walked into a dream. My heart clenched, she looked beautiful in her sleeveless white gown.“Hey,” she said slowly, giving me a shy smile. I melted at the nervous look on her face but still, she had never looked this beautiful.“You look amazing,” I said and she smiled coyly and looked away. I pushed the button on the automatic locks and opened the car door for her. She sighed and sat down. I walked around the car and slid in next to her. Without saying anything, I pulled out of the driveway and turned on the radio. “How about we watch a movie?” I asked, glancing at Jenna before glancing back at the road.“Sure,” she said dryly and I frowned.“You don’t sound enthusiastic,” “No, we can do whatever you want,” she said. There was silence for a moment before she spoke again, “And, thank you.”I concentrated on the road, as I said, “For what?”“I would p
