All Chapters of A Game of Hearts: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

When the cab arrived, I slid into the passenger seat while the two women sat in the back.Suddenly, Selena turned to Jessica and asked, "Jess, why didn't you tell me you and Cameron broke up?""It's nothing. Just a case of seeing things clearly and cutting my losses. There wasn't anything to tell you," Jessica replied flatly.Her words made me glance up at the rearview mirror, and our eyes met for a brief moment.There was so much in her gaze—things I couldn't understand.Selena's voice broke the silence again, "Lena, you don't look so good. Are you feeling okay?"I turned back to see that Jessica was very pale. Her brows were furrowed and her head was lowered, silent as ever.After a moment's hesitation, I spoke up, "Is it your stomach? You should take your medicine when you get home."Jessica lifted her gaze and locked eyes with me, her stare intense and unreadable.I quickly turned away, ignoring her.It had been so long since I had thought about her, yet her eyes—sharp li

It seemed like Jessica had really decided to latch onto me again. She kept calling me in the middle of the night. The moment I picked up, I could hear her sobbing on the other end.Annoyed, I tried to put some distance between us by coldly saying, "Jessica, I've started a new life. You need to go talk things through with Cameron and clear up whatever misunderstandings you have with him. Stop calling me in the middle of the night to cry. If you keep doing this, I'll block you!"Her crying stopped suddenly, and after a long pause, she sniffled and spoke in a shaky voice, "You can't be that cruel. You remember, don't you? When you were at your lowest, I was the one who helped you. I saved you, Sebastian. You haven't forgotten, right?"Those words hit me like a punch to the gut, dragging me back to when I was sixteen.I slumped down, feeling utterly defeated.If, over the past two months, I'd almost managed to forget about Jessica, this moment made it clear—I could never completely pu

That night, I found myself going over so many memories from our younger days.I didn't sleep at all.The next day, I couldn't help myself—I asked Selena to stop by and check on Jessica. Selena stayed over there for three days. Each evening after work, I would bring over groceries and cook for us. After the three of us had dinner together, I would wait for them to fall asleep before going home.But the more I did, the more it seemed to make Jessica feel I wasn't over her.Once Selena returned home, Jessica started finding excuses to catch me alone whenever her friend wasn't around.It was too late for all that now. Late affection was worth less than dirt. No matter how much she regretted it, the feelings were long gone for me. Back then, I would bend over backwards to make her a full seafood feast and wait for her for hours, but she didn't even send me a single message.She was the one who had pulled me out of the dark in my youth. But later, she stomped on me like I was nothing.

As the year wound down and companies began their breaks, Selena prepared to head back to her hometown. Before she left, we had dinner together, and just as she was about to go, she stood on her toes to hug me, promising to bring a gift when she returned.I grew up in an orphanage, so I stopped by to visit the head of the home before heading back and falling into my usual winter routine—eat, sleep, repeat. My one bit of exercise was moving my fingers to text Selena.[My mom made loads of pound cake. I bet you'd love it. I'll bring some back for you.][They're pressuring me to find someone… Honestly, I wanted to tell them I already have, but I was afraid they'd make me video call you and scare you off…][Seb, you've got to turn on the TV. They're playing your favorite movie!]Her messages were full of her warmth and energy. I could practically see her smiling as I read each one. And honestly, I couldn't stop myself from grinning too.Just then, another message from Selena came thro

Selena and I spent New Year's together, and I even posted about it on social media.I knew Jessica probably saw it. During the break, she stayed away—no more surprise visits, no late-night calls. I figured she finally accepted that it was over. But just as I was letting my guard down, she showed up again, pounding on my door in the middle of the night.When I opened it, Jessica stumbled inside, clearly drunk, throwing herself into my arms. It was like the night Cameron left—only this time, it was my name on her lips."Sebastian," she murmured, clinging to me tightly. "I can't take this anymore. I'm sorry, I wasted five years of your life. But I know now… it was never really Cameron. It's you."Her words were slurred, but I could feel the desperation in her grip."I can't watch you and Selena get closer," she whispered. "Every time I see you with her, it's like I'm dying inside."I tried to push her away. "Jessica, you're drunk.""Don't push me away," she said, tightening her hol