Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Another part of her just wanted to bawl out and cry. She felt so guilty about what happened between her and Jack. She knew she only had herself to blame for it. Helios had already warned her without words, but she had paid him no heed. And so it happened.
So many things she wanted to say, but in the end all she could say was, “Yeah. I’m at the soccer field, taking pictures.” She wanted to thump her head on the cold hard ground. God. She. Was. An. Idiot. Helios Andreadis was calling her long-distance. After their fight, he was the first one to unbend, the first one to call her. And that was all she had to say?
“I see.” Helios leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and feeling like he was treading closer to the battleground the further in he was into the conversation. “How have you been?”
She tried to answer, but her voice caught in the end. How the heck, she wondered wildly, would she answer that?
Helios heard the unexpected tremor in MJ’s voice and asked sharply, “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t answer, tears clogging her throat.
“MJ? Answer me.”
She wanted to, but what could she say?
Suddenly, everything became clear. He said harshly, “I know about it.”
MJ gasped, one hand flying to cover her mouth as another sob escaped her.
Helios closed his eyes, the only way to ward off images of MJ and another man disappearing into her room together. “I know Jack was in your room the other night.”
She almost dropped her phone at his words. Oh God, oh God. He really did know. She thought about denying it, thought about asking how he knew, but what was the point? He knew. Oh God, Helios knew.
The silence that strained between them made Helios’ breathing harsh. He wished, he wished and prayed with all his fucking might that she would deny it but the more time passed, the more the truth began to sink in.
They had done it.
Another man now knew the feel and taste of MJ’s body.
Helios wanted to go berserk at the thought.
“I’m sorry,” MJ said finally, her voice thin and shaky.
He forced himself to speak. “It’s fine. It happened. It’s all over – done with. We can forget about it—”
She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “I can’t forget about it. It was my fault.” She choked on another sob. “I never wanted to be that kind of woman, you know? I always thought I’d fall in love with just one guy, marry him, and live happily ever after. I kinda thought...I always thought it would be you.” She forced herself to laugh. “Silly, right?”
“It’s not silly,” Helios said painfully. “I think it’s sweet.”
She laughed and cried. “You’re not even supposed to know what the word ‘sweet’ means, President.”
He flinched. “Don’t call me that.”
She said miserably, “I don’t think I have the right to call you anything else but that. Before, all I had to be proud of was that I could always be only yours. But not...now...not after that.”
Helios paled, realizing where their conversation was heading. “I just told you it’s okay with me,” he gritted out, trying not to let his panic show.
“But it’s not okay with me,” she cried out. “You are Helios Andreadis, and you really do deserve someone better than me. I just can’t help but think that when we’re together, I only keep dragging you down and you...you used to do the same to me.” It hurt, God it hurt to say such words to him when she knew he had changed, but she had to say them. She needed Helios to realize what the days apart from him had made her realize.
What he told her wasn’t true.
They were never meant to be, and they were both more fucked up when they were together.
She whispered, “Please don’t call me anymore.”
“I’ll never stop calling you,” he snarled back immediately. “I love you, MJ. Do you hear me? I fucking love you and if you think just because you realized there are other better men than me to love you, I won’t give up. Because I can be better – I can be fucking normal, I can be whatever you want me to be—”
“I’m sorry, President.”
His voice broke. “Why the fuck are you doing this to me, brat? I don’t mind suffering. I never even fucking complained. Why can’t you just let me stay in your life?”
“Goodbye.”
Chapter Twelve
“I’M SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED to you,” Katya said glumly. “If I had known Jack would actually really fall for you, I’d never have introduced the two of you at all.” Spotting a vacant table in the cafeteria, she plunked her bag down together with her tray. Sitting down, she continued, “He’s such a playboy. I thought it would be just another game for him.”