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Game of Hearts 040
Jenna Brooks’s POV. Liam and Auntie Laurel got along well when they finally met on a Saturday. Auntie Laurel had been insisting on meeting Liam for the past few days, and she was happy when I told her I was seeing someone. So, I decided to introduce them.Liam made a good impression on Auntie Laurel. He shook her hand, made eye contact, and didn't smell like smoke. Unlike most teenagers, Liam didn't smoke. Auntie Laurel seemed satisfied, and I couldn't help but feel that it was because Liam was good-looking. It was as if she could now be reassured that I wasn't unpopular at school.Jamie really liked Liam. He said Liam was a great athlete at school and did a good job running the student council. Jeanette even joked that she would date Liam if he were a girl because he was so good-looking. Conrad, on the other hand, didn't seem to care when Auntie Laurel told him about Liam. Toralei wasn't around either; she was in Paris for the weekend for her parents' art museum opening. But
Game of Hearts 041
Jenna Brooks’s POV I felt sick on the last day of the semester, but I had to go to school because we had exams. I stared at the clock all morning, counting the hours until I could go home and go to bed. At lunch, I started to feel nauseous and only have a bottled water. Liam was sweet to me and stroked my hair when I laid my head on the table.“Babe, I think you should go home,” he said. I rocked my head back and forth on the table to signify shaking my head no. Then I slowly raised my head and I saw Conrad and Toralei, holding hands as they found a seat at the other end of the cafeteria. Conrad’s gaze met mine and I quickly looked away. After lunch, Liam helped me get to class. When we got to class, I immediately went to my own desk and slump down in the seat. With Christmas coming and two weeks of freedom just a few hours away, everyone else was in a great mood, exam or no exam. I listened to the sound of the other kids filing in and taking their desks. Liam laid one h
Game of Hearts 042
Jenna Brooks’s POV“Okay,” Liam replied as he stood up. “Let’s got out and get some ice cream,”I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chest again. “Liam, I really don’t want to go anywhere,” I said. Liam grabbed my arm and pulled me up. “Where are your shoes?” he asked. He saw some flip-flops in the corner and dragged me over. “Put these on.”“These don’t match my outfit,” I said. “It’s dark outside, no one’s gonna notice.” he said. “Come on.” I slided my feet into the shoes and Liam walked me downstairs, still holding my arm. Auntie Laurel was down in the kitchen with Jamie drinking milk tea. Both of their faces lighted up when they saw us.“We’re going to get ice cream,” Liam said.“I’m being kidnapped,”“Good job, Liam,” Auntie Laurel replied. “Have fun, kids,”He didn’t let me go until we reached his car. He pushed the button on the automatic locks and opened the door for me. I sighed and sat down. He walked around the car and slided in next to me. Without saying anything,
Game of Hearts 043
Jenna Brooks’s POVNEXT DAY… Liam and I were cozied up on a couch in his bedroom and holding each other. It was afternoon but the blinds were down and the lights were off so the room was a little dark. His hand was moving over my thigh with a blanket thrown over our laps.We were watching a movie and the only light that was in the room was from the flat screen tv. He was obviously engrossed in the movie because he wasn’t saying anything. I, on the other hand couldn’t seem to concentrate. The kiss with Conrad last night, kept weighing on my mind and I felt really guilty. It felt like I had betrayed Liam who cared so much about me.Also the thought that someone saw us kissing last night. I wasn’t sure who and it made me worry more. I thought of telling Liam but I was just too afraid of the outcome. He would probably hate me forever, worse, break up with me.I decided to not let my thoughts wonder and just be in the moment. The movie was just halfway to the end.“You’re asleep?” Liam m
Game of Hearts 044
Jenna Brooks’s POV Liam and I hadn't spoken in two days. I had called him multiple times, but he wasn't answering. I also sent him several texts, but he didn't respond to any of them. When I went to his house, Becky informed me that his entire family had already left for Hawaii. I wouldn't see him until two weeks later. Conrad and Toralei were still together, for some unknown reason. How could she ruin my relationship with Liam just because she wanted revenge on me for kissing her boyfriend? The sound of the arrivals announcement snapped me out of my thoughts. I was at the airport, having just landed in Cronners. I walked out of the airport, rolling my bag along with me. I hailed a cab, got in, and it drove off. As the cab glided through the streets, I looked out the window. It had only been three months, but everything seemed different. I had changed too. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I took it out. It was a text from Auntie Laurel. "Did you arrive safely? Call me when
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
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