Chapter 30
Ellie
Exhaustion has caught up to me. Between play rehearsals, fundraiser rehearsals, and all the extra stuff that comes with being director slash professor, my body is spent.
Not to mention thoughts of Jamie swimming around in my brain, taking up more space than I care to admit.
I’ve slept with him twice now. I’ve let myself fall victim to his charm and his magical dick.
I’m supposed to be smarter than this. I’m supposed to be the one with the answers, the sounding board for my friends and family. I’m practical. At least, I was. That is, until Jamie fucked it all up.
Except this time, it wasn’t by breaking my heart. This time it’s him trying to win it back.
God, the second Holland finds out, he’s going to freak.
He’s bound to find out sooner than later since him and Lainey are coming to the fundraiser.
Mom’s not feeling well, so she’s decided to stay home.
It’s better that way anyway, since she and Holland had a big argument last year about a situation that I wasn’t privy to.
This week is the last week of rehearsals for the fundraiser, and there’s only three more weeks until the play and the end of the semester. Everything feels chaotic and my stress levels are at an all-time high. I know I can do this; I’ve proven to myself that I can, I just need to get through it.
Except, instead of being completely, one hundred percent focused on all of that, all I keep thinking about is the way Jamie demanded I was his. The way he demanded I say it back. The way that I think I may have actually meant that. Am I his? Do I want to be?
He’s been… tolerable the last several weeks since we started planning and rehearsing the fundraiser.
It’s actually been quite endearing watching him work so hard to get me to forgive him.
Like I said when we first got here all those weeks ago, I’d forgiven him a long time ago.
I just needed to see that he was actually sorry.
That he really did feel bad about what he did.
I see that now. I see how guilty he’s felt. I see how much he wants to make up for it. I’ve seen his demons, the way they affect him. I’ve witnessed his vulnerability. I know he’s not a monster. And that’s why I think I’ve fallen for him.
I’ve fallen for Jamie Patterson. Again.
With that realization, I take a quick shower and lie in bed, once again staring up at the ceiling. Right as sleep begins to take over my tired body, I hear… laughter?
But it’s not just one laugh I hear, it’s multiple laughs, and male voices.
What the hell?
Slipping out of bed, I throw my robe on and head down the stairs. I should have grabbed a weapon for defense, but in my haste, I forgot to arm myself. If anything, I’ll run and hide. The house is big enough.
Slowly, I make my way into the kitchen, and that’s when I see it. The glare from the tv, the popcorn bowl on the coffee table, and the five men sitting in the living room.
My heart rate slows as I recognize at least one of the faces. When we make eye contact, Jamie smiles brightly. That smile makes my want to melt into a puddle. But right now, I’m actually kind of pissed. My eyes wander over the other four very large men sprawled across my couch.
“Hey, Sweetheart,” Jamie drawls, and the four other men turn to look at me as I stand in my freaking robe in shock.
I could murder him.
“Why,” I say slowly, “are there strange men in my living room?”
One of them sits up straighter. “Oh shit. Is this the roommate?”
“Yes,” Jamie says, completely unbothered. “And before you ask, no, they’re not staying long.”
My eyes flick between the four of them. “You didn’t think to… I don’t know… ask?”
He shrugs. “They’re helping me out with some hockey stuff. It’s not a big deal; they’ll be out of here soon. Plus, I thought you were asleep.”
“I was about to be, until the obnoxious laughter scared me awake.”
Jamie rolls his eyes before standing and gesturing to his friends.
“Ellie, meet Theo, Connor, Billy, and Wilder. They’re my buddies from the Storm,” Jamie explains. How is he not understanding why I am not happy right now? I should have been notified that there would be other men in the house, right?
Taking a deep breath, I try to center myself.
“Jamie, I don’t care if you have friends over. But it’s after midnight, I have class in the morning, and I’m in my freaking robe!”
“It’s a fashion statement, for sure,” the tall blonde one says. I think he’s Billy.
Jamie shoots daggers in his direction before looking back to me. His eyes soften, and it seems to finally click in his head.
“Guys, give us a minute.”
They sit back down on the couch as Jamie leads me through the kitchen and up the stairs into his bedroom. He shuts the door behind us.
Jamie turns back to me, his hands in his pockets, eyes searching my face.
“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the guys were coming. I realize now how that could make you uncomfortable,” he says, his blue eyes looking like crystals as they search my face.
“I thought someone had broken in, Jamie,” and when I say it out loud it sounds impractical. Of course no one broke in. I do live with a roommate, and he is allowed to bring people over. I just would have appreciated the courtesy of knowing they’d be here.
Jamie’s lips turn up into a smirk as if he’s trying his best not to laugh at me. Placing my hands on my hips, I do my best to look stern.
“Jamie, it’s not a joke!”
He composes himself, straightening and stepping closer to me.
“I’m sorry. It’s not a joke. I will tell you if I have anybody over next time, okay?” he says, and it’s hard not to fall for his charm. “How can I make it up to you?”
A grin forms on his face, and I have a feeling I know exactly what he’s thinking.
I point at him. “Jamie, your friends are waiting for you downstairs.”
He takes a few slow steps toward me as I begin to back away until I can’t anymore. The back of my legs hit his bed causing me to fall to a sitting position as Jamie stands in front of me looking like some sort of freaking god.
“And?” he asks, as if his friends being downstairs doesn’t bother him in the slightest.
“They’ll hear us,” I state, hoping that will deter him. I don’t want them listening to us having sex. That’s just weird.
“Let them,” he says, shrugging. What the fuck?
He leans down so that his hands are on the bed on either side of me and his face is inches away from mine. The scent of him makes me rethink my choice.
“Jamie, I—”
“You’re mine, Ellie. I don’t care what they hear, because you are mine, not theirs. Let’s make them jealous,” he grins.
“You’re insane,” I tell him.
“I’ve been called worse,” he winks. “Now lay down, Sweetheart. Let me make up for my mistakes.”