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Jaden ↑

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"I'm glad that I finally get to meet one of Corbyn's male friends. He's so used to surrounding himself with girls." Mrs. Starr chuckled as she brought in a small tray of homemade chocolate chip cookies for me to devour while we talked.

As soon as she saw me enter, she invited me to have a chat and we'd been conversing for over thirty minutes. "I really do hope you have enough time to stay for dinner; I'm sure Corbyn will be home shortly after his rehearsal. He's usually back by now."

"I wish I could, but I have to get going very soon."

"Yeah." She pouted, gazing at me with pretty brown eyes. Her hair was tied up neatly into a bun, but she looked like she wasn't planning to go anywhere today. "I'm sorry my husband is unavailable to see you face to face. As you can imagine, he goes on so many business trips."

"Right. No, I get it." I smiled at her, feeling a pang of anger and hurt. "He must be so busy."

"Sure you're okay just leaving a message for him or did you really need to see him? Maybe I could give you his card so you can get a hold of him."

"That would be lovely."

"Okay! Just a moment, there's some over here." She walked out of the living room to look for a card while I wolfed down a cookie, trying not to think about how my life was in ruins.

I heard a door open from afar and then Mrs. Starr's surprise. "Oh! You're back! How was today?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and turned in the swivel stool chair, craning my neck to try to see who it was. I couldn't, so I shouldn't have bothered, but it didn't remain a mystery for long.

"Oh, geez, mother. You know I hate that question."

I turned back and rolled my eyes. His voice made my skin crawl. I set down the tray of cookies and hopped off the stool.

"Your friend, Landon, came over." Mrs. Starr's voice drew closer as she came back toward where I was, and it was evident that her son followed.

"Landon James? Why would he ever come over?"

"Here you go, sweetie." She said when she reached me, outstretching her arm to hand me the card.

As soon as she did, Corbyn finally entered my view and I had to say, the shock on his face was satisfying. Finally. For once, I took the boy who always seemed to know it all by surprise. It felt damn good.

"You can't be serious." He folded his arms, shaking his head at me while I beamed.

"Hey, Corb!"

"Why don't you two go chat. I have some calls to make. It was nice to meet you, by the way."

"Thanks, Mrs. Starr." I saw her smile politely before Corbyn took a hold of my arm.

"Mom's right. We should chat." Then he pulled me out of the living room all the way to the backyard where the pool was. The same pool that led to the very hottub where I remember being so jealous of him at the party he'd thrown. That was forever ago.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he grumbled, glaring at me. Well, I glared right back. "And why do you have my father's card?" He tried to snatch it from me but I moved my hand out the way quickly and smiled at him.

"You know exactly why I have this," I answered, slipping it into my pocket so he wouldn't have access to it.

He blinked, shifting his weight and keeping his arms folded across his chest. "No, I don't. Enlighten me."

"For some reason, your father scares you. Can't imagine why; he's the mayor isn't he? The fun-loving guy that almost everyone has seen on their tv's in this town. A philanthropist, an advocator, a man who's educated and well-read. I'd add a beautiful family to that list but you're clearly the weakest link."

"Don't test me, Jaden."

"No. Don't test me. God, to think that I was going to come talk to you on a personal level and then you pull this shit. I can't believe I ever felt sympathy for you. That day you strutted into the boys' locker room, screaming at Kris about how he made it worse. He spoke to your father out of concern for you and that somehow 'made it worse?' Made what worse, Corbyn?" I tilted my head to the side and lifted my eyebrow, watching him swallow. "You're very observant, but two can play at that game. I know you put my secret out there for the entire school to pass around and treat me like dirt. You humiliated me without a second thought. So, because you've meddled in my family's business, I will do the exact same to yours."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Wow. This side of you is actually the most interesting I've ever seen you. Hm, we could've gotten along swell."

"Save it."

"Go ahead. Do your worst; I'll survive it anyway. By the way, tell me. Just for sake of it. Have you found out which one of your friends spilled all there was to know about you?"

I sighed, feeling the sadness all over again. Okay, he was good, but he wasn't going to win the war that he'd declared since the day we met.

"You want me to turn on Kris. But I know it wasn't him. He knew my mother is an addict, yes. He didn't know she left us for the second time."

He smiled sinisterly and nodded as if he was impressed. "Good. Someone is observant after all. But not enough."

"Who told you, Corbyn?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You know I was considering apologizing? I mean, I knew it wouldn't amount to anything in your eyes, but still, I was going to say I was truly sorry."

"Bullshit."

"Yes, that's exactly what it would've been. See, I was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder two years ago. You'd be surprised how difficult it is for me to feel remorse let alone give a genuine apology. But..." He started to walk in a circle around me. "I am very much willing to share who told me about your... familial predicament for a very simple price."

"You're a sociopath. Explains a lot, especially the acting."

"Not to be confused with psychopaths. They're a little much, don't you think? You know, contrary to popular belief, people like me can be treated."

"Then get treated and stop playing with other people's lives." I scowled.

He stopped in front of me. "I choose not to. It's a lengthy process prone to failure and I bore easily. Anyway, have you made a decision. Was it Mae? It would make sense, wouldn't it?"

I blinked. "You're just making this a game, and it's not."

"Should've stayed out of my way when I warned you."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's the price then? I need to know who stabbed me in the back, and I want the truth. You owe me that much."

"Drop out of the play."

I huffed and shook my head. "After all I went through to be in it? No, I rather just speak to your father. I've got a lot to tell him."

"I swear, Jaden... if I so much as get a sense that you called my dad--"

"You'll what?" I challenged, stepping closer to look him in the eyes. "Hurt me? You already did, so I have nothing to lose now. In fact, I think that as soon as I get home, I'll tell him all about the king of Whitewater High. I bet he'll love that."

I smiled, brushing past him to go back inside and leave.

~Corbyn~

"Sweetie, are you okay? I thought I heard you and Landon arguing, and I saw him leave." My mother slipped through the glass back door and I whirled around to face her.

"What were you guys talking about? And why did you think it was a good idea to give him Dad's card?"

"He said it was important. Why? What happened?"

"He's out to get me, okay?"

Mom scrunched up her face in confusion as I ran my fingers through my hair. "Did you do something?"

"Maybe."

She didn't look too surprised. "Corbyn."

"Are you gonna help me?"

She folded her arms. "Why do you think that your actions don't have consequences? One would think you'd learn that by now."'

"Maybe I'd have learned that if my parents gave a shit about me!" I tried to go back into the house but she grabbed my arm to hold me back.

"That isn't true. I care for you more than you know."

I stared into her eyes, trying to find the deceit in them. "Seriously? You want me to believe that? After everything he's done to me; after he told you that you should've aborted me... and you let him..."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Corbyn, I have always loved you and will continue to as long as I live."

"He was right anyway. You should've terminated the pregnancy like you'd planned. Definitely would've made everyone's life a hell of a lot better."

I finally walked away from her, but she continued to speak to me, following me back into the house.

"Well, I don't see it that way."

"You're kidding me right?" I turned back around to send her the most distrusting look I could form. "Mom, the older I get, the more my face haunts you. You probably spend every waking moment cursing yourself for keeping me around." I pointed to myself. "I look just like him, don't I? That's why you can't bear eye contact with me because all you see is him. I'm not stupid."

Her lips had fallen into a sad pout as she tried to keep her tears at bay, but I didn't feel for her. Not anymore.

"It's not your fault," she told me.

"No, it's not," I agreed. "But I suffer the consequences of his actions, and you have never done anything about it. Stop lying to yourself. You despise me." I stepped away from her, biting my lip and shaking my head. "I don't blame you."

🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗

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