The Heartbreaker Agreement

Chapter Sixteen: I Love You

"I love you," He whispered desperately, repeating those same words, as other students around us stared. This was it, the moment that Sarah and I had waited for. He'd uttered those words on his own, I didn't have to push, and everything that Sarah wanted to accomplish was completed. "Avalon," He said more loudly as I stared past him.

He had said 'I love you' but nothing felt completed. I wasn't impressed by this outcome and it hurt. I had to continue my attitude. I didn't want him to hear from anyone else, I didn't want to slip up again. I needed him to hate me; I had to bring myself to my own demise.

"Jaxon," I said, mocking his tone and my lungs burned.

"Please, don't you love me back, don't you feel this?" I stared into his eyes as his hand caressed my cheek; his familiar warmth was holding on to the little spark in my chest. "I love you Avalon; I've changed for you, don't you see that?"

Yes! I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him that I saw it, that I was sorry. That we were going to be okay; I wanted to tell him what I now knew. I wanted to help him and make it through this. I wasn't made about my brother anymore, I didn't care. I could only think about Jaxon and that hurt.

"Changed," I repeated. My chest began to ache and I kept myself still, kept myself from leaning into him. "The player never changes, the game does,"

At my words, his eyes grew dark as he stared at me; I had spoken the same words he told every girl. It was his signature line; it was every girl's death break to a year of chocolate. What was I doing, why? Jaxon didn't really deserve this anymore. He was over his ways, he changed. He was mine.

I smirked simply and he pulled away from me as if I was burning to his touch. The façade I was holding was burning me from the inside out and I hated it more than anything. "How does it feel for a change?" I asked and the venom in my voice was back. It sounded as if I wasn't affected but I was.

"What are you talking about?" He asked simply and I sighed.

"It was all fake, Jaxon," I said slowly, carefully so that I wouldn't mess up. "It was a plan to break your heart,"

"You faked everything," he repeated, completely ignoring my second sentence, but I could see the wheels working in his eyes. "You faked the late night calls and the stories we shared?" I nodded, but it hurt to lie again. "You lied to me about how you felt about guys, you lied about the games they played, and you lied about everything,"

"Yes, Jaxon, the same way you lie to every girl you play," I said.

"But not you," He said quickly, his voice loud and quaking with anger. "I didn't lie to you, not once, I told you everything. I let you into my home and I gave you my class ring," He shook his head in disbelief and I felt his pain in his words. "I thought what we had, was real, Avalon, I thought you loved me back,"

"No, Jaxon, you were wrong," I said and my throat tightened as the look in his eyes shifted to hatred. "I never loved you," Jaxon backed away slowly, his face grim and his head held high. I knew that this would hit him hard. It had too. "I don't want a pathetic boy like you; I need someone real, I need a relationship that's real."

"A boy like me," He said with a scoff. "You don't need a boy like me...and what kind of boy is that? I'm the boy that took you on your first date and was your first kiss. I'm the boy you made promises to, Avalon, don't you remember that? We'd talked all night and you said it, you made a promise and you swore that you'd never lie to me. We both made promises, remember mine? The one to be the guy that wouldn't break your heart; I promised to help you and sing a song to you like the guys from the movies you secretly love."

"None of it was real, Jaxon," My heart was in my throat and my eyes dared to water with a sting. "Why would I want anything from you? You're the one that said players never change." It hurt; it hurt me and I knew that it hurt him more because I knew why he did it. I knew about Ashley.