The Player's Game {Book #1 of the Popular Boys series}

16: Breaking Hearts

1.) sorry it's short. I couldn't go onto the next bit. 2.) The dedication to the voter would be too.... Fallowfieldhillbilly. Thank you to everyone who voted.

To say I avoided Hunter would be an understatement. I avoided him like he had rabies or the plague. I couldn't deal with the fact that I slowly fell for his funny, charming ways. It crept up on me so much that I didn't realise until it was too late for me to do anything as I had already fallen and he wasn't there to catch me. As I write this I have only just realised everything and found out that he will never be there to catch me.

9 hours ago...

"...And then we kissed. " I said banging my head softly against my locker. It was so stupid, why did I let him kiss me, why didn't I stop myself falling and most of all why did I even make the deal in the first place?

A squeal flew out of Holly's lips as I glared at her to shut up. "No, this can't be happening he will never like me, there is a reason why people call him a player. He will just go and break my heart like he does every other girl."

"But you're not just every other girl, you are Avery Harrison. You are the girl who almost has a heart of stone, you are the girl who has courage the size of Europe and you are the girl who tamed the player. Also if you could see the way he kisses you! Everyone that doesn't know about the deal thinks you two are together and we all know you guys aren't that good at acting." She exclaimed loudly. "I mean, I might be but I know you can't be, I think you might even be the most shipped couple in the yearbook as well!"

"Yeah, whatever." Charlie sighed. "You know I don't want to see you hurt but even I don't think he will. I would disagree with crazy pants over here and say try to stop feeling what you're feeling but I didn't stop my feelings and it was the best decision I've ever made." What?! No! Charlie was supposed be the 'no way, players gonna play'.

The bell screeched above our heads and Holly glared at it. "We'll talk about this at lunch." She told me with a stern look. Fan-bloody-tastic.

All throughout science it was all I could think about so instead of writing down about velocity and what not, I wrote a pros and cons list.

Pros
He's funny
He's sweet
He really freaking hot!
He's kind(when he wants to be)
He's protective
He gets on with my friends
I like him.

Cons
He's a player
He could break my heart
He can't cook.

"For goodness sake, Avery. This is the most pathetic cons list I have ever seen! 'He's a player' no, he was a player. 'He could break my heart' but what if he doesn't!" He raised her voice slightly. "As for 'he can't cook' I've got to say that is a real deal breaker."

"Thank you!" Charlie had just had a rant at me for saying that was even a con. Excuse a guy that can cook is hot!

"Look at the end of the day, if you don't tell him, he will never know and there is always that chance of him liking you back! At least if you tell him- you will get peace knowing if he does like you or not. If you do, I won't give you any advice until the end of the month and that will be really hard for me." She grinned.

"It's the twenty-ninth!" I said.

"Exactly, you would crash and burn without my advice for a long time." She sighed dramatically.

"Look you may think I'm a coward but I honestly couldn't care less. I cannot tell him to his face." I shook my head profusely.

I think Holly and Charlie pitied me and so they gave a slow nod until Holly spoke out. "Well I can tell you now that neither me or Charlie are telling him and if you aren't telling him to his face then you know what that means. You're just going to have to message him."

I realised they wouldn't back down and neither Samuel or Oliver would either. I couldn't ask Cecelia because I didn't think we were close enough so I text him. Just thinking of what to write took me the rest of lunch. Until I came up with this,

To: Hunter

I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you this in person. It just couldn't happen and no matter what Holly believes I have no courage. (Maybe I should go see Oz;)... Wrong time) anyway I needed to tell you this. I lose. You win. I slowly fell for you, I don't know when... But I did. I will still go see Hailey Marks for you and hold up my end of the bargain. I fell for you, I lost. It's all up to you now, you get to choose what happens next.

After an hour of checking my phone I saw it come up. 'Read' with a small tick next to it. 1:37pm. But no reply, he ignored it. I felt shattered.

By the time the last bell rang out I almost ran out of the building... Until I realised I had left my bag in the classroom. As I left the classroom for the second time, I saw Hunter. If the message wasn't bad enough seeing him was like being shot, it hurt like hell.

He turned his head seeing me and walked briskly forward walking through the only doors I could walk through to get home. I didn't want to follow him but I guess I had to. As I walked out of school for the last time for three days, I saw it. Hunter Matthews pressing Hailey Marks up against a wall and almost kissing the life out of her and that was the final break of my heart. I walked past them as fast as I could tears beginning to stream down my face.