the long game / gr63

chapter twenty-one

— TALIA —

I had kissed him. Again. I could still feel the cool press of his lips against mine, the way his fingers had dug into my hip and pulled me closer to him, the way my body had melted against his in response. I was putty in his hands. And even if it had been my choice to kiss him, it was him that made it impossible for me to stop.

The tinkling of a bell snapped me out of my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. I was standing in line, waiting for my white mocha at the local cafe, a tote bag slung over my shoulder. Being away for Christmas unfortunately didn't mean I had nothing left to do for uni—I had to prepare for the classes after and I actually had an assignment due the second week of January.

My name was called and I walked over, taking my white mocha with a soft thanks and heading towards a little nook with a couch. I set down my coffee and reached for my laptop when my name was called again.

I looked up, finding a broad-shouldered figure with curly ginger hair smirking down at me. Inwardly, I let out a groan.

"You look different," Jesse said as he, without being invited to, sat down in the armchair across from me. He got comfortable, taking off his scarf and hanging it over the armrest.

I knew I did. Aunt Jacoba had helped me take out my braids yesterday, in a process that I'd gotten used to but hadn't gotten any less hard (I hated sitting still). Instead of my long braids, my hair was now back to its natural state, although I'd smoothed back the top half into a half-up, half-down style.

For somebody who had dated me for almost two years and had seen me with various hairstyles, he sure sounded surprised. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and instead took a sip of coffee. "What do you want, Jesse?"

He crossed his legs, resting his entwined hands on his knee. "Why so cold, Tal? You haven't seemed very happy to see me."

I scoffed, finally letting the displeasure of his presence seep through. I was done being polite. "I don't see why I should be expected to be nice to you when you treated me like shit."

Jesse's brow furrowed. He had obviously not expected that answer, but he hid it well by shaking his head and leaning further back into his seat. "I'm not the one who had multiple crushes on guys during our relationship."

My jaw dropped. "That's the reason you decided to anonymously blow up my phone? Because you can't handle the fact I could find guys objectively attractive?"

Jesse rolled his eyes. "I just don't think it's right."

"I never, and I repeat, never, flirted with a guy during our relationship." I was about to continue, but then caught myself. "Hell, I don't need to defend myself to you. Should I remind you you're the one who continued being friends with people who purposefully excluded me, including your ex-girlfriend? You were much too happy to meet up with her a week after we broke up, then turned off your location for me 'because you knew I would overreact'."