Read Online PleasureGames: A Games Novella by Jessica Clare - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Clare
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pages and pages of tortured handwriting. I'd taken one look at them and tossed them into the furnace, because the thought of reading even one hurt too much. It was easier just to amputate the past.
"You changed your phone number," he continued. "I asked to come see you. You ignored me. You pushed me away every time I reached out for you. What was I supposed to do?"
He was making me feel like a jerk. "You haven't even attempted to contact me in the last..." I thought hard. "Four years. Why this big charade now?"
"Because I tried for four years to get your attention, and when that didn't work, I tried other methods, but you ignored all of them. This is the first time I've been able to flush you out of hiding."
"Wait...what other methods?" What was he talking about?
"The glassmaker's conference last year?"
My brows drew together. I'd received an invite, but I hadn't been able to afford the trip. They'd offered to set me up for a scholarship fund to pay my way, but I'd felt weird about asking for money and had ultimately declined. "That was you?"
He gave a sharp nod. "The job offer to relocate you to a faire in New York State? That was me, too."
I stared at him, eyes wide. I'd received an offer out of the blue last year--no wait, two years ago - to relocate. I'd declined because I didn't want to live in the same part of the country as Heathcliff. It would have devastated me to run into him with another woman on his arm, so I stayed in my part of the south and left the north to him. But now that he mentioned it, there were other strange offers that I'd declined, too -- an old college friend that wanted me to go on a cruise with her, all expenses paid. A 'contest' win that kept bugging me to go and spend time at a beach house in Virginia and had called and harassed me for weeks, until I'd blocked the number.
Was all that stupid, crazy shit him? I withdrew my hand from his, made a fist, and punched him in the shoulder. My fist was ineffectual against his muscular arm, and it throbbed on contact, but I felt better for doing it. "Seriously? How about you fucking show up and have a real conversation with me instead of coming up with all these psycho schemes?" I raised my hand to punch him again.
He caught my hand and kissed my knuckles. "Because it's easier than showing up and putting my heart on the line, only to have you step on it all over again. I thought if I could get you out of your comfort zone, maybe you'd let me in long enough to give me a second chance."
I just stared at him, shocked and aghast at the lengths he'd gone to drag me back. Then, I pried my hand out of his, feeling numb. "You know me, H. I'm not into second chances. I'm sorry. There are lots of nice girls here--"
"I'm only interested in one." His silver gaze devoured me.
I shook my head. "You should pick someone else. Just...leave me alone, okay?"
Heathcliff's expression turned cold. "Are you going to run away again, Juno?"
" Again? " I was offended at the way he spat the word.
"Yes, again. Or don't you remember that I caught you running eight years ago?" He shook his head, clearly disappointed in me. "Whenever things get tough, you don't stop to work things out. You just pull up stakes and run."
"That's not true!"
"Isn't it?"
I stared at him, then shook my head and retreated a step. "I...I need to process." I turned away from him, stumbling on the sand in my haste. I ran down the beach, desperate to get away from him, from the confusion of my own thoughts.
Desperate to retreat.
Desperate to run away. Because even though I denied it, he was right. When things got hard, I ran. It was the only way I could protect myself.
8
Chapter Six
" I am so damn tired of her running away from me. Just once, I'd like for her to run to me for a change." -- Heathcliff Forester, the Billionaire Bachelor, Episode 3 Interview
I got to retreat for a whole two hours before Leona returned, cheery as could be, and full of gossip from the other girls. "Tiffany -
"You changed your phone number," he continued. "I asked to come see you. You ignored me. You pushed me away every time I reached out for you. What was I supposed to do?"
He was making me feel like a jerk. "You haven't even attempted to contact me in the last..." I thought hard. "Four years. Why this big charade now?"
"Because I tried for four years to get your attention, and when that didn't work, I tried other methods, but you ignored all of them. This is the first time I've been able to flush you out of hiding."
"Wait...what other methods?" What was he talking about?
"The glassmaker's conference last year?"
My brows drew together. I'd received an invite, but I hadn't been able to afford the trip. They'd offered to set me up for a scholarship fund to pay my way, but I'd felt weird about asking for money and had ultimately declined. "That was you?"
He gave a sharp nod. "The job offer to relocate you to a faire in New York State? That was me, too."
I stared at him, eyes wide. I'd received an offer out of the blue last year--no wait, two years ago - to relocate. I'd declined because I didn't want to live in the same part of the country as Heathcliff. It would have devastated me to run into him with another woman on his arm, so I stayed in my part of the south and left the north to him. But now that he mentioned it, there were other strange offers that I'd declined, too -- an old college friend that wanted me to go on a cruise with her, all expenses paid. A 'contest' win that kept bugging me to go and spend time at a beach house in Virginia and had called and harassed me for weeks, until I'd blocked the number.
Was all that stupid, crazy shit him? I withdrew my hand from his, made a fist, and punched him in the shoulder. My fist was ineffectual against his muscular arm, and it throbbed on contact, but I felt better for doing it. "Seriously? How about you fucking show up and have a real conversation with me instead of coming up with all these psycho schemes?" I raised my hand to punch him again.
He caught my hand and kissed my knuckles. "Because it's easier than showing up and putting my heart on the line, only to have you step on it all over again. I thought if I could get you out of your comfort zone, maybe you'd let me in long enough to give me a second chance."
I just stared at him, shocked and aghast at the lengths he'd gone to drag me back. Then, I pried my hand out of his, feeling numb. "You know me, H. I'm not into second chances. I'm sorry. There are lots of nice girls here--"
"I'm only interested in one." His silver gaze devoured me.
I shook my head. "You should pick someone else. Just...leave me alone, okay?"
Heathcliff's expression turned cold. "Are you going to run away again, Juno?"
" Again? " I was offended at the way he spat the word.
"Yes, again. Or don't you remember that I caught you running eight years ago?" He shook his head, clearly disappointed in me. "Whenever things get tough, you don't stop to work things out. You just pull up stakes and run."
"That's not true!"
"Isn't it?"
I stared at him, then shook my head and retreated a step. "I...I need to process." I turned away from him, stumbling on the sand in my haste. I ran down the beach, desperate to get away from him, from the confusion of my own thoughts.
Desperate to retreat.
Desperate to run away. Because even though I denied it, he was right. When things got hard, I ran. It was the only way I could protect myself.
8
Chapter Six
" I am so damn tired of her running away from me. Just once, I'd like for her to run to me for a change." -- Heathcliff Forester, the Billionaire Bachelor, Episode 3 Interview
I got to retreat for a whole two hours before Leona returned, cheery as could be, and full of gossip from the other girls. "Tiffany -
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