“This whole thing has gotten me thinking about everything you and I had,” Chester said, looking like he was forcing himself to smile and look happy about something. “I think this could be a great chance for us to reconnect.”
Not this again. My mouth dropped open at his audacity.
“I don’t want anything to do with you, Chester,” I said. “You ruined my life and physically and mentally broke me.”
“I know, and I feel awful about it,” Chester said woodenly. “That’s why I think we should get back together.”
I absolutely couldn’t. On what planet did this lunatic think I would want anything to do with him ever again?
“Fuck off, Chester,” I said, shaking my head and storming forward, intending on going back to the kitchen.
“Jack Salisbury isn’t coming back for you,” Chester said as I passed him.
I froze, then turned back to him. There was more behind his words, I was sure.
“I love Jack, and Jack loves me,” I said in a low, seething voice.
Chester swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “He’s moved on, Quincy,” he said, back to not being able to meet my eyes.
It suddenly occurred to me that Chester might not be avoiding eye contact because he was guilty of something. He might not be able to truly face me because he knew it was all over for me.
“That’s a lie,” I hissed, my voice catching.
Chester shook his head. “He’s moved on. Just check out the society pages in any newspaper. He’s been painting the town red with all sorts of high society omegas.”
I was going to throw up. Jack wouldn’t do that.
I whipped out my phone and tapped on the search engine. I’d searched for Jack a few times in the last few weeks, but most of what I’d found had been about the cases he was involved in. I hadn’t searched for him in combination with high society gossip, though.
It didn’t take long, but sure enough, a bunch of pics of him out and about with various classy omegas hit my eyes.
And he looked miserable in every one of them.
“See?” Chester said. “He’s moved on. He’s over you. I bet he hasn’t called or texted in weeks either.”
It took a second for my brain to catch up to that. When it did, I dragged my eyes up from my phone and stared at him.
“How do you know whether Jack has tried to call or text me or not?”
Chester huffed like I was being stupid, which was his way of trying to bluff when he’d been caught in a lie. I knew the expression a little too well.
“Forget about Jack,” he said, waving a hand like he was pushing my beloved away. “I want to make you an offer. I want to be with you. I…I made a mistake all those years ago when I asked you to sever our bond.”
“Forced me to sever it,” I said, glowering. “And I’m not interested in getting back with you.”
“But you have to,” Chester said quickly.
I wanted to walk away, but I was just curious enough to stay. “Why?”
“Because….” Chester’s mouth worked for a few more seconds, but no words came out. “I…miss you?” His voice rose at the end, and he couldn’t look at me again.
He must have figured out how suspicious he looked, so he huffed out a breath and rubbed a hand over his face.
“Okay, cards on the table,” he said.
I crossed my arms and waited.
“I need some good PR,” he said. “It will look good for me to get back together with the omega I once rejected. Especially if we make a big deal of you participating in Bangers & Mash Labs’ trial for ReBond.”
