Just a Pucking Prank [COMPLETED]

Chapter 34 - Closure

Wes

It's a regular Wednesday night at the hockey house and everyone is getting ready to go out. Some frat or other is holding a party and my roommates insist that we all go there.

I check my phone one more time. She hasn't responded. I don't know what that means. But I do know that I need to take my mind off it before I text her every gif known to man. So I style my hair and go downstairs where Liam and Ethan are filming a video. It's the latest dance craze and I watch them retake it three times before they're happy with it.

They're high-fiving each other when the doorbell rings, so I go to answer.

"Hi," Chloe says and looks up at me.

"Chloe." I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe.

"Can we talk?" She tilts her head to one side and I sigh.

"Sure." I move inside and glare at Ethan and Liam, warning them to behave.

I walk over to the fridge and grab some water.

"What do you want to talk about?"

She glances at the others, but I refuse to take her upstairs. If she wants to talk to me, she's going to have to do it with Ethan and Liam arguing about captions and hashtags in the background.

She sits at the island, and I lean back against the counter, far away from her.

"I've missed you." She smiles as if the words solve all our problems.

When I don't answer, she continues. "And I've been doing some thinking. When we were together, I think I got blind to what was in front of me. You were always so nice to me and treated me like a princess."

I cringe when I realize I used to call her that. And then I called Lydia princess. It almost makes me sick to my stomach.

"And yet, you cheated on me."

She startles and looks over at Ethan and Liam. They seem engrossed in the phone, but I can tell they're listening.

"I shouldn't have done that. And I promise it won't happen again. We're good together, Wes. You have to admit that. We had some great times."

She gives me a suggestive look and I wonder how many times I've listened to this speech from her before. We've broken up several times, and I used to beg her to take me back. Not this time.

I used to get so happy and excited at the thought of having a perfect relationship with her, but it was never good. She would prey on my need to be with someone, and infested herself into my routines so much I couldn't imagine life without her.

It's only in the last month that I've realized.

"Did your boyfriend break up with you?" I take a sip and try not to sound too cruel.

She blushes.

"I've always been in love with you. I just needed a break. Well, guess what?" She gives me a dazzling smile. "Break's over."

A month ago, I would have jumped at the chance. I would have rushed to get back together with her. But waking up with Chloe was never the same as waking up with Lydia. Never.

"Together, we can make things right. We can be happy again. Together. You and me, Wes. Just like it should be." She gets up and walks around the island. "Remember how happy we were? We can get there again."

She reaches out a hand and puts it on my arm. I wait. There's nothing. No reaction from my body, no urge to touch her back.

"I don't think so." I move away from her.

Her hand drops to her side, and she looks stunned. There was a time when I fell for her act every single time. But that time is over. My feelings for her have changed. If they ever existed.

They must have.

"Don't you miss us?"

"We weren't good, Chloe. Maybe at first. Maybe before the cheating and the fighting. But I don't want it back. I tried to please you because I thought I loved you. But you never cared about me and I can see that now."

"Of course I loved you." She reaches out a hand for me, but I move further away.

"No, Chloe. We're over."

"What about Max? You can't just abandon Max."

"I'll never abandon her. You know I want her. But I want her more than I want you."

"But... you can't do this. I'm ready to take you back."

"It's too late."

"Is there someone else?" She glares at me.

Soft, silky locks and the smell of lavender and coconut fill my mind.

"It doesn't matter. I have no interest in being with you ever again."

"You can't be serious." She's moved into anger. "I was ready to take you back, to let you spend more time with Max. But if this is how you're going to be acting, then I guess I'll just give you time to think about it."

She storms to the door.

"There's nothing to think about," I say as I follow her. "We're done."

She makes an annoyed sound and stomps off. I watch her leave for a moment before I close the door and go back to the living room.

Ethan, Liam, Brick, and JD start applauding.

I roll my eyes. "Fuck you guys."

JD puts an arm around my shoulders. "I can't believe you finally broke it off with her."

"You're a free man, at last." Ethan hands me a drink. "Now you can start hooking up with the bunnies that have been throwing themselves at you."

"We should get you laid," Liam says as I toss back the drink.

I shake my head. "I don't want that."

"But you're finally free," JD says. "We're not going to let you slip back into your old patterns. Chloe is a finished chapter. You need to move on. Forward."

"It's settled," Liam says. "Tonight, we're going to make sure you find someone to hook up with."

I try to protest, but my opinion has stopped mattering. They're all so happy to be rid of Chloe. I ignore them and have another drink. As soon as there is music and women in short skirts around us, they'll forget all about me.