Christmas Break

Chapter 21

Author's Note:
Wattpad was having issues with notifications yesterday so if you missed Chapter 20 being posted don't forget to go back and read it!

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Celeste

The words began to lose their meaning as they repeated over and over in Celeste's head. No matter how many times she heard them as they echoed around in her head, they just didn't make sense. And even after that, she still wasn't sure she had heard Jared right.

"I want you back, Celeste."

"W-What?" she mumbled, barely audible.

Jared wasn't finished. "You shouldn't be with Sterling—you should be with me," he continued, his words sharpening with emphasis. "I'm the one that loves you, Cee. I love you."

Celeste could only stare at him. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but nothing came of it. She didn't understand the reaction she was having. Here she was, frozen in Jared's arms after he confessed to still loving her... And she couldn't get her damn mouth to work.

Wasn't this exactly what she wanted?

A rush of footsteps passed by in the hallway next to the door as if someone had just been there. Celeste tore her gaze away from Jared and glanced inside. The hallway was dark. She could barely make out the stairs in the corner, and she couldn't see anyone else. Whoever had been there was likely already gone, lost in the crowd beyond.

Celeste shook her head and looked back at Jared, trying to keep her mind focused on what was happening in front of her.

This is what she wanted. This was the whole reason she'd gotten Sterling involved in her crazy plan! And it had all worked! Here was Jared, begging for forgiveness, wanting her back.

This was victory!

And yet, it felt so...

"You still love me, don't you Cee?" Jared asked, his eyes wide and pleading.

"I-I..." Celeste sputtered. "I..."

Jared's face fell at the sight of her hesitation, but he pushed on. "You're confused, I get it. And I can imagine you're a little angry with me, too, for trying to deceive you, but I promise you, I had the best intentions. I only wanted to make you see that you belong with me."

Of course. This is what she wanted.

But she still couldn't get her mouth to move.

"Let's be honest," Jared continued when she didn't respond, his gaze going hard for a second. "Someone like Sterling is only good for a rebound."

That snapped her out of her frozen state. "Excuse me?"

"Don't worry, Cee," Jared said, almost like he was trying to soothe her. "I understand. I get it. You thought I dumped you, so you needed a rebound. And since all this was my mistake, I'm willing to forgive you for that. But now we can get back together, you can be honest with me. Sterling was just a fling, right?"

"No, it..." Celeste struggled to find the right words. What Jared was saying was true—well, half-true. Their fake relationship was supposed to look like a hot-and-heavy fling. But how Jared talked about it made it sound all wrong. "It wasn't... It wasn't like that."

Jared shook his head and gave an incredulous laugh, like the idea of her being with Sterling for anything more than a 'good time' was absurd.

"Come on!" he said. "He's a bartender at a dive bar. He blew into town less than a month ago from who-knows-where, and who knows how long he's planning on staying. What could you possibly see in someone like him?"

Celeste frowned. She didn't like how Jared spoke about Sterling...

Jared continued with a scoff. "He's below someone like you, Cee. He's not worth your time. You deserve better."

Celeste pressed her lips together as something lit inside her chest. It was hot and sharp, burning through her, sending flames licking up the back of her neck. She was angry. No, more than that. She was furious. She wanted to argue with Jared, shout at him, tell him he didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was talking about. He didn't know Sterling as she did. Jared didn't know all the kind things he'd done for her, for others...

But she caught herself.

Why did she want to defend Sterling so badly?

Why did it matter what Jared thought of him?

Even if Jared had it all wrong, why did it matter?

Because she knew.

Because Sterling was worth her time.

Because she...

"So, don't you see it now, Cee?" Jared continued, unaware of the war being waged in her mind as she stared, blank-eyed, at their feet. He took hold of her shoulders and squeezed, almost as if he was trying to shake her out of it. "You should be with me. Be with me, Cee. I love you. I want you back. Please."

Just as quickly as it had come, the flame of anger that consumed her was replaced. A different kind of heat spread through her—a warmth that enveloped her, wrapping her up in its comfort. A calm came with it, the kind of calm that only comes with absolute clarity. As it settled over her, she knew she was sure.

Celeste looked up to meet Jared's gaze. Her eyes were as clear as ice.

"I'm sorry," she said, gently shaking her head, "but we can't get back together."

Jared's eyes went wide with shock. "What?" he cried. "Why not?"

"Because it can't go back to how it was," Celeste said. She shrugged off his hands. "Or, at least, I can't go back. It's too late. I've... I've changed. I'm different now."

"How?" Jared demanded. "What happened?"

"It's difficult to explain," Celeste said as she side-stepped him and headed into the dark hallway.

As he realized, Jared's features went red, the bright colour spilling down his neck and across his ears. His brow crumpled together. His mouth turned down. "Is it because of Sterling? He's only going to hurt you!" he snapped. "Do you... Do you really want him?"

Celeste paused at the end of the hall, just before the crowd on the other side, and looked back at him. A smile spread across her face, and for the first time in weeks, her heart was full of hope.

"I do," she said, heading into the crowd to find him.

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