A Game of Hearts

In the dim light, I couldn't tell if it was just my imagination, but Jessica's expression darkened for a moment before she laughed.

"Sebastian, are you trying to spite me?"

I bent down and adjusted her neatly packed suitcase as I spoke in a steady tone, "You're overthinking it. After meeting her a few times, I thought she seemed like a great girl."

Jessica frowned, skepticism written all over her face. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get back at me?"

"You said it yourself that I should look for someone else. Now that Cameron's back, I'm returning you to him. I have to move on too, right?"

She didn't respond and just stared deeply at me. I caught a fleeting glimpse of something in her eyes—a moment of sadness that passed too quickly.

"Since you're interested in her, I'll set up a gathering soon to introduce you."

With that, Jessica grabbed her suitcase and walked out. The door slammed shut behind her with a resounding bang. She was clearly angry that I hadn't begged her to not break up with me, instead mentioning her best friend and how I thought she seemed like a great woman.

-

Jessica was giving me the cold shoulder again. When she ignored me in the past, I would spiral into a pit of gloom, racking my brain for ways to make amends. But these days, I found a strange sense of relief in not reaching out to her.

I threw myself into work, pouring all my energy into it. Without the constant weight of my emotions dragging me down, my productivity soared. I received commendations from my boss two days in a row.

A week later, Jessica called me. She was serious about playing matchmaker between her friend and me, and to that end, had arranged for a dinner.

I agreed with a smile.

When I arrived, Jessica and Cameron were already there. As I walked over, I spotted their interlocked fingers right away. Cameron glanced at me, lifting Jessica's hand slightly.

"So, Jess and I are together now."

I raised an eyebrow, allowing a small smile to form on my lips, as if I'd known this was coming all along.

Jessica grinned too. "You're going to wish us well, right, Seb?"

I recognized her attempt to provoke a reaction, but felt no stir of emotion inside me.

"Of course. Congratulations! It's nice to see lovebirds find their happily ever after."

Jessica then introduced me to her friend, Selena Morris.

"Hi, Sebastian. I'm Selena," she said softly, her gaze warm and inviting.

Suddenly, I remembered the last time we had met at the bar—when she had drunkenly clung to me, asking if I wanted to sleep with her. Now, with her sweet demeanor, I found myself questioning if that had really been her.

I hesitated, lost in thought for a moment. She fluttered her long eyelashes, looking a bit flustered before she smiled again.

Without waiting for my response, she continued, "I asked Jess to set this up. Please don't be mad."

I snapped back to reality and smiled back at her. "So, does this dinner mean you're interested in pursuing me?"