He Loved My Fake Self Chapter 02

He Loved My Fake Self Chapter 02

I was wide awake in half a second.

Jolene’s bed was already empty.

I scrambled down, caught between wanting to look decent and not wanting to make him wait. So, settled on a face mask, bundled myself in an oversized hoodie, and headed downstairs.

Three minutes in the elevator. My brain spun through a dozen possibilities.

The most likely one—he’d finally noticed that Jolene’s personality didn’t match the person he’d been messaging.

Maybe he was here to apologize.

“Clover.”

His voice was sharp and cold and way too familiar.

I stared at the ground, breathing shallow, eyes fixed on the watch around his wrist. The same one we’d picked out together.

“What do you want?” Peyton asked.

My head snapped up.

Behind his glasses, his expression was flat. Distant.

“Jolene cried last night. Because of you.”

He exhaled hard, jaw tight.

“I don’t know when you met me or when you decided you liked me, but let me make myself absolutely clear.

“My girlfriend is Jolene Shore. Now. And in the future. That’s not changing. So don’t pull anything because of me. Got it?”

Tears blurred my vision.

I dug my nails into my palms.

“The person messaging you this whole time,” I said. “It was me.”

A cold laugh.

“Jolene said you’d do this. Said you’re the type who’d lie and claim you were the one talking to me.”

His eyes glinted with disgust.

“Let me put it like this. Even if it was you—I still wouldn’t want you. I only want Jolene.”

I went still.

Laughed. Quiet and hollow.

Unclasped the matching watch from my wrist and let it drop to the concrete.

Turned and walked away.

Behind me, Peyton hesitated, then called my name.

“Clover—”