Playing The Bad Boy

This is book three of the 'bad boy' series. In this book, we follow Jay through his second year of college. I would suggest that you read Wade's story first (A Deal with the Bad Boy), and then Declan's story (Chased by the Bad Boy) as there will be spoilers mentioned in this and subsequent books, though you can read them as stand alone as well :) Jay’s POV I hummed excitedly to myself as I pulled on a clean shirt and sweater vest, rubbing my towel over my hair, I threw it into the washing basket and grabbed a brush, dragging it through my hair to style it before straightening my glasses and giving myself a thumbs up in the mirror. I couldn’t keep still, I was ready and Katienne, my girlfriend of two years, wasn’t going to arrive for another hour. It had been hard, being away from her, but she understood that I needed to go to college, and she loved her job at the diner, hadn’t wanted to come with me and live here only to move back again after four years, so we made the long distance thing work. I ring her three times a week, before I go to bed, and text her how much I love her every single morning. I hurry over to my bedside drawer, pulling it open and rummaging through my underwear until my fingers wrap around a small velvet box. Pulling it out, I grin widely as I opened the lid to gaze at the large diamond ring nestled inside. Katienne is my forever, we are going to grow old together, have kids, and live in a house that she’ll decorate exactly as she wants. I’m going to give her everything she ever wanted and that starts tonight when I ask her to marry me. ‘Master Wells’ came the sound of my chef’s voice from outside of my room. Snapping the box shut again, I stuff it into my trouser pocket and stride out into the hall where Aramis, my personal chef is waiting for me. Yeah, yeah, I know, how many college students have their own chef? Well, since Cassidy left me and went to live with Wade, I’ve had to fend for myself and . . I don’t know how to cook, OK? Never had to learn. We had a chef at home and Mrs R or step mummy as I call her now, cooked for me if I went to theirs. When we got here, Cassidy did all the cooking after I tried to surprise her with macaroni cheese one evening and . . well . . we threw the saucepan away . . I’m sure we’ll be able to buff that burn mark off the counter one day! Anyway, after Cass moved out, dad hired me a chef . . OK, he also hired me a housekeeper who comes once a week to clear up and do my washing. I meet Aramis’ gaze as he looks at me expectantly, ‘sir’ he says formally as I cringe, I hate it when he calls me that, I’m not his boss, my dad is. ‘It’s Jay, Aramis’ I sigh. The chef bows slightly, ‘Yes of course Master Wells’ he replies smoothly. Rolling my eyes, I nod for him to continue, ‘your meal for Miss Katienne is warming in the oven, you just need to remove it when you are ready. Dessert is in the refrigerator, and a bottle of champagne is chilling in the wine cooler as requested.’ I nod, letting him know I understood as he bowed again and turned to leave. Hesitating at the end of the hallway as he reached for his coat, the French man added over his shoulder, ‘remember to turn off the oven when you remove the food Sir, turn it too the right sir . . to the RIGHT’ I growl as I nod curtly, jeez, you make one mistake when turning the oven off and everyone suddenly treats you like you are an i***t! I didn’t burn anything down! The oven was just reeeeeeeally hot when Aramis came into work the next day. I head into the kitchen and check the table, a pretty, white linen tablecloth is draped over the wooden surface, two place settings with a bunch of flowers in the middle and candles waiting in holders for me to light. The bottle of champagne is resting in the ice bucket, two champagne flutes beside it just waiting for us to toast our future together. Glancing at the clock, I see I have forty minutes so rush around straightening up the few magazines that I had left strewn over the couch, grabbing the shoes I had kicked off hastily when I came in and rushed into the shower, throwing them in the cupboard before sitting down and waiting impatiently for my love to arrive. Eight o’clock on the dot, the doorbell rang and my face split into a grin, there she was, my girl, on time just like always. Katienne was never late. If she said she would be there at eight o’clock, she was there at eight o’clock. Standing up, I brushed the creases from my trousers before striding out into the hall and down to the door. Throwing it open, I smiled widely at my girlfriend who was biting on her lip nervously. Grabbing her wrist, I pulled her into the apartment, helping her out of her coat and hanging it up before placing my hands on her face and kissing her tenderly. Damn, I had missed her, I hadn’t seen her for three months and it was killing me, but she had been unable to get time off work to come down to me and I had too many commitments to come home until the school break. ‘Hey’ I said excitedly as I led her into the lounge, turning back to take in her tight red top that wrapped around her body and the black jeans that were sculpted to her figure. ‘You look beautiful’ I breathed, taking her in. Katienne smiled softly, ‘thanks’ she murmured, ‘you look good too Jay.’ Waving a hand toward the couch, I waited for her to sit down before sitting next to her and taking one of her hands in between my own. ‘I’ve missed you’ I said, a goofy smile on my face, she’s so beautiful, how did I get so lucky. Katienne averted her gaze from me, taking a deep breath, ‘I . . I missed you too’ she finally replied. ‘Aramis made us dinner’ I rambled, suddenly nervous as the tiny box in my pocket dug into my hip, reminding me that it was there, that tonight I was going to become the happiest guy in the world. ‘Oh . . I already ate on the way here’ Katienne replied, as her eyes swept the room, taking in the décor. ‘Oh, uh . . no problem’ I fumbled, ‘we can just have some champagne, I’m not that hungry anyway.’ My girlfriend finally brought her gaze back to mine, uncertainty swimming in her eyes, ‘no, you should eat’ she pushed, ‘I can wait for you too finish, go on.’ I glanced at her, a prickly feeling rising from the base of my neck, something was wrong, I could feel it. ‘Katienne’ I mumbled, tightening my grip on her hands slightly, ‘what’s wrong?’ My girlfriend dropped her gaze for a moment before her shoulders stiffened, ‘I . . I came to tell you in person’ she said resolutely, ‘I couldn’t do it by phone, you deserved to hear it from me face to face.’ My stomach clenched, I was starting to feel sick, ‘tell me what?’ I asked, please God, don’t let her be dying or something, please! She flicked her gaze to me before dropping it to our intertwined hands again, ‘I’ she started before halting, swallowing thickly, ‘I . . .slept with someone else.’ My mind went blank as I stared at her, ‘w . .what?’ I finally forced out, sure I hadn’t heard her properly. My girlfriend, the woman I had loved for two years met my gaze, regret swirling in the depths, ‘I slept with someone else Jay’ she whispered, ‘last month . . at a party.’ I released her hands, pushing myself up from the couch as I began to pace the room, what? WHAT!? I turned to stare at her bewildered, ‘but . . you are my penguin’ I stumbled Katienne’s temper flares, as she stood up, facing me across the coffee table ‘I don’t know what that means Jay! I don’t know what half the stuff you say means!’ I’m looking at her, suddenly she’s a stranger, I don’t know her, ‘it means you are my forever, like a penguin, they mate for life’ I replied weakly. The girl in front of me throws up her hands in exasperation, ‘but see? That’s the point! I don’t understand all the things you talk about, I’m constantly stood in the side-lines waiting for someone to laugh so I know they made a joke.’ I reach out to her instinctively, ‘I can change’ I gulp desperately, ‘we can get past this, I understand, you feel out of your depth sometimes, I just need to put more effort into being who you need.’ Katienne’s face softens as she avoids my questing hands, ‘No Jay’ she says quietly, ‘you shouldn’t have to be someone you are not for someone to be with you . .and neither should I. I’ve spent 2 years pretending to fit into your world, but I don’t. I’ll never be the girl you can take to fancy dinners who will laugh at some high-class witty comment one of your clients make. I’ll always be the girl giggling nervously at your side because she has no idea what you are talking about and fearing someone will ask her a question that is way above her paygrade.’ She gives me a look filled with resignation, ‘I’m not who you need as your penguin Jay’ she murmurs, ‘and you are not who I need as mine. I slept with Cory because I wanted too, I could talk to him, he made me laugh, we both like watching football, he entered a hot dog eating contest, which he won! Cory is the kind of guy that will be my future, and someone like Cassidy will be yours. Someone who understands physics and thinks your maths jokes are hilarious because they understand what the hell you are talking about. I didn’t mean to sleep with him, and I should have broken it off with you first, but I also can’t say I was drunk, or I didn’t know what I was doing, because I did.’ I’m just staring at her, I have nothing to say, my words have left me as I listen to her rip my heart out with her words. ‘I . . I don’t know what to do’ I mumbled brokenly, ‘I love you.’ Katienne nods sadly, ‘I know’ she murmured, ‘and I know you won’t believe me, but I loved you too, I just couldn’t fit into your world the way you wanted me too.’ Stepping away from me, my girlfriend walked back out to the hallway, pulling her coat down from the hanger and pulling it back on. I followed her out, leaning against the living room door frame, watching her silently as she opened the front door and stepped outside. Glancing back at me, she gave a small smile, ‘I’m sorry Jay’ she said softly, ‘and I hope you find your real penguin, one who will be your forever this time.’ She shut the door quietly behind her and I listened to the ding of the elevator as they doors slid open, and my future stepped inside, away from me. Moving toward the door, I felt the rub of the box that was still in my pocket, reaching inside, I pulled it out, flicking it open to stare at the diamond that glinted back at me mockingly. Roaring in pain and fury, I hurled the box at the door, the ring dislodging and flying out of the pillow it was nestled in, bouncing across the floor and sliding underneath the large unit by the side of the door. Sinking down to the floor, I gripped my hair, pulling it painfully as sobs ripped from my chest. She was gone, she left me for someone else, because I wasn’t who she really wanted. Glaring at the door, through my tears, I felt steel fingers weave around my heart caging it in, I wasn’t what she wanted, I wasn’t what anyone wanted, not as a boyfriend or husband. My face hardened as my thoughts wandered to my friends, maybe they were right after all, maybe being the good guy was the wrong idea, maybe it was time to try being the bad guy instead . .