Estrella resisted with all her might, but in the end, she couldn’t escape Jason’s clutches. He devoured
her yet again, leaving nothing untouched.
“Estrella, Jason and Holly are an item now. Holly tweeted about it, and the Ledford family has
acknowledged their relationship,” Jesse informed her. Estrella was utterly
dumbfounded.
She had thought she and Jason were an item, that despite not making their relationship official, they
were essentially lovers. Staring at Jesse’s phone, Estrella was frozen for what seemed like an eternity
before managing a forced, casual smile. “They do seem like a good match,” she said. Her heart ached,
and though she tried to hide it, her voice and body were shaking uncontrollably.
Suddenly, sitting upright in bed, Estrella’s forehead was drenched in sweat. By the light of the bedside
lamp, she glanced at the pillow where Jason lay in deep slumber.
Bracing herself with her hands against the mattress, she tried to calm her racing heart. Then, wiping
the sweat from her brow, she silently got out of bed.
For so long, she hadn’t dreamt about the past, about that incident.
Pouring herself a glass of water from the cabinet, Estrella noticed the wedding band on her left ring
finger-a, token of her bond with Jason. Holding the glass to her lips, she stared at the ring for a long
time, then drank half the water before padding barefoot into the adjoining study.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, she examined the ring on her finger. It was a commitment
ring, yet having just put it on that evening, it had triggered memories of thepast.
Estrella gazed at the ring for a while longer, then crossed her arms and looked o bright moon through
the window. The moon was full tonight, just as it had been f
years ago.
After the Ledford family and Holly had made their relationship public, Estrella didn’t confront Jason. He
hadn’t sought her out either, probably feeling no need to explain himself to her. After all, they had never
really started anything. No confessions were made. They were just ‘friends.’
A week later, when Korey threw a dinner party, they crossed paths again. Estrella hadn’t wanted to
attend, but with Jason and Holly’s relationship now out in the open, skipping the event would have
seemed petty.
She might have lost in love but wasn’t about to embarrass herself. So she went.
She spent the evening chatting with Jesse and Bryce, deliberately ignoring Jason and behaving like a
total outsider-which, in truth, she was
08:44
Later, overwhelmed by the noise, she escaped to the rooftop for some air. Resting her elbows on the
balcony railing, she enjoyed the cool breeze of late summer. She was finishing the last sip of her
canned beer when she heard footsteps.
Tossing the empty can aside and turning around with a slight buzz, she saw Jason approaching. Back
then, Jason was 23, and she was 19, a sophomore in college. Jason had been working at Nelson
International for nearly two years.“Hey, it’s you!” she greeted him with a tipsy smile upon seeing Jason.
noveldramaJason walked up leisurely. Estrella, with a hazy look in her eyes, chuckled and said, “Congratulations!”
Jason’s expression darkened. “That’s it?” After half a month without contact, was that all she had to say
to him?
Estrella saw his mood sour and, thinking of how happy Holly had been that
night-parading Jason around as if they were celebrating an engagement-she added, “You two really
seem well-suited.”
As her words fell, Jason’s face grew even more unapproachable.
Estrella watched him silently stand there. She knew he had a girlfriend, so she decided to leave the
rooftop. “I’m heading back in then.”
But as she brushed past Jason, he grabbed her arm and shoved her backward with such force that her
back slammed against the railing. Pain nearly brought tears to her eyes, and her light buzz dissipated
instantly. Had the railing been any lower, she might have fallen off the rooftop to her death.
Before she could catch her breath, Jason’s icy voice hit her. “Estrella, if you have something to say, just
say it. There’s no need for sarcasm.”
Estrella laughed incredulously. She’d only spoken a few words-a simple cong and a comment about the
couple’s compatibility-and yet she was being accuse
sarcasm?
Suppressing her anger, she asked with a smirk “How was I being sarcastic? Tell me, am I supposed to
say?”Jason shoved his hand back into his pocket. “If you’re unhappy about Holly and me, you
can tell me.”
Estrella found this really funny. Jason was publicly with Holly, and the Ledfords had made it official.
There was nothing left for her to say. What right did she have to be unhappy?
She snorted, “Please, I’m not that entitled or privileged to be unhappy. How you want to
live
your life is entirely up to you. If my presence bothers you, I’ll just disappear.”
They were good friends once, but now that he had a girlfriend, it was only right to keep
their distance.
08:44
After saying her piece, Estrella’s back still throbbed with pain, which turned out to be
I
internal bruising upon later examination. This incident was one of the reasons she distanced herself
from Jason and stopped confiding in him.
Jason was used to being coddled by others, a figure of authority within their circle. So, when Estrella
finished speaking, Jason’s reaction was as expected-furious.He stepped closer, pinching her face, asking, “Not entitled or privileged? If you’re going to vanish from
my sight, what was the meaning behind all your actions before, Estrella?”
Estrella’s temper flared at his questioning and physical aggression. She tried to pull his hand away but
failed, and finally, gripping his wrist, she retorted, “What did it mean? It was all just fun! With the Nelson
family’s status and wealth, everyone in Ravenwood wants to latch onto you, Jason. Who wouldn’t want
to be your friend?”
With a sudden burst of energy, Estrella shoved Jason off of her. She could almost see flames dancing
in his gaze when she locked eyes with him again.
Their eyes met, and the memory of how he’d just treated her fueled her defiance. “Jason, who do you
think you are without the Nelsons backing you? What makes you think you can strut around
Ravenwood with such arrogance? You think you’re so untouchable, perched on your high horse?”
“And don’t get it twisted. You seriously didn’t think I had feelings for you, did you? Don’t flatter yourself.
Hanging out with you was no different than with anyone else. It’s just because you’re Mr. Big Shot
Jason Nelson…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence. A sharp slap to her left cheek cut her off, and for a moment, Estrella
was completely stunned. The sting of the slap echoed through her.