Page 25 of Pucking Bad Boys

“See, Gen, when I bought these tickets I didn’t realize that I wouldn’t have time to go to that concert with you.”

Her smile begins to fade. “Really? Oh, come on, Mack. I thought I was clear that I need more quality time together.”

I shrug my shoulder, the same way she did when she explained why she’s been with me on and off for almost four years. “Maybe you can take Tucker? As a thank you for all those orgasms he’s famous for?”

Gen’s eyes widen. “Babe, how long have you been here?”

“Don’t call me babe!” I snap, my smile evaporating in the hot California sun. “Do whatever the fuck you want with those tickets, Gen. You can shove them up your cunt as far as I’m concerned. Since it seems that access to that is very easy for everyone but me.”

She has the guts to get mad at me. “Are you slut shaming me?” She gasps.

“You can bet your bony little ass I am,” I bite out. “And before you start calling me an asshole, I’m not slut shaming you for wanting to experiment and explore your sexuality. What makes you a slut is the fact that you’re cheating on me to do that.”

“Mack, I?—”

I cut her off. “No, Gen. Don’t try to bullshit your way out of this. I’ve heard every little disgusting thing you said to your friends. So don’t try to spin it like you only fucked around when we were broken up. If I think about how worried I was about hurting you our first time. Had I known that I was the only virgin in the room, I wouldn’t have been that nervous.”

In typical Genevieve Bergen fashion, when she realizes that her lies have finally caught up with her, she goes on the offensive. “You know what, Mack? If I were you, I would get off your high horse. Stop acting like you didn’t step out on me too.”

“This is probably going to surprise you, Gen, because you wouldn’t know loyalty if it slapped you in the face. But I never once cheated on you. I’ve never been with another woman. Not even when we were on the many breaks we’ve had in these four years.”

“Fuck off.” She snorts. “Do you expect me to believe that you’ve never been tempted by all the puck bunnies who have been throwing themselves at you since high school? Not even when we were broken up?”

I feel like a complete idiot. Not because I did what I felt was right, but because it’s obvious that my loyalty wasn’t deserved or appreciated. “No, never.”

“Bullshit,” Gen fires at me. “No one has that much self-control.”

“And yet, I do. You need a lot of control and determination to excel in a competitive sport like hockey. And whether you believe it or not, I thought you deserved the same dedication. I’m not saying I was never tempted, but I’ve never been with anyone else, Gen. I couldn’t bring myself to do it because we were always getting back together, and it felt wrong. But that changes today. Remember when you broke up with me last year because you were mad that I would be training for most of the summer and you wanted a hot girl summer? Well, fuck, today is the first day of a hot Mack summer. I’m going to get a taste of everything that looks sexy. Nothing is off the table.”

She lowers her perfectly shaped eyebrows as she frowns. “Sure. I’ll give you spring break. But we’re going to get back together before summer training starts.”

The hell we are. “Because of the reality show you were talking about?”

I think the smile on my ex-girlfriend’s face might be the first real smile I’ve seen on her in all the years I’ve known her. “Yes. How about we both get some stuff out of our systems and then rock that reality show together?”

Is she nuts? “How about you do whatever you want and so do I for fucking ever? We’re over, Gen. For good this time.”

“But, babe?—”

“Don’t call me babe!” I snap for the second time. “You and I are done.”

“Oh, come on, Mack. Don’t be ridiculous. We’re meant to be together.”

I shake my head and chuckle. The sound is harsh and bitter. “The sad thing is that before I heard how you don’t give a shit about me, I thought so too. But you know what, Gen? I think my feelings for you were just down to familiarity. I’ve always known you. And when I felt like something was missing between us, I blamed myself because I’m always skating, always training. I thought you held back on me because I deserved it. Now I know it was because you don’t love me. You never have. To you, I’m just the ticket to the lifestyle you think you’re entitled to. Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m out.”

Genevieve rolls her eyes. “God, you’re so dramatic. Whatever, Mack. Go fuck a couple of puck bunnies and then we’ll talk. I’ll email you my ring size and a couple of styles of engagement rings I like. I’m not gonna get stuck with an ugly ring. And it better be big enough to stand out on TV.”

I lean closer, planting my hand palm down on the lounger she’s sitting on, between her thighs. Our faces are so close that I can smell the alcohol on her breath. “We. Are. Not. Getting. Back. Together. Not now, not ever. Find someone else to buy you a ring and be your puppet on reality TV. As far as I’mconcerned, I’ll be civil in front of our families, but if I had a choice, I’d never want to see you again. Got it?”

Gen bites her bottom lip as her eyes well up. If I hadn’t seen her use fake tears to get her way a million times before, I would fall for it. She’s that good an actress.

“Fine. Be like that. Just know that I’m going to be here once you realize what a huge mistake you’re making. When you remember that before being your girlfriend, I’m your best friend.”

I stand up to my full stature, putting distance between me and Gen. “My friends don’t use me and don’t betray me the way you’ve been doing our whole relationship. When I say we’re done, I mean it. Stay away from me, Gen.”

There’s a beat of silence, but it’s just the calm before the storm.

As I turn on my heel to walk away, Gen begins yelling all sorts of threats, showing her true colors.