Alpha Rejected the Tomboy. Now, She’s Gone. Chapter 09
Adam pressed his hands firmly against myÂ
shoulders, his tone filled with urgent panic.Â
“Jamie, when did you get close to Eric? Why wasÂ
he walking you home? What exactly are you two?”Â
“We’re just friends. We met at the library beforeÂ
the SATS. He tutored me through plenty of hardÂ
topics.”Â
Adam stared at me for a long while, scrutinizingÂ
my expression to confirm I was telling the truth.Â
Then he suddenly reached out and took my hand,Â
his voice dropping to a low, trembling murmur.Â
“I’m sorry, Jamie.”Â
“I never should’ve treated you like that. I neverÂ
should’ve called you disgusting, gotten withÂ
Courtney, or pushed you away over and overÂ
again.”Â
“I like you. I’ve always liked you. But I was scared-Â
I was terrified we’d break up if we got together,Â
that I’d lose you forever.”Â
“I thought if we stayed lifelong best friends, we’dÂ
never drift apart, never lose each other.”Â
But I’d never guessed it was this.Â
I’d imagined countless reasons for his constantÂ
rejection over the years. I’d even thought he simplyÂ
didn’t have feelings for me.Â
“It’s too late for all of this, Adam. The pain you leftÂ
behind can never be erased.”Â
“I don’t like you anymore. Not one bit.”Â
I pulled my hand free from his grasp and fumbledÂ
my house keys out of my bag.Â
Adam stepped close behind me and wrapped hisÂ
arms tightly around my waist, trapping me in aÂ
desperate hug.Â
“I messed up, Jamie. I’m an idiot, I’m the worst.Â
Please forgive me.”Â
“We don’t have to be brothers anymore. Let’s beÂ
together. I’ll move to your city, stay by your sideÂ
forever…”Â
Hot tears fell onto the nape of my neck.Â
It was the first time I’d ever seen Adam breakÂ
down like this, raw and unraveled, heartbreakinglyÂ
vulnerable.Â
But I was no longer the old Jamie.Â
The girl who once abandoned everything, loweredÂ
every boundary, and sacrificed endlessly just forÂ
him was gone.Â
I wriggled out of his arms and unlocked the frontÂ
door.Â
“You’re far too late, Adam.”Â
“I’m never going back, I’ll never give you anotherÂ
chance. Let’s just end this peacefully.”Â
The door slammed shut behind me.Â
With that sound, my entire youthful crush finallyÂ
drew to a close.Â
Adam kept pounding frantically on the door,Â
shouting my name at the top of his broken voice.Â
I slipped on my headphones and blocked outÂ
every desperate sound from outside.Â
Before I knew it, college decision day arrived.Â
Eric and I both committed to New York University, attending the same campus with different majors, just as we’d promised.Â
Adam got into an average state university in theÂ
city. Shockingly, Courtney enrolled at the sameÂ
school just to stay close to him.Â
College life sped by in the blink of an eye.Â
I buried myself in my studies, competing forÂ
scholarships and academic awards, joining allÂ
kinds of campus activities, and running forÂ
student leadership positions.Â
My days were full, steady, and deeply fulfilling.Â
Adam visited my campus multiple times, bringingÂ
flowers, custom cakes, and all sorts of gifts.Â
I turned every gesture down, yet he kept comingÂ
back relentlessly.Â
That all stopped during my sophomore year, whenÂ
Eric and I officially became a pair.Â
Our relationship announcement post blew upÂ
instantly, flooded with nothing but warm wishes.Â
Even the former pack members who’d once bulliedÂ
me left kind comments, wishing me happiness.Â
Eric reread our announcement over and overÂ
again, grinning widely as he pulled me into hisÂ
arms.Â
I teased him for being silly.Â
He lifted an eyebrow, smiling brightly, “I finally got my crush. I deserve to be happy about it.”Â
After we got together, Eric told me everything. about his long–hidden feelings.Â
I finally learned the truth–throughout my ten years of unrequited love for Adam, someone else hadÂ
quietly loved me for seven whole years.Â
Eric had liked me since the first year of junior high. He’d known I was head over heels for Adam, soÂ
he’d never confessed.Â
After he fell out with Adam and left their friendÂ
group, he started planning every small encounter.Â
He timed his morning walks perfectly just to crossÂ
paths with me, deliberately arranging everyÂ
accidental meeting over the years.Â
Even our library study sessions were neverÂ
coincidences.Â
He’d originally planned to study at his own school,Â
but switched his plans the second he learned IÂ
was heading to the town library.Â
He’d even chosen the seat right next to me onÂ
purpose every single time.Â
So many tiny, unnoticed gestures I’d never onceÂ
paid attention to.Â
As I listened to every detail, my eyes filled withÂ
warm, grateful tears.Â
No one understood the bitterness of a one–sidedÂ
crush better than me.Â
Finally, both of us had walked out of our longÂ
suffering and found our happy ending.Â
Adam’s call came last, long after ourÂ
announcement.Â
His voice cracked and trembled over the line.Â
“Jamie, is it true? Are you really with Eric?”Â
I answered calmly, without a single trace ofÂ
hesitation, “It’s true.”Â
“Is there really no chance left for me at all?”Â
He must have already known the answer, yet he needed to hear it directly from me.Â
“Stop clinging to the past, Adam. It’s time for youÂ
to move on and live your own life.”Â
That was the last call I ever took from him.Â
Life stretches long ahead. We all have to keepÂ
moving forward.

