His Heart Beat for Her, So I Left Chapter 01
Serena’s POV
At our pack party, someone jeered and urged all the single guests to play the No Pulse Flutter Challenge.
The rules were simple. If two people looked into each other’s eyes and both of their heart rates went above 130, they would be considered a match.
” Wanna give it a shot?” I whispered to Jacob.
We had been in a secret relationship for ten years. I hoped to finally come out about us and win everyone’s well wishes.
Jacob looked unenthusiastic. But when he saw how my eyes lit up, he agreed anyway.
The results came out. My heart rate was 140. His was only 70.
An awkward silence fell over the room immediately.
“Switch!”
“Cecilia! Cecilia!”
The crowd pushed a stranger forward.
“Well… I’ll give it a try.”
The results came out. Cecilia’s heart rate was 129.
I stared blankly at the screen, feeling a chill run from the top of my head down to my feet.
Jacob’s heart rate was 175.
“It’s practically a pass!” Ryan laughed as he pushed Cecilia forward.
She stumbled and fell into Jacob’s embrace, her ear tips flushing bright crimson. She was so embarrassed that she buried her face in his chest and didn’t dare look up.
Jacob’s arm naturally wrapped around her waist. He didn’t let go.
” Let’s hear it for the new couple!”
The room burst into cheers, and whistles rang out nonstop. Someone even threw a hotel key card their way, stirring up more trouble.
“Send them straight to the bridal suite!”
I stood isolated in the corner, cut off from the commotion. Standing alone in the corner, I silently pulled the heart race tracker off my wrist.
The numbers on the screen stung my eyes.
“Who is she?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
Ryan smacked his forehead. “Oh right! Cecilia left for the overseas pack before you even got here.” He lowered his voice. “Jacob had a huge crush on her back in the day. Now she’s back overseas, and he’s totally gonna make his move.”
I looked at Cecilia’s face—the way it resembled mine. Sharp words stuck in my throat, and I could not utter a sound.
Ryan noticed my low mood and quickly tried to smooth things over. ” Hey, Serena’s amazing! All you single guys, don’t be shy—go for it!”
I marched to the front row on a whim of pique and strapped the heart race tracker back onto my wrist.
Jacob finally looked at me. His brows drew together, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly.
I pretended not to see it. My gaze stayed fixed on him and Cecilia, their bodies pressed close together.
My heart rate was still at 140.
From anger. From embarrassment. And because I wanted to cry but was fighting back my tears with everything I had.
A sense of suffocation sent my pulse racing.
“Must be a faulty monitor!” Ryan quickly tried to cover for me. “I knew there was no way Serena still liked Jacob!”
The crowd laughed, which barely helped me save face.
Everyone knew the unspoken truth. They all thought I had feelings for Jacob. Back then, I had even changed my college applications for him.
Everyone thought my feelings for him were one-sided.
But actually, I had won Jacob over in just half a month.
Everyone thought my feelings for him were one-sided.
Now it finally hit me.
Did he ever like me? Or did he just like the fact that I looked so much like Cecilia?
“Jacob, I think I’ve had too much to drink.” Cecilia grabbed Jacob’s shirt, her voice weak. “Can you take me back first?”
Ryan immediately picked up the key card from the table and slipped it into Jacob’s pocket. ” Off you two go!”
I stared hard at Jacob. My lower lip hurt from how hard I was biting it. A faint taste of blood spread through my mouth.
The wolf inside me rumbled restlessly.
Jacob lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes hiding whatever he was feeling. He supported Cecilia as they walked toward the door.
” I’m gonna get her home first. I’ll be back soon.” he said. He paused, then finally looked at me. “Wait here for me.”
The door clicked shut. The private room grew rowdy, yet my world turned deathly quiet.
I sank into my chair and drank glass after glass in sorrow. It wasn’t until my stomach churned and the alcohol numbed my senses that I managed to push down the sharp pain in my chest a little.
“Man, I really messed up tonight! I totally forgot you had a boyfriend. You two tying the knot soon?”
Drunk and blurry-eyed, I counted on my fingers. “Yeah, next week…”
Our mating ceremony was only a few days away.
But all of a sudden, I didn’t want to go through with it anymore.
One by one, everyone left the private room. By early morning, I was the only one left.
My texts went unanswered, and every call I made rang through to voicemail.
“Miss, we’re closing up.”
“Okay.”
I stood up to grab my coat. I suddenly recalled I’d left all my belongings in Jacob’s car.
