I’m at my desk when Raegan shows up in the doorway of my office. She’s covered in mud and grass stains from the Jeffrey fiasco, her cheeks splotched with red from the cold December air. “Are you staying here all winter break?”

“Just wanted to finalize a few things so I don’t have to think about them next week.”

“Doing anything fun?”

I shake my head. “Just spending time with family and friends, relaxing.”

“Same here.”

“You deserve a break from all your hard work. Have a nice week off.” I turn back to my computer and continue typing.

She steps into my office and sits in the chair opposing my desk. “Could we … can we talk?”

I arch an eyebrow, keeping my gaze fixed on the screen. “I thought you wanted me to stay away from you.”

She huffs out a sigh. “I think we should talk.”

“Do you, now? Because I’ve wanted to talk for a while, yet you refused to give me the time of day.” I can’t stop the hostility in my tone.

“You can’t blame me for being mad about everything you’ve done, Jaxon.”

“And what about everything you’ve done? You’re not innocent in this, Raegan. You’ve been a willing participant this whole time.”

Her eyebrows skyrocket. “A willing participant? As if I had a choice when you forced me to be the mascot, or play in the dodgeball game? You caused this shitstorm between us, Jaxon. But your arrogant head is so far up your ass that you can’t see it.”

“Deflect all you want. You stooped just as low as I did, and you know it.”

The red in her cheeks deepens. She rips her jacket off and tosses it onto the chair as she stands. “You called a truce. Then you went and fucked it up all over again by having my house searched for that godforsaken ring!”

Good, I’ve struck a nerve. I rise from my chair and stalk around the desk. “If you would’ve let me explain, you’d know that I had nothing to do with that search warrant. But that’s your problem, Rae. You get mad and run away, instead of facing the problem and talking it out.”

She steps toward me and jabs my chest with her finger. “It’s impossible to talk to you. I feel like a yo-yo being jerked around. One second you’re nice Jaxon, and the next you’re coming at me with another scheme!”

I catch her hand and grip it in mine, pulling her closer. “There was no scheme. But you won’t listen to anything other than the cowardly voice in your head.”

“Cowardly? This coming from the man who hid behind a fake Match profile.”

“I did that because you wouldn’t talk to me. You wouldn’t give me a chance to explain myself.”