Unmatchable

by Sky Corgan

  “Oh.”

  The room is silent for several minutes. Alex stares off into the distance in thought, and I just sit there trying to keep myself together. It's sinking in that there's no going back. What's done is done, and all I can do is move on from it. How do I move on, though, when all I want to do is die?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  COLTON

  Days pass and my heart doesn't seem to be getting any better. I go to work in a daze. My thoughts range from confusion to bitterness. Part of me still doesn't believe that Ember would cheat on me. It took me so long to break down her walls. The thought that some other man could just waltz in and tear them down immediately destroys me.

  It doesn't make sense that she'd cheat on me after all the pain she's been through. She never seemed like that kind of a person. I guess I didn't know her as well as I thought I did. Add this to my list of scars. At this rate, I might never be able to trust women again. Hoeing around was always safer.

  Don't get involved. Don't get hurt.

  The fact that Ember wounded me so deeply without good reason makes me want to take retribution against her. I'd just have to make one phone call to get her fired. That's what should have happened in the first place. It was only my mercy that kept her employed.

  I place a call to Jerry to have Lloyd give me a review of Ember's performance in her new position. I wait for it to come back, hoping I'll have a legitimate case to fire her. When he does email it to me, I'm unexpectedly happy to see that she's thriving as an online sales associate.

  After I read the report, I sit at my desk and scrub my hand across my face. I could still fire her if I wanted to. I could lie and say that the position hasn't shown the promise that I had hoped it would and have decided to phase it out. Then at least she could get on unemployment until she found something else. It would be the less dick thing to do.

  It would still be a dick move, though.

  Ember has been through a lot. The last thing she needs is to have her life turned upside down again.

  Even though I'm angry at her—even though I'm hurt—I don't have it in me to fuck her over like that.

  It's not like I have to see her every day anyway. She just works for a company that I happen to own. Besides, as long as she's there I can keep an eye on her.

  That makes you sound like a stalker.

  Fuck. I just wish this pain would go away. I swear to God I'm never going to love again. It's just not worth it.

  “Mister Larsen, there's someone here to see you.” My secretary buzzes through to me.

  I sigh before pressing the button a bit too hard to speak back to her. “I don't have anyone on my schedule today. Tell them to make an appointment.”

  “He says it's important.”

  I tear my hand through my hair, my anger flaring. Journalists say they're important. Random people trying to sell me their shitty dying businesses to find a fast way out of debt say they're important. They're not important. “Are you deaf? I don't want to see anyone right now.”

  There's blessed silence.

  I push my keyboard aside and fold my arms on top of my desk, resting my head on top of them. I'm so stressed out and angry and everything in between.

  I exhale deeply, trying to relax. The sound of raised voices outside of my office brings the tension flying back to the surface. I can hear Belinda, my secretary, arguing with someone. It's not until she threatens to call security that I realize it's something serious.

  I lift my head just in time to see the door open and a man storm in. It takes a moment for me to recognize his face, but the second that I do, my bad mood triples. His dark features look agitated, but the way he's dressed reminds me of someone coming in for a business meeting. It ticks me off that I can see why Ember found him attractive. He's closer to her age, and he carries himself well.

  I glance at my wristwatch before shooting a piercing gaze straight through Alex “You have about ten seconds to tell me what you came here for before security throws you out of the building.”

  He shrugs roughly, straightening out his suit as if someone has already laid hands on him. “I'm here to talk about Ember. She loves you.”

  “That's irrelevant.” I wave at him dismissively. “She already told me that she cheated on me with you. I hope you find happiness together.”

  Jameson, my security guard, comes into view, taking long strides to apprehend Alex. His booming voice is all authoritative. “You've bothered Mister Larsen long enough. Come on.”

  “She lied,” Alex tells me as Jameson grabs his arm to pull him towards the door. “She lied to you. We never slept together.”

  This makes my ears perk. I rest my elbow on the desk and hold up two fingers. “Let him go, Jameson. Thank you for coming up here, but you can return to your post.”

  Jameson glances down at Alex, seeming unsure. Then he looks at me and nods before leaving the room.

  “Close the door and have a seat.” I continue to stare at Alex as if he's not worth the shit on the bottom of my shoes.

  Alex does as he's told, sitting on the other side of my desk. He glances back at the door, his expression less than pleased.

  “I can call him back if you like,” I say, mainly to get his attention.

  “You are far more of an asshole than Ember makes you sound.” He turns to face me.

  “If you're here to insult me then.” I pick up the receiver on my desk to call Jameson back.

  “That's not why I'm here.” He rolls his eyes, which only pisses me off more.

  “Talk. I'm a busy man, and I don't have time to deal with you.” I drop the receiver into its cradle and lean back in my chair.

  “I went over to Ember's apartment the other day to see her, and she was in tears.”

  “Did you go over to fuck her too?”

  He takes a deep breath. The fact that I'm getting under his skin is giving me great pleasure. “She said you're a good listener, but I'm starting to not believe that.”

  “I'm sorry. Go on.” I shake my head, every bit as annoyed with myself as I am with him. He came here to give me good news, and I'm treating him like crap, letting my bitterness get the best of me.

  “I came here because she's miserable without you.”

  “She should have thought about that before she dumped me.”

  “Do you even know why she dumped you? The real reason, I mean.” He quirks a thick eyebrow at me.

  “I'm not sure if I care,” I lie.

  “She broke up with you because she didn't feel good enough for you. She felt like you'd be better off with someone who has less baggage. She feels bad that she pushes you away, but she's not sure how else to cope.

  “Listen, we both know she doesn't have her shit together. She's been through too much to be whole. But she really was trying with you. And sometimes she gets really insecure and does stupid shit. She doesn't mean to. She just gets inside of her own head, and it happens.”

  I deflate a bit. While I've heard most of this before from Ember's own lips—lips that I very much miss kissing—it doesn't change the fact that she went too far this time.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  His mouth falls agape for a moment, but he quickly recovers. “I was hoping you'd be happy to hear this. I came all the way here to tell you because I know she didn't mean what she said to you. I know that not having you in her life is killing her.”

  “It's killing me too,” I admit. “But how do I know this won't happen again?”

  “You don't. I know that it sucks unbelievably badly, but you don't. The only thing I can tell you is that she's worth fighting for. She has a beautiful soul. If you could only see it—”

  “I do see it,” I cut him off, not really wanting to hear him gush about my girlfriend.

  My girlfriend? She broke up with me. I shouldn't still be thinking about her as such.

  “Just give her another chance,” he pleads for Ember. “You make her happier than anything has in a very long time. I don't want to s
ee her lose that over her own insecurities.”

  I let out a short laugh. “And what about you? Don't you lose out in all of this?”

  He chews his bottom lip, nodding slowly. “I do. At the end of the day, though, I'm just happy to have regained her friendship.

  “But the truth of the matter is that we do dumb things for the people we love. She broke up with you because she thought you would be better off with someone else, even though it's killing her. I came here to get you back for her, even though it's killing me.”

  Any hatred I had for Alex dissipates in the span of that paragraph. It provides so much clarity to the situation—so much perspective. He really does care about her, and I admire that he was man enough to come tell me the truth. It would have been easy for him to take advantage of the situation, to cast Ember's feelings aside and pursue her instead of trying to get us back together.

  “I can see you're a good friend to her,” I tell him.

  “The best. I've always been there for her. And I always will be.” He stands.

  Realizing that he's about to leave, I get up and extend my hand to him. “Thank you for coming to me with this, Alex. Really. Thank you.”

  “What are you going to do now?” He shakes my hand, eying me with uncertainty.

  “I'm going to do what any smart man would do in this situation. I'm going to get my girl back.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  EMBER

  I'm starting to feel better but not much. It has been a week since I broke up with Colton, and Alex has proven to be a trusted friend. Despite my initial fear that he would try to pounce on me, he has offered nothing but support and not once has he made a move on me.

  With him by my side, I've begun to think that everything will be okay. I'm just not sure how I'll handle things once he leaves town. That time is quickly approaching.

  Alex decides to have his going away party early. Party is an exaggeration. He just asks me out to dinner, but it feels like a going away party. There are only a few days before he leaves Texas for Louisiana. Even though he'll be less than a day's drive away, it feels much farther than that. Not like I plan on going to see him or he plans on coming back here. In that respect, I suppose distance doesn't matter. He could be halfway across the world. It just makes me wonder when or if I'll ever see him again. For as much as I thought I didn't care about that at first, I do care. Ever since I pushed Colton out of my life, Alex has been the one to ground me. Will I be able to stand on my own two feet once he's gone? I suppose I'm about to find out. I suppose I have no choice.

  It's Saturday evening. Alex said he had errands to run beforehand, so he has me meet him at the restaurant. I had expected him to pick Taco Bell since it has significant meaning to us. But instead, he chooses somewhere in the Heights that neither of us has been to before.

  I step through the doors of Down House and walk up to the hostess. The place is cozy and has a hipster vibe to it. After giving the hostess Alex's name for our reservation, she walks me to his table. On my way, I admire the lavender painted walls. The place is minimally decorated with an old bike up on one wall and not much else besides a few small prints.

  When we get to the table, I find it empty. The hostess says that Alex must have gone to the bathroom and seats me anyway. A few minutes later, a waiter walks up and asks me if I'd like to join their private drinking club. Apparently, you can't drink here without being a member.

  I nod, and he asks me for my ID. At the same time, he tells me to place a drink order and that by the time my drink is ready, I'll be a member. I take a quick look at the drink menu and decide to order a Queen B, which is a mix of dry gin, champagne, fresh lemon, and violet liqueur. It looks interesting enough. Hopefully, it tastes good.

  With nothing else to do, I read the menu while I wait for Alex to return from the restroom. I'm halfway through the entrees section when something slips over my eyes, and everything goes dark. I smile and giggle, reaching up to brush Alex's hands away.

  “Guess who?” A husky voice whispers into my ear. When I realize it doesn't belong to Alex, I begin to internally panic. The hands drop as soon as I apply pleasure, and when I turn and see Colton's face looking at me with a half-cocked smirk, I feel a mix of emotions, though the most prevalent is definitely still panic.

  “What are you doing here?” I watch him round the table to sit across from me.

  “You don't sound as happy to see me as I thought you'd be.” He leans back, his smirk fading.

  “Alex is meeting me here.”

  “No, he's not.” Colton shakes his head.

  “What do you mean he's not?”

  “I set this up. Well, we set this us.” He pushes his chair in, getting more comfortable.

  “I don't understand.”

  He props his elbows up on the table and looks at me. The cool confidence in his expression reminds me of when I first met him. He's well put together, wearing deep purple slacks with a white dress shirt and a gray cardigan on top. Sexy as always.

  “I had Alex tell you to meet him here. I came in his place.”

  “I still don't understand.” I wrap my arms around myself, feeling the need for protection even though he has never wronged me.

  “Listen, Ember. Alex told me everything. He told me that you lied to me about the two of you sleeping together. He told me that you just said that to scare me away because you think I deserve better.”

  My eyes begin to water, and I'm not even sure why. Part of me is angry at Alex, but another part of me is happy that he went so far as to track Colton down to tell him the truth.

  “He had no right,” I say between clenched teeth.

  Colton furrows his brow. “Was I wrong to assume that you wanted to see me again? Was he the one who lied to me?”

  My heart sprints in my chest. This is my chance to get him back. Isn't it? Isn't that what he's here for? It's everything I want, but my guilt is still gnawing at me.

  “He didn't lie to you,” I confess.

  Colton looks around the restaurant. “This place used to be a bank. They converted it into a restaurant. It's not as spectacular as the church that I took you to, but I thought I would keep the theme going for as long as I can.”

  The first tear spills down my cheeks as I stare at him in disbelief. After all I've put him through, he's still being sweet—still being perfect.

  “You really think you can put up with me?”

  “Ember, I want to put up with you.” He gazes across the table at me. When he reaches out for my hand, I don't hesitate. I slide mine into his, yearning to feel the warmth of his touch. “I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but I kind of like you. A lot. In fact, I more than like you. I adore you. I would even go as far as to say that I lesbians you.”

  “Lesbians me?” I guffaw. It was such a romantic moment until he said that. Maybe I gave him too much credit when I thought he was perfect.

  “Baby steps.”

  “Baby steps.” I nod.

  His expression goes serious. “If you don't want me—if you don't want this—tell me now, and I'll disappear. I want to be with you, but I don't want to keep chasing you. Chasing gets old, and it has done a number on me emotionally.

  “I can understand if there are times when you need your space, but I need to know that you're not going to do this to me again. Honesty is important to me, and while I'm glad that you lied to me, it still hurts that you did. I don't want to be put through that again.

  “So I need to know right now. Either you want me back or you don't. It's as simple as that. Don't factor in what you think that I deserve. Only think about what you want. I want to know what Ember wants.”

  There's no doubt in my mind what I want. It's what I've always wanted—what has made me feel selfish.

  “I want you.”

  “Is that really what you want?” He gives my hand a gentle shake, drawing my attention to his face.

  “Yes. There's never been a point in all of this when I haven't wanted you.”<
br />
  “Then you shall have me.” I can physically see the relief washing over him. “And I shall have you. Tonight. In my bed. Screaming my name enough times to make up for all of the nights that I missed hearing it.”

  I pull my hand away from him and roll my eyes, quickly reminding myself that this is the pervert that I fell in love with. He definitely can't keep the romantic moment going forever. It's just not him.

  The waiter delivers my drink. It tastes better than I had hoped it would and the presentation is beautiful with an edible chrysanthemum garnishing the top. I'm thankful for the alcohol, because even though things are going well, I know I need it to still my nerves. Everything seems so surreal. I can't believe that Alex would go out of his way to get Colton and I back together like this. I'll have to thank him for it later, because ever since the breakup, I've felt like a complete idiot for what I did. Regretted it every single day.

  I order the roasted beets and Colton orders a Kimchi burger. We spend most of the meal catching up on what's been going on since we last saw each other, though there's really not much to say on either end besides discussing how miserable we both were. I can't apologize to him enough.

  After dinner, Colton tells me to go home and freshen up. He gives me two hours before he sends his driver to fetch me. I'm not really sure what he has planned, but I decide to wear the lingerie I bought before the gala under my clothes, having a pretty good feeling that I'll be needing it tonight.

  Standing outside of the door to his loft, the butterflies in my stomach won't take a rest. I'm more excited than I was the first time we slept together. This night is special. This night I need to make up for everything that I've done—show him that I love him with my body.

  When he opens the door to me, I can't help but feel shy. He looks down on me like a predator about to pounce. In fact, I barely have time to say hello before he's wrapping his arms around me and drawing me to him.

  My breasts press against the hard wall of his chest, and he steals my breath with a kiss. His mouth moves hungrily on top of mine as he pulls me into his loft, softly whispering about how much he missed me.