by E. L. Todd
Sean came into my office with his hands in his pockets. “How’s it going?”
“Great,” I said. “The job is pretty easy.”
He approached my desk then looked out the window. “Everyone being nice?”
“Yeah. I haven’t had any problems.”
He nodded. “Good. I’m glad you like it here.”
“It’s so nice having money,” I blurted. “I can actually go get lunch if I want to.”
He smirked. “It’s a nice change, huh?”
“Definitely.”
He gave me a fond look. “I like you, Hazel. You appreciate everything you have even if it isn’t much. It reminds me how grateful I should be for everything I have.”
“I’m glad you’re humble about it.”
“You can thank my wife for that,” he said honestly. “If she weren’t in my life, I’d probably be an arrogant playboy with no respect for others. And I wouldn’t understand the value of a dollar.”
“You can be too harsh on yourself.”
“You didn’t know me before Scarlet. All you’ve seen are my good qualities. Believe me, I used to be an ass. You wouldn’t have liked me.”
I smiled at him. “I doubt that for some reason.”
“I can’t tell if you’re being nice to me because you like me or because I’m your boss.”
I laughed. “I guess you’ll never know.”
He turned to the window and looked out.
“How’s the pregnancy?”
“Good,” he said. “I pretty much have Scarlet on house arrest. She isn’t too happy with me.”
“You’re just trying to take care of her. It’s sweet.”
“I wish she would see it that way,” he said with a laugh. “I love that woman to death, but man, she is stubborn.”
“I’ve picked up on that.”
He rubbed his chin then turned back to my desk. “Have you seen Flynn?”
I knew he would come up eventually. “No. He’s called and left messages, but I just ignore them.”
Sean adjusted his tie then kept staring at me. “Do you think he might be telling the truth?” he asked hesitantly.
I averted my gaze. “I can’t be with someone if I’m unsure. So it doesn’t matter anyway.” I didn’t like talking about what he did. It just made me depressed.
“He came here a few days ago so he could talk to you.”
That surprised me. “He did?”
He nodded. “I sent him away. I don’t let my workers be harassed by anyone.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“But he seemed pretty damn miserable, Hazel. For a guy who cheated, he seems to be working his ass off to talk to you.”
I shrugged. “Maybe he realized he made a mistake and wishes he could take it back. Whatever the case, it’s not my problem.”
He stared at me for a long time. “I know how much he loves you. That makes me wonder if he was telling the truth.”
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s already been done. I’m not going back to him and I never want to see him again.”
He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
“Well, let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.”
He walked out and shut the door behind him.
When I was alone with my thoughts, I was depressed. I missed Flynn like crazy. Anytime someone said his name, my heart throbbed in longing. I wished he were telling the truth. That would make everything better. But I knew that would never happen so I shouldn’t get my hopes up. I was tired of being played like a fool.
I finished my workday and followed into my routine. Even though the job was easy and secure, I realized how boring it was. When I was done with my tasks, I was surfing the web because I was bored. I was grateful to have money, but I also missed dancing. Paperwork wasn’t something I was passionate about. It would never compare to theatre. But I had to keep my priorities straight. I needed a roof over my head and groceries in the kitchen. That was more important.
When I finished work, I clocked out then walked to the lobby. The outfit I borrowed from Janice was too loose on me. She had curves I’d kill for, so the chest of the shirt was baggy and so was the ass. When I got paid, I’d buy something else to wear. The heels I wore were uncomfortable, but it wasn’t nearly as painful as my dance shoes after three hours of practice. This was a walk in the park.
I left the building then felt the sunshine creep into my clothes. It was nice to be outside after sitting at a desk all day. I was naturally full of energy and wanted to move around.
“Hazel.”
I’d recognized that voice anywhere. It was constantly in my dreams and my thoughts. The deep tone and sound of desperation immediately played in my ear. I remember the way he told me he loved me when he moved inside me, locking his eyes to mine. Just a simple word had my stomach flipping in butterflies.
Flynn came to me, stopping a foot away. He didn’t touch me, but the depression in his eyes went straight to my heart. Judging the bags under his eyes and the downward pull of his lips, he hadn’t been sleeping. His eyes were bloodshot and stained with old tears. “Hazel.” He didn’t say anything else.
I stared at him, unable to move. I should just turn and walk away but I couldn’t. I was stuck. “What?”
He came closer to me, and I got a waft of his familiar scent. It was a mixture of masculinity and soap. I suddenly remembered the way he got out of the shower every morning, his hair damp and the towel around his waist. “I…I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” Why did I say that?
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I’m dying, Hazel. I’m literally falling apart without you.”
“Me too.” Stop talking.
He came closer to me then hooked his arms around my waist, holding me close. His forehead pressed to mine and we both closed our eyes. I missed this. The connection we felt was stronger than time itself. When we first got together, I thought he was too good to be true. He was perfect in every way. He pressed his lips to my forehead and kissed me, slow and gentle. “I love you so much.”
No, don’t say it. I took a deep breath then stepped away from him. “If that were true, you wouldn’t have cheated on me.”
“I didn’t.” His voice was lifeless. “I didn’t.”
I shook my head. “Just admit it, Flynn. It’ll give me some closure.”
“We aren’t over, so closure is unnecessary.”
“We’ve been over,” I said harshly.
“Maybe you aren’t mine, but I’m certainly yours. I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the victim in all of this. I don’t have a high tolerance for people who don’t trust me or give me the credit I deserve, so if you were anyone else, I’d walk away and never look back. But since you’re the love of my life and my future wife, I’m not going to let you go. I will do whatever it takes to get you back. I will prove my innocence and get back what’s rightfully mine.”
His speech made my heart flutter. How could he declare his undying love for me then turn around and fuck his ex? It didn’t make any sense. I knew I was weak since his words made me crumble so easily. I wanted to move back into his arms and hold on.
But I had to stay strong. “Kyle was a jerk for what he did to me, but when I confronted him about it, he didn’t lie to me. He was honest and told me everything, giving me a reason to finally walk away and move on. The fact you’re continuing to lie to me makes me doubt that you care about me at all.”
His eyes flashed in hurt. “I’m not going to plead guilty to something I didn’t do. And I’m not letting you move on. You’re mine. That’s it. End of story.”
“End of story?”
He gave me a firm look. “We’re still together whether you like it or not. I will figure this out and you will be mine again. When this is over, you’ll be apologizing to me, not the other way around. But I will forgive you instantly because I
’m ridiculously in love with you.”
I needed to get out of here. His sweet talk was killing me. No wonder why he was such a good writer. He knew exactly how to make me weak. “I have to go…”
“I’m not going to stop, Hazel.”
“And I’m not going to stop running away.”
“Then I’ll keep chasing you.”
“And I’ll keep running.” I turned to walk away but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him. His lips crushed against mine and he gripped my hips, giving me a kiss that made my legs shake. I loved his kiss. He was so good at it. It always left me out of breath and wanting more. His hand moved into my hair and his lips caressed mine. I responded in the heat of the moment, completely aware that I shouldn’t.
His kiss was hard and desperate, telling me how much pain he was harboring over our breakup. I kissed him back, wanting it to last forever. I finally got a hold of myself and pulled away.
We stared at each other, both breathing heavily.
“Leave me alone.”
He didn’t react.
“I mean it.” I turned around and walked away. I didn’t look over my shoulder to see if he was following me. I didn’t care. I just had to get away.
I was still staying with Ryan and Janice because Cortland was in Seattle. I really needed him right now, but I knew Monnique was more important. She lost her dad. She was in much more pain that I was.
Ryan and Janice made sure I had everything I needed. Janice always had dinner cooked and they gave me all the space I needed. They even dimmed their affection around me. But, there wasn’t a wall thick enough to block out the sounds from their bedroom at night. I usually put in ear buds so I wouldn’t listen to Janice moan quietly. It was a little awkward…
I sat on the couch and tried to read a book. Everything reminded me of Flynn and I tried to get my mind off him as much as possible. Ryan sat on the couch with a beer in his hand, watching a game on TV.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“It’s going…” I sighed and put down the book.
“You’ll be okay,” he said gently.
“Flynn waited for me outside the office to talk to me.”
He stilled. “What did he say?”
“The same thing he keeps saying.”
His eyes darkened. “You want me to take care of it?”
“No. I told him not to bother me again.”
He drank his beer and returned his look to the TV.
Janice prepared dinner in the kitchen. “He’s determined to get you back.”
“Not gonna happen,” I said sadly.
Janice cut the chicken on the cutting board. “I don’t know. When a man cheats, he doesn’t usually try to win back the girl. Since he doesn’t care enough about her to begin with, why bother?”
Sean made a similar statement. “Are you saying you believe him?”
She shrugged. “I know how much Flynn loves you. He doesn’t strike me as the cheating type.”
“Well, he is,” Ryan snapped. “You can’t argue with the evidence.”
I was starting to feel like Ryan was the only one on my side.
“But it doesn’t fit his character,” Janice said. “He’s so loyal and compassionate. Not only can I not see him cheating on Hazel, but on anyone. It’s just not him.”
“Believe me, Janice. I want to believe him. I wish I were wrong. But you weren’t there. You didn’t see the message or his room, the bed we slept together on. It’ll burn my eyes for as long as I live.” I stared at the TV, trying not to cry.
Janice and Ryan both dropped the subject, picking up on my mood.
“Thanks for letting me stay here,” I said weakly. “I have no where else to go while Cortland is away.”
“You’re always welcome here,” Ryan said. “I’m just sorry the apartment is so small.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s wonderful, actually. But I’m sure Cortland will let me stay with him when he gets back. I know he has a lot of extra room. Do you know when he’s coming back?”
Ryan shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to him. His phone has been off. We texted Monnique and gave her our condolences but she never responded.”
I nodded. “I know they both have a lot on their plate right now. I’m glad Cortland went with her.”
“I just wish they would get back together already,” Janice said. “It’s gone on long enough.”
“Leave Cortland alone,” Ryan said. “It’s his decision to make.”
Janice rolled her eyes. “You were up in his business last time, telling him to tell Monnique to go to hell, and you’re backing off? Bipolar…”
He glared at her but didn’t argue with her. I suspected it was because I was there.
Someone knocked on the door and Ryan jumped up.
“Did you invite everyone over?” Janice asked.
“No.” Ryan looked through the peephole.
I knew who it was when his shoulders stiffened.
He opened the door, showing Flynn on the other side. “I warned you not to come here.”
Flynn held his ground. “I want to see Hazel.”
“According to her, you already saw her.”
I stayed on the couch, listening to them.
“I want to talk to her again,” Flynn said. “I’m not giving up on her. I didn’t cheat on her and I will prove it. But I want to talk to her.”
Ryan didn’t move away. “I will beat the shit out of you. Don’t call my bluff.”
“I don’t care what you do,” he said simply. “I’m not going to stop. The only way to keep me away is by putting me in a coma.”
“That sounds tempting,” Ryan threatened.
Flynn didn’t move. “Let me see her.”
Ryan punched him hard in the face, making Flynn stumble back.
“Ryan!” Janice gasped. “Knock it off!”
I was on my feet, unsure what else to do.
“Get out of here,” Ryan snapped. “I mean it.”
Flynn wiped the blood from his nose. “No. Step aside.”
“I’ll punch you again,” Ryan threatened.
“And I won’t hit you back out of respect for Hazel. I know you’re just protecting her. Do what you have to do, but I’m going to do what I have to do.”
Ryan raised his hand to hit him again.
I couldn’t let it happen. I ran to Ryan and steadied his arm. “Stop.”
Ryan flinched and held himself steady.
“Give us a minute,” I said.
“I’ll throw him on the street if you want.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said immediately. I was upset with Flynn, but I still loved him and didn’t want him to get hurt.
Ryan stepped away, glaring at Flynn over his shoulder.
I came to the door, and my heart broke when I saw the blood dripping down his lips. I walked to the linen closet and grabbed a towel to apply to the wound. When I came back, he was still there.
Without thinking, I came to him and applied the towel to the wound, cleaning him up. “Are you okay?”
He smirked while he watched me take care of him. “I’m wonderful.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to let you bleed to death.”
His hand automatically moved to my waist. “I have my very own slutty nurse.”
I glared at him. “Slutty?”
“Who are you kidding?” he teased.
I shook my head then wiped away a few more drops.
“You think it’s hot. Don’t deny it.”
“Cocky like always.”
He smirked then squeezed me to his chest, holding me.
I said nothing, just letting our bodies touch. The door was open and Ryan and Janice could see us, but for a moment in time, I didn’t care. When I realized this was wrong, I pulled away. “What do you want?”
“Have dinner with me.” He kept one hand on my hip, not releasing me.
“Flynn, I told you to leave me alone.”
He ignored
me. “Have dinner with me.”
“No.”
“Tomorrow?”
“No. Every day my answer will be no. You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
Flynn’s eyes dimmed in sadness. “I’ll come by tomorrow and ask again.”
“Flynn, don’t.”
“I’ll be here every night until you sit down and have a meal with me.” The determination was in his eyes.
“We’re never getting back together,” I said firmly.
“I’ll prove you wrong.”
This conversation was going to repeat itself indefinitely. “If you keep coming here, Ryan is going to hurt you. And I can’t control him for long.”
“The pain he’s causing me is negligent to what I already feel.” The sadness was heavy on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Flynn, don’t come back.”
He slammed his lips against mine and gave me a kiss. I couldn’t move because it felt so good. He pulled away and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked off without another word, leaving me in the hallway.
I walked back into the room and sighed.
“He’s not going to give up,” Janice said.
“It doesn’t appear so,” I said.
“Then his face is going to get fucked up quick,” Ryan threatened.
Janice shook her head. “I believe Flynn. I think he’s telling the truth.”
“You have no proof,” Ryan snapped.
“But I know true love when I see it,” she said simply. “Flynn loves her with his whole heart and he would never hurt her. I know he’s telling the truth. I see it in his eyes.”
I sighed. I wished I was just as confident.
12
Sean
My wife was a month along and I was extremely happy. But I wanted her to stay safe and healthy. When Cortland and Monnique’s drama, the problems with Flynn and Hazel, and Mike and Cassandra’s wedding, our lives were full of stress. I had to keep Scarlet calm.
When I came home from work, she was laying in bed with her computer on a tray. “How was your day?” I asked.
