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“Lunch is an hour.”
“I’m not eating anything with you. You have twenty minutes to talk. Downstairs. In the little café on the first floor. Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it,” he says eagerly.
Already regretting this, I turn off my computer, grab my purse and follow him to the elevator.
* * *
“So…the reason I had those pictures of Annaliese on my phone, um…”
Jordan rubs the back of his neck and looks out toward the street. The café is just a few paces from the foundation’s lobby. The see-through panels that make up the walls invite lots of sunshine. Two baristas man the counter. Three tables are scattered around along with a few fake plants.
I sip my coffee which Jordan insisted on getting for me before we sat down. “You’ve repeated the same line three times already.”
“Deej,” he suddenly pounces on my hand, “I don’t understand why we have to keep going back to the past. What happened… happened. We should be adults about this.”
“Being an ‘adult’ means having a discussion about how your needs aren’t being met and you’ve started to look elsewhere. It means breaking up because you realize you’re still in love with someone else. That’s what being an adult means, Jordan.”
“I know I messed up.”
“If you know then why are we having this conversation?”
“Because you’re upset about it.”
The headache from earlier comes back and it’s even worse. “Why would I not be upset about my boyfriend sending and receiving sexy photos from another woman?”
“Honestly,” he throws his hands up, “I did it for you.”
I almost spit out my coffee. “Come again?”
“See, I knew you were going to do that.” His brows merge together. “This is why men aren’t honest, Deej. You women don’t want to hear the truth.”
I curl my fingers into fists. “And what is this truth that women can’t handle?”
“Every man has the urge to cheat. Every. Man. It’s inside you as a male to want variety.” He taps his chest like a proud peacock. As if he expects a medal for being total scum. “I had to go and make sure that I wouldn’t destroy what I had with you.”
“Rather than breaking up with me and doing all the dirty texting and sleeping around that you wanted, you didmea favor by cheating inside our relationship?”
I’m impressed at his ability to deliver that circular logic with a straight face.
“I needed to get it out of my system.” Jordan leans forward, his eyes imploring me to understand him. “But once I got back with Annaliese, I realized that she wasn’t you. She could never be you. And now I’m more sure than ever that I love you and no one else. Now, I’m ready to settle down. Have a family like we always spoke about.”
I snort and look away from him. If he keeps talking, I’m going to splash him in the face with steaming hot coffee and then I’ll have to fork out thousands in hospital bills.
“I know I hurt you, Deej. But I wouldn’t have been able to hurt you if you didn’t love me. And I know there’s some part of you that still feels the same way.”
“No, actually, there isn’t.”
“I don’t believe you.” He licks his lips. “We had great times together.”
“Jordan,” I set my coffee down, “I didn’t agree to this conversation to give you hope that we can get back together.”
He scrunches his nose. “Then why did you come?”
“Do you realize that you haven’toncesaid you’re sorry?”
His eyelashes flutter in shock.
