AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thankful for his quick thinking, I nod and give him a quick smile before hurrying forward so we’re not seen together.
Nathan’s hard expression softens when he recognizes me. “Good afternoon, Miss Jones.”
I smile warmly. “Hello, Nathan.” The older gentleman is friendly and doesn’t shy away from going the extra mile for residents. For example, he always insists on helping me carry my groceries inside. And I watched him chase the paparazzi out of the lobby when they first showed up and asked questions about Corey.
The air conditioner feels heavenly against my face as I step into the cool lobby. We’re having unseasonably warm weather this time of year, even for Texas. It doesn’t bode well for the summer ahead.
I wonder how Corey is going to handle the hot summer weather. He’s been up north for so long, he’s likely no longer acclimated to handling the high temperatures. Then again, he plays baseball all around the country. He could be conditioned to handle a variety of temperatures.
I make my way towards the elevators, greeting the desk attendant as I pass. I just press the elevator’s call button when I hear someone behind me say, “Carlee?”
Distracted by my thoughts, I don’t immediately recognize the voice. I turn around, and my eyes land on a man with black hair.He wears a fitted suit that makes him look like he should be on his way to a meeting with a CEO, not standing in my Midtown apartment building holding a single pink rose.
“Victor?” I blink. Am I hallucinating? What in the world is my ex doing here?
“Carlee.” Victor crosses the lobby, confirming I’m most certainlynothallucinating. “I didn’t recognize you in those clothes.”
The jab is subtle, but I feel it all the same. I spent years enduring Victor’s low-key criticisms about my appearance whenever I wasn’t dressed to the nines. In Victor’s mind, there’s no reason to ever leave the house looking anything but your best. He never would have agreed to have a casual, Friday morning brunch with me. He cares about what other people think too much. He’s nothing like Corey.
Corey!
Shit.
I look at the building’s entrance. There’s no sign of the baseball star, but he’s going to walk through those doors any minute, and I need to get rid of Victor before he does. Not because Corey might feel threatened by him or anything like that, but because Victor is clever. And Corey isn’t a good actor.
If my ex sees the baseball player talk to me, he’s going to know something is going on between us, and I don’t trust Victor not to make a scene over it. With the photographers posted outside, this situation is primed for disaster.
“Carlee? Are you ignoring me?”
I tear my gaze away from the entrance, sending up a silent prayer that I’ll be able to navigate this impending trainwreck with minimum damage. “What are you doing here, Victor?”
“I’m here to see you.” He holds out the rose. “This is for you. I know how much you like roses.”
I don’t take it. “Why do you want to see me?”
He lowers his arm with a frown. “I thought you’d be happy I’m here.”
“Why on earth would you think that?”
His dark brows rise to his perfectly coiffed hairline. “Why are you being so rude?”
I snap my mouth closed to hold back my snarky reply and take a steadying breath. This back-and-forth game of questions is getting us nowhere. It’s certainly not helping me get Victor to leave.
Once I feel calm, I say, “I have nothing to say to you, Victor. I would appreciate it if you just leave.”
“Carlee… please just hear me out. It took me ages to figure out where you moved to.”
The fact he doesn’t realize that comment is a massive red flag is just one of the many reasons he and I didn’t work out. Victor only thinks about his wants and perspectives. He doesn’t bother to put himself in someone else’s shoes or respect people’s boundaries. Maybe he’s just incapable of doing so. His parents certainly didn’t seem to have that skill, either.
“There’s nothing left to say. We broke up over a year ago.”
“I know, and it’s been the worst year of my life.”
Oh no… here we go.
All hopes of getting Victor out of this building before Corey returns fly out the window. Our relationship was on and off for years. I recognize the signs that he is going to try to convince me to give him another chance. I should’ve realized it the moment I saw him.
This conversation won’t be short. I’m better off moving him away from the elevators while we talk. I take out my phone to text Corey that I’ll be up in a minute as I walk toward the business center located near the back of the first floor.
