“I want her guarded at all times, especially at night. She has a habit of getting into shit when she thinks the rest of the world is sleeping.”
He smirks and shrugs his shoulders. “We already got it covered.” I shake my head. She is so damn stubborn, too stubborn for her own good. She thinks just because she trained with the guards that she is invincible. She has found more trouble than anyone I ever met.
“Not good enough. I want eyes on her at all times.”
He sighs at my request.
I can tell he’s preparing to give me a speech or talk me out of my decision, but I already made up my mind. My future is set, and nothing will change it.
“You don’t have to do this. You still have a chance. You just need to fight for her and prove that she will always be your girl.”
I look down at my desk and rub my shoulder. “It’s too late,” I whisper. “She made her choice, and I made mine. I’m to be mated tomorrow.”
He narrows his eyes. “Why are you doing this? My brother and I have stood by your side for years. In all that time, all you ever talked about was doing all of this forher.” He gestures to the room, my home. “Now that you have a chance to fight for her, you hide behind political bullshit and tuck your tail between your legs. I never took you for a pathetic coward and a liar.”
Slamming my fist on my desk. “Fuck you! She has made her choice!” I shout.
He glares at me. “Listen, you miserable piece of shit! I’m sick and tired of watching you go through the motions of your life like a zombie. Don’t wake up lying next to a girl you don’t want. Get your girl. It’s not too late!”
I stand from my seat, so close to losing my shit, but I don’t want to hurt my friend. I already lost too much. I can’t afford to lose any more friends. There aren’t many, and he is one of the few I trust with my life.
He shakes his head. “You’re a coward. You claim to love her, yet here you are, being led by the balls.”
I clench my jaw, and through gritted teeth, I growl, “She made her choice!”
“You keep saying that, but did she? You know what? I’m done. I’m not coming back when it’s over. I’m not going to hang around and watch you live a miserable life. I’m going to do what you should be doing. I choose her.” He shows me the finger and heads out the door.
I pick up my chair and hurl it at the door, where it splinters and shatters to pieces. I swipe the contents of my desk onto the floor. I kick and punch at the wall behind me. I turn to destroy my desk. Glass shatters around me. Smoke fills the air.
I fall to my knees and bring my bloodied, trembling hands to my chest. My breathing is ragged as I fight for control. My vision clouds with unshed tears, and I roar with rage and sorrow. I hang my head and cry.
A woman’s laughter fills the silent room. “What are you doing?” she asks with a raspy voice.
I look around my destroyed office. Jessica?
“Stop what you’re doing and come here.” Her sweet, infectious laugh echoes across the room again.
“I’m capturing the moment, so I can remember this forever,” I hear my own voice reply.
“Whatever happened to good old-fashioned memories?” she retorts.
I sift around the floor’s contents and find her voice playing from my laptop. It opened when it crashed to the floor. The screen is cracked, but I can still see the video. I fall back, leaning against my broken desk and rest the laptop on my lap.
I remember we snuck off to make out. I caress her cheek with my free hand and kiss her, holding my phone above us. I smile, side-eyeing my phone to ensure the camera still frames us, and return my full attention to kissing her. The kiss is long, not sloppy or desperate, but full of passion, love, and desire. I finally pull back with a big goofy grin, run my nose along hers, and tilt her chin slightly so the camera catches sight of her beautiful face.
She turns back, attempting to play-bite my fingers. “You don’t need to remember me with videos,” she says, pouting. I lean forward to nibble at her bottom lip. I give her a playful growl. “I don’t plan on going anywhere unless it’s with you,” shewhispers against my lips, placing her hands on either side of my face. “I love you.”
“Mine,” I growl.
“Forever,” she answers before kissing me along my jawline. I drop the phone as I reach for her.
I remember wanting to envelop her in both of my arms, feel her body pressed against mine. The last thing captured is a squeal, and we laugh before the video ends. I rewind to the part when I turn her face to the camera and pause it.
My heart sinks. Bile rises to my throat. Hot, burning tears sting my eyes, and I’m torn between wanting to punch another hole in the wall or throw up.
I want to smash my computer into a thousand pieces and destroy every reminder of her, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I sit and stare at her face, frozen on the cracked screen.
This can’t be how our story ends. He’s right. I can’t let her go without a fight, without her knowing the truth. I torture myself further by reopening the file I downloaded before my friend arrived. I complete the form and attach it to an email.
