Exclusivity wasn’t in the contract—and you could bet your ass I'd be teasing Savannah about that later.Or did she purposely leave that out?The latter brought an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
Technically, I didn’t owe her anything beyond playing the part when required.And yet, even with a gorgeous reporter smiling at me from across the room, my thoughts circled back to Savannah—her laugh, her sharp mind, the way she looked at me like she was always deciding whether to bolt or lean in.
Fuck, I'm so screwed.
“Thanks again for the interview,” Katie said as she walked over, heels clicking softly against the concrete floor.“You sure I can’t convince you to grab dinner sometime?”
I smiled, polite but firm.“Yeah.Sorry.”
“Shame,” she said lightly.“Call me if you change your mind, handsome.”
She winked, giving a practiced sway of her hips as she headed for the door.
A week ago, I would’ve watched her go.
Now?I barely noticed.
Because all I could think about was Savannah—whether she’d text me back today, whether she had any idea how badly she was getting under my skin.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck.
“Alright,” I muttered, already reaching for my jacket.“Let’s go to Nerissa’s and rip this bandage off.”
The guys nodded and we headed out the door.Jesse already had Benji’s car keys, so we hopped in and less than ten minutes later, we were parked in front of a moving truck.
And the sight was chaotic, to say the least.
Boxes lined the narrow hallway like tombstones—labeled in thick black marker, stacked three high, some half-open with clothes spilling out like Nerissa was still trying to fill them.The apartment smelled faintly of citrus cleaner and dust, with the evening glow slanting through the bare windows, hitting the scuffed hardwood floors where furniture used to be.
“Damn,” Ari muttered as he stepped inside and saw Nerissa.“You move fast.”
“Well, the landlord didn’t give me much of a choice,” Nerissa shot back, swiping the back of her hand across her sweaty forehead.Her locs were tied up in a bun with a few strands hanging loose.
Her eyes landed on me and she crossed her room, throwing her arms around my waist.“Happy birthday.”
I hugged her back, my arms tight around her waist before pulling away.“Thanks, Rissa.”
“Looks like you haven't slept, Nessa,” Jesse pointed out.
She shrugged.“I'll sleep after the day's over.Grab boxes and load them up.Everything that isn’t bolted down goes.”
Jesse narrowed his eyes but rolled up his sleeves without complaint, grabbing the first box and heading out the door.I followed, lifting one that was heavier than it looked.The place felt smaller without her personality filling it—no music blasting, no candles burning, no Nerissa sprawled dramatically across furniture like she owned the world.
She moved through the apartment with sharp efficiency, tank top riding up as she reached overhead, hair twisted the loose strands into the messy bun.I reached for another box and saw Jesse’s eyes following her as she bent, lifted, and cursed under her breath.
“Finish the bedroom.I've got this,” he murmured, reaching for the box instead.
“Yeah,” I agreed, taking the other box.
Nerissa glanced over her shoulder.“If either of you drops my shit, I swear to God—”
“We won’t,” Jesse said quickly, already halfway to the door.
It took less than an hour to clear the place.Nerissa locked the door behind us without ceremony, keys dangling loosely from her fingers.She didn’t look back.
“That's the last of it?”one of the movers asked.
“Yeah, that's it.Thanks guys, just follow us to the new place and we're done.”
