She lunged forward and pointed a finger at me. “This is all about Cierra, isn’t it? You’re such an asshole. And you know what? She still thinks you’re a bastard, and unless I tell her any different, that isn’t going to change. She trusts me over you, no matter what kind of bullshit you’ve been trying to pull on her to make it seem like you’re actually a decent person.”
She doesn’t know Cierra and I are dating.“You need to leave. I have a company to run and don’t have time for junior high antics.” I went behind the desk, sat on the chair, and began rifling through one of the files.
“You like Cierra, don’t you?” Bitterness laced her voice.
I looked up. “Yeah, I do. I think she’s amazing. She’s smart, funny, and beautiful, and she doesn’t pull anything close to the kind of shit you’re trying to do right now.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. She’s not a damn saint. Far from it. I know her better than you ever could, and I can tell you that she’s not what she seems. Let’s just say she’s not good enough for someone like you.” She looked intently at me, fluttering her long lashes in my direction.
“Cierra’s better than good enough. She’s everything I want. I’ve never met a woman like her.” That must’ve been the moment when everything really sank in for Kelsey, because her face twisted from flirtatious and forgiving into sheer, consuming fury over the course of a second.
“I don’t know what you see in her. She’s boring, she’s obsessed with work, and besides, she’s seeing someone else.” She laughed. “From the look on your face, you obviously didn’t know that. She just gushed about him to me the other day.”
My skin pulled as tightness set in. “Who the fuck is she seeing?”
“Cory. So you see, you’re letting yourself get hung up on someone who doesn’t care about you, and you’re acting like a fucking idiot in the process.”
I relaxed. Kelsey was pulling out all the stops. I knew Cory was history, so it was obvious Kelsey was lying and stabbing Cierra in the back in her desperate attempt to try and get back with me.How in the hell was Cierra ever friends with her?I leaned back in the chair and fixed my gaze on her. “I know Cierra went out with Cory. And she is dating someone—me. And this isn’t an office fling, or a passing thing. I love her and want to make a life with her.”
She rocked back on her heels as though I’d struck her a physical blow, and it took me a moment to realize I’d said I loved Cierra. The three biggest words I’d ever uttered had spilled from my tongue so naturally. I had really said I loved her. It was out there now, and there was no turning back. And that suited me just fine.
“You can’t be fucking serious,” she almost sounded like she was about to burst into hysterical laughter. Either that or tears; I couldn’t tell which one was more likely at that point.
“I’m dead serious,” I replied.
“You sound like you’re in a fucking romantic drama movie.” She sneered in my direction. “You’ll get tired of her real fast, and when you do, call me.”
I pushed back and rose to my feet. “Did Cierra ever tell you about chewing me out at Beta the night you and she were there? I know you saw me, and she came up to me and reamed me about not treating you right. That’s the kind of woman I have, and the kind of friend you have, Kelsey.”
Kelsey grinned slowly. “She told me and I thought it was dumb. She’s always fighting injustices. She actually spends her free time helping people who won’t get a job. Unbelievable. She’s such a sap.”
I grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. “I’ve given you way more time than you deserved. Have a good life, and leave Cierra and me alone. The next time you attempt to contact me, there will be consequences you won’t like.”
She jerked away from my grasp. “Don’t touch me. I’m so done with you. And no matter what happens with you and her, she’ll always wonder if you cheated on me. She trusts me, and she’ll never have full confidence in you. And that’s the way it’s going to stay because I’mnevergoing to tell her the truth.”
And then I heard a knock at the door.
