Page 77 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Okay, fine,” he finally admitted, deflating. “Yeah, I noticed things were still weird between us, but I was trying to focus on the good. What’s wrong with that?”

“Absolutely nothing, but you still need to give your partner the opportunity to open up.”

He crossed his arms and glared at me.

“Why do I feel like you’re blaming me for what happened, Vincent?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” I replied. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault. It sounds to me like Chloe was holding back. It’s not right that she expected you to read her mind when she was struggling. On the other hand, maybe you could’ve pushed a little more when things felt off. It’s just…” I shrugged. “Complicated.”

Relationships, love…they had this way of tangling everything up, making even the simplest problems feel like unsolvable puzzles.

And for what?

I tried not to focus on how closely Paul’s scenario matched my own. But then again, he and Chloe were the real deal, despite their current status. That didn’t apply to Piper and me. Surely, no relationship that started with a car crash and went from there to fake dating could actually end in real, lasting love. The idea was absurd.

At least that’s what I kept telling myself. The pain in my chest suggested otherwise.

We drank in silence under a moon that kept disappearing and reappearing behind clouds for I don’t know how long. But it was all we needed in the moment. Quiet, supportive companionship. The other Lost Boys were with us in spirit.

“It’s late, brother,” I finally said, and we were both definitely drunk. “You want to stay over with me? I’ll call a car.”

Paul drained his glass again. “Yeah, that would be great. I think Chlo and I both need some time apart to cool off and figure out what comes next.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “That sounds ominous. Do I need to find you an attorney?”

He shook his head. “Oh, no way. Not even close. I’m not giving up on her. On us. This is a bump in the road—I just have to figure out how to get over it. We love each other, that much I know for sure.”

I finally admitted it to myself. I envied Paul. That he could go through hell with Chloe and still know, deep down, that they were there for one another. He’d found something rare and special. Something I doubted was a possibility for me.

On the surface it looked like I had everything, but I’d never been lucky enough to have a connection like he and Chloe shared. The belief that no matter how dire things felt around you, you’d make it through as a team.

The closest I’d ever come was with Piper, and now that was over. I saw a flash of her anguished face before she walked away from me a few hours earlier. I’d hurt her. Unintentionally, but the damage was done.

The drive to my penthouse was silent. Both of us were too lost in our own thoughts.

Paul tumbled out of the elevator when it reached my floor. “I’m cooked, man. I need sleep.”

“Same,” I agreed.

I got the door unlocked, and we stepped into my darkened penthouse. I pointed him down the hall to my best guest room, the one that also had giant windows and balcony access.

“I really appreciate this.” He held my gaze for a minute, like he was seeing me for the first time that evening. “Piper’s brought out the softie in you.”

I was in no mind to talk about her right now, especially when Paul was dealing with his own drama.

“Hey listen, the bulb was out in the bathroom,” I replied quickly, because I didn’t want him to start going on and on about how wonderful Piper was. I already knew that. “My house manager had to order a replacement from Switzerland to fix it. Let me know if there’s a problem with it.”

Paul chuckled. “Swiss lightbulbs. Only you, dude.”

“Good night, Paul.”

He stumbled away, leaving me alone in the darkness to consider my own upside-down life. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the latest damage from the showdown with Maya. Amanda had warned me that things were going to get dramatic thanks to what she knew about Jerry, and according to all of my Google alerts, she was right.

Jerry had not only recorded my fight with Maya, he’d posted it on TikTok twice. Once as a teaser with no sound but a dumb trending song that repeated “oh no” over and over to build traction, and then a couple of hours later with the full fireworks.

Thanks to Maya playing to her audience, every word she screamed at me was understandable.

He’d picked up right as Maya straddled me and I’d jumped up, which did make me look like the victim of her unwanted advance. But then, what I’d said about Piper rang out loud and clear as well. I checked the comments against my better judgment.