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Ethan is in his office.

I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to talk to him.

“Hey,” he says, joining me in the main office.

I force a smile, my lips squeezed so tightly together it’s painful.

“Can I talk to you?” he asks.

“Sure.”

I drop my purse at my desk and sit on the edge of it, taking a well-needed gulp of hot coffee.

“I guess I need to apologize about yesterday.” He doesn’t sound so sure. “Some of the guys cornered me before I went home and said it wasn’t fair for me and Charlotte to… flaunt our relationship in front of you and your friends.”

I wonder who told him that. It couldn’t be Blake, he was busy.

“I’ll try to be more sensitive in the future. I know it’s all so recent still…”

There’s no actual apology in his little speech, but I… don’t care.

It’s strange. But Claudia was right. Having sex with someone else really did help me put some emotional distance between us.

Yesterday, just thinking about him kissing Charlotte was enough to send me into a rage, now… I don’t care. I had sex yesterday. Great sex. With his best friend. His best man. And he doesn’t have to know. I know. And it feels like a win.

“Well… thanks. That would be great.”

Oh, I still hate his guts, and I still don’t understand why he did what he did. But at least I don’t care where he puts his tongue now. Or his dick.

I just want him out of my face.

“Are you done?”

He frowns like I’m not behaving the way he expected me to.

“Yeah. I’ll get out of your hair. How’s Chase?”

“Sleeping on a couch instead of in his bed.”

Ethan nods, his mouth contorted, and walks back into his office, closing the door behind him.

“Great talk,” I mumble under my breath.

I sit at my desk, burying my face in my hands.

It’s only nine thirty in the morning, and I already can’t wait to go home and lounge on the couch with Chase.

Except that we can’t do that tonight because of Scarlett’s dinner.

And Blake will also be at the dinner. And he might want to talk. He might be curious about why I started crying. And even if he isn’t, can I spend an entire evening with him without thinking about what we did? It’ll be so awkward.

I grab my cell phone and call Scarlett.

“Hey!” she answers, very chipper. “You need help with your salad?”

She laughs and it’s nice to hear, and I feel like a jerk, but argh!

“No, listen… is there any way you could do the dinner tonight without me?”