AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chloe and I agreed we were exclusive, but we’re not official, which means she can talk to whatever douche she wants without my input. I put my hand on her waist, reminding her I’m here, and that she should shut the door in this guy’s face so we can pick up where we left off in her bedroom.
Instead she says, “Is everything okay?”
I’m guessing if he says yes, she’ll say adios. If he says no, she’ll talk to him. She’s got a big heart. And she’s curious by nature.Shit.This guy doesn’t deserve her time, but glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I see the wheels turning.
“Can I come in?” he asks. “I’d like to talk to you privately.”
“I was just getting ready to leave for the airport,” she says.
“Going back east for Christmas with your aunt?”
I feel Chloe visibly soften under my hand, the reminder that Leo knows her well a strong argument for giving him a few minutes. They share a past. One where she thought he was going to put a ring on her finger. I want to bash this guy’s face in for hurting her at the same time I want to thank him. His loss was my gain.
Chloe is not cursed. She just hadn’t met me yet.
She looks up at me with an unreadable expression that just about kills me. “Do you mind?”
Hell yes, I mind. “No.” I take a step back, dropping my arm. Hating that I’m no longer touching her.
“This needs to be quick,” she says to Leo as she allows him entry.
“I can do quick,” he says, his voice way too pleased for my liking. He struts in like he owns the place—raising the hairs on the back of my neck—and barely acknowledging me.
Chloe wraps her arms around herself. This isn’t easy for her, and me being a jealous prick won’t help. I take the high road, because the last thing I want is for her to feel any kind of pressure from me, too.
“I’ll wait in your room.” I kiss her cheek; glad Leo is paying attention when I do so. The small amount of satisfaction is short-lived, however, when I hear the next words to come out of his mouth.
“I broke things off with Adele,” he says.
“What?” is Chloe’s response.
I lean against her open bedroom door. The small house affords me easy listening. I tell myself if they wanted complete privacy, they’d take it outside.
“I was an idiot, Chlo. Beyond stupid to mess up what you and I had. I love you. I never stopped loving you and I want you back.”
Silence.
I picturemyChloe with her gorgeous face scrunched in disbelief. She certainly won’t believe this jackass, will she?
“I don’t know what to say.”
I press my fist to my chest, completely unprepared for the blaze of helpless anger that squeezes my lungs. Her immediate response was supposed to be: “Too bad, loser, I’m in love with someone else now.”
Yeah, I want her to love me.
“Say we can get back together.”
“What about all those things you said to me the night we broke up?”
“They were true at the time, I guess.”
“You guess? Leo, you told me you’d fallen for someone else. That it was love at first sight and some other crap. You broke my heart when I thought you were going to propose to me.”
The only reason I don’t hurl myself down the hall to fight for what’s mine is Chloe sounds pissed more than anything else. There’s no forgiveness or tremble in her voice to indicate I need to worry.
“I, uh, was,” the dickhead says.
Silence.
