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“Hey. Hope you haven’t eaten yet.” I smile as she waves me inside.
“Ididbut thank you.” She takes the coffee and bag from me, our fingertipsbrushingcausing a rush of tingles up my arm.Damn, do I miss that. Her. All of it.
If she felt anything, she doesn’t show it, turning away from me quickly. Placing the drink and bag on the table next to the large couch, she sits next to it, her favorite spot to be. I sit across from her and steel myself for what I’m about to say.
The silence is suffocating. Neveah doesn’t move, and she doesn’t speak, giving me no clues to go off except I can tell she doesn’t want me here.
With a deep breath, I run a hand through my hair, my eyes staying focused on her. I wish she would meet mygaze,but she looks everywhere else around the room. “I’msorry,Neveah. Touching you at work waswrong,and I should've known better. Like how your brother or father could walk in at any time. I also shouldn’t have talked to you the way I did later at my house. I was an asshole, and you don’t deserve it.”
She finally looks me in the eye, her expression slightly less angry. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I take a minute, more silence passing between us before I say what I need to, my stomach feeling likeitsfull of heavy rocks.
Sitting up straighter, I brace myself, the tension between us thick. Does she know what I’m about to say? Can she feel it?
“I don’t think we should hook up anymore.” I blurt out the words before I can stop them.
Her head snaps up, andwhen she looks at me, there’s a fire in her eyes. And not the good kind. “Um, okay, when did you decide this?”
“I just think… I just think it's getting complicated.”
“Complicated?” Neveah snorts. “You think it's getting complicated. Huh. Nice, real nice, Luca.”
“It was a mistake, Nev. We both knew it, but we did it regardless.”
“You didn’t seem to think it was a mistake when you were getting your rocks off. So what because I got mad you grabbed my ass at work, in front of my brother, suddenlywhat we’re doing is a mistake.”
“It’s not just that, Nev. You know this.”
“What is it then, Luca?” Nev throws her hands up in exasperation. “I don’t believe you when you sayit’sa mistake. You were all over me, more than I was you. Our first fight, and now we’re done?”
“Why is it such a big deal, Nev? If this thing is so casual like we say it is, then what does it matter?” Ismirk,knowing it’ll go straight up her ass. It’s infuriating that she’s acting this way. I thought she would’ve understood better. This was all her ideain the first place.
“What matters is keeping our deal. Should I expect you to go back to your shitty ways, then?”
Fuck.I grit my teeth. A part of me wants to scream yes, but I can’t. She’s helped me, helped my reputation, helped my career. Going backward wouldbe fuckingstupid. I swallow my pride and push past the shit raging inside me. “I’ll keep out of the headlines and keep up with the appearances. Everything we’ve worked on together will remain intact.”
“Yeah,right.” Neveah rolls her eyes.
“You don’t take rejection well, do you, Nev? Can’t ever disappoint, or let someone down, or just be plain wrong? Wait, that’s right, I forgot. You know everything, don’t you, boss lady? A woman in aman’sworld. Makes no sense to me.” I give her the best cocky smirk I can.
Her eyes narrow, and she looks as if she could breathe fire. She jumps to her feet and points at the door. “You don’t know shit about me. Get out!”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.” I stand and walk toward the door. “See ya, boss lady.Oh,and enjoy the coffee and donuts. No thanks needed.” I yank her door open and slam it shut behind me.
I’ll keep my word only because it helpsmycareer. I’m done giving a fuck about anything else but myself.
It only ends in heartache.
17
Neveah
“What guy says sex is a mistake?”Mel exclaims around a mouthful of chips and salsa. “Unless he’s catching feelings, which is exactly what it seems like.”
“I doubt it. He had that look on his face. The cocky, I don’t give a fuck smirk. Whatever, it was good while it lasted.”
Mel watches me as I bury my nose in my drink, avoiding her gaze. She doesn’t need to know it bothers me more than I’m letting on. But it's hard to hide it from her. And I knew when she asked to come over, tempting me with frozen margaritas and food, that she’d probably ask a lot more questions than I’m ready for.
