AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unfeeling.
Whatever we started, whatever I hoped we could build, was no more than a foolish dream.
And in that moment, I decided.
I was out.
Flower
Hope
Not traveling this week was a godsend. Working side by side with Ares, after the thrill of our connection and the pain of his rejection? I didn’t relish it. Life was simpler when we were enemies.
Back then, it was only my pride he hurt.
I refused to acknowledge how deeply it cut me to lose the promise of him, the dream of what we could have been. When he intruded into my thoughts, my anger rose and violently pushed him back out. The fact that my feelings for him remained after seeing him laughing with Ratcliffe disturbed me.
It didn’t make sense. The man I knew was not that kind of man. Once again, I called upon my anger and dismissed the thoughts before they dragged me down.
Brayleigh occupied my evenings. Thankfully, Lucky agreed to change up the schedule a-fucking-gain because I’d missed so much time with her the week before.
I resolved to adopt a regular routine. This constant upheaval wasn’t fair to her. Or me.
If I had to hash it out with HR, I would.
Wednesday night, I invited Lucky and Minty over for dinner. Minty didn’t eat much of the meal but made up for it with dessert. I’d have to keep her sweet tooth in mind for our family dinners. I needed more of those. I could make that happen.
I made dance practice three weeks in a row. I needed that, too. What I didn’t need was frigging Victoria ready to oust me from the group I put together.
Ava picked up take-out and met me at my place after dance. We laughed until we peed and drank one too many glasses of wine. Instead of going home, she slipped into bed beside me. In the dark, we talked about our hopes and fears for the future. Like teenage girls at a slumber party.
I’d never once had a sleepover as a teenager.
After work on Friday, Brayleigh and I joined my parents for dinner. There was no talk of finding a man. My mom pulled out the UNO cards and unleashed her competitive side. Dad and I howled as she became increasingly animated with each loss. It was the best visit in a long time.
These were my people.
My family.
I resolved to count my many blessings rather than pine for the one that continually passed me by.
As for Ares, I heard nothing from him.
I barely caught a glimpse of him at the office. And, though it shamed me to admit it, I’d looked.
Monday and Tuesday, Ratface cocked around, up to his usual bullshit, but hadn’t been in since. As a result, the mood on the floor was positively jubilant.
My mood, however, was not.
Was my judgement that bad?
Two weeks of icy distance followed by that fiasco at the fashion show where I watched him buddy up with Ratface. Then a further five days of silence.
Not one message.
Until today.
My phone buzzed for the third time in as many hours.
