e

s he doesn't

papers a little too tightly, my pulse skipping every time the thought of Lucas Reed crossed my mind. God. Las

les. Numbers. E

ck, but the words blurred together. I should have been thinking about budgets, but instead I was thinking about the tilt of hi

m the PA. Keep it professiona

y chair, every time a shadow passed the window, my heart jumped li

survival required food, even if my brain was still a tangled mess of last night and Lucas Reed. I grabbed my bag and headed for the cafeteria, s

hen I

en

say, ex, depending on how honest I wanted to be and the m

s smiling like everything was fine, like nothing had

r as he sat down opposite me with that same s

y, planting my fee

me to melt at his charm. "I called

w but sharp. "One phone call and

on't understand.

stand perfectly. You were drunk. Next time, try ho

ver engagement, whatever future you thought you had with me, it's over and to make

... she's expecting you th

an you slept with can fill that spot just fine. She's probably

ways used when he thought he was being reasonable. "We've been together for three years. Three. Do you hav

e you're not worth my future. You

emotional, Lena. That's the problem. You never think things through. You were never really there for me. Y

. "Oh, th

just needed more from you. Is that so wrong? A girlfriend should prioritize

did

oritize my career and my dreams. You work in the same company as me, climbing up the ladder and

hy do you keep exaggerating everything? No

ish men expect wome

cting. This is exactly what I mean

d steady despite the shaking in my chest. "No," I

ipped the bottle and poure

, splashed onto the floor between us. He stumb

is wrong with y

king myself so you can feel important. I'm done apologizing for having a life. I'm done e

e like I'd com

han me?" he scoffed, wiping his face

er and stood. "That right the

on't call me. Don't text me. Don't show up pr

, and finally irrelevant. He was still here, clinging to the last scrap

d my office, my hand

ack against it for a brief second, just to

lled out

ered for him and I, and chose what I wanted. Extra sides. A d

rmation p

o

g out the window as everything moved on like nothing monumental h

time in a long whi

e. And I

acked it with the ferocity of someone who had just survived a personal apoc

ually survive the day. I zipped my bag, straightened my blouse, and

ound parking lot, the sound o

ze mi

don't

urn

as

se it w

fice the last time I saw him in the morning. Had he left while I went

hard I was pretty su

lly declared war on my nervous system. He shut the door with an easy motion and leaned aga

he said, like this was the m

mmediately

Alone. In a

utely

something calm, something adult, something. "T

ove. He mer

he said. "Since... we

eyes flicked over my face like he was tryin

s was dangero

rap. I could not let this become a conversation. I could not

before my brain

pped, then rushed it out i

It was loud, heavy

t enough. His brows lifted slightly, surprise

" he

e no follow up or a

just received new information in a me

eated, quiet

ed to life. Then he drove off, smooth and unbothered, disappearing

re, rooted

felt weak, like they'd forgotten their job description. I tightened my gri

nded more like a laugh and

red. "What the hel