cracks before she clears her throat. "What are you talking about?"
"It's over," he repeats, his tone smooth and controlled. "Give me back my keys."
"You're just mad because I surprised you. We can talk about this," she's pleading.
"There's nothing to talk about." His gaze, clear and steady, is locked on my face. "I'm done."
"I'm not." Her mouth twitches. "You can't break up with me."
I pivot to face Cassandra. "I think I should go." The words come out of me with a shaky breath.
She turns her head to look at me. I wince at the sight of tears streaming down her face. "No," she whispers.
"I told you weeks ago I was done." He pushes past us both. "You didn't want to accept it then but it's over."
"Nathan. Don't do this," she says sniffling. "You can't."
"Stop prolonging the inevitable, Cassie." His tone is terse and decisive. "I met someone else."
"Are you fucking her?" The words tumble from her lips in a heated rush. I close my eyes pulling in all the strength I can find. I can't react. I can't let her know that it's me.
"Every chance I get," he says gruffly.
"You pig," she snaps. "I've been so torn up about us I haven't even gone on a date."
"Your loss," he quips in an even tone. "This is over. You need to leave now."
I stare at Cassandra as she walks past him; the only sound in the deafening silence the thud as she drops his apartment keys at his feet.
Chapter 2
"I have to go, Nathan." I yank on the handle of the door knowing full well that it won't budge since his back is pressed against it. "She's going to come back looking for me."
"Cassandra?" He throws his head back with a chuckle. "She's too self-centered to remember she even brought you here."
"You're wrong." I take a step back. "She's been good to me."
"You're a status symbol to her." He reaches out to stroke a finger along the collar of my jacket. "You're the cook she can use to impress her friends."
"They're your friends too," I bite back. I take a determined step backwards so I'm just out of his reach.
"No. I don't know her that well."
"You're her boyfriend." My gaze narrows. "She invited the friends you share to your birthday celebration."
"She invited her friends." His jaw tightens. "She wanted them here so she could show off my view." He gestures out the expansive windows.
"I want to go." I stare at the floor. I need to go. I need to process everything that's just happened.
"You're not leaving." He leans forward suddenly to run his hand down my cheek. "I can't believe you're in my apartment."
I feel an instant ache flow through me at the first hint of his touch. I can't still want him. He's Cassandra's boyfriend. I need my job. I don't need him. I have to keep telling myself that.
"I need to leave." My tone is insistent and firm but I know he can see through it.
"It's my birthday." His finger runs slowly over my jaw. "A kiss, Jessica. One kiss for my birthday."
"No." I pull back causing his hand to drop. "We're not doing that anymore."
"Why not?" His eyes open fully and bore into me. "Fucking you is all I want."
"You fucked her." I wince when I say the words. Oh god. He fucked her. He touched her the same way he did me. He licked her. He made her scream his name when she came with him inside of her.
"I screwed her twice months ago." He pulls forward so his breath courses against my ear. "I've never really fucked her."
"There's no difference." I take a heavy step back. I have to gain distance. I can't be close to him.
"I screwed her against the wall in her office one night and then again in the back of a limo when she dragged me to an event. Both times almost fully clothed. Both times just my dick inside of her. Briefly. I didn't even come the second time."
"Shut up." I cringe from the vulgarity of the words, from the confession. "Stop talking about her." I don’t want to think about the two of them together. I can't imagine her feeling anything from his body.
He leans forward again, running the pad of his thumb across my
"It's over," he repeats, his tone smooth and controlled. "Give me back my keys."
"You're just mad because I surprised you. We can talk about this," she's pleading.
"There's nothing to talk about." His gaze, clear and steady, is locked on my face. "I'm done."
"I'm not." Her mouth twitches. "You can't break up with me."
I pivot to face Cassandra. "I think I should go." The words come out of me with a shaky breath.
She turns her head to look at me. I wince at the sight of tears streaming down her face. "No," she whispers.
"I told you weeks ago I was done." He pushes past us both. "You didn't want to accept it then but it's over."
"Nathan. Don't do this," she says sniffling. "You can't."
"Stop prolonging the inevitable, Cassie." His tone is terse and decisive. "I met someone else."
"Are you fucking her?" The words tumble from her lips in a heated rush. I close my eyes pulling in all the strength I can find. I can't react. I can't let her know that it's me.
"Every chance I get," he says gruffly.
"You pig," she snaps. "I've been so torn up about us I haven't even gone on a date."
"Your loss," he quips in an even tone. "This is over. You need to leave now."
I stare at Cassandra as she walks past him; the only sound in the deafening silence the thud as she drops his apartment keys at his feet.
Chapter 2
"I have to go, Nathan." I yank on the handle of the door knowing full well that it won't budge since his back is pressed against it. "She's going to come back looking for me."
"Cassandra?" He throws his head back with a chuckle. "She's too self-centered to remember she even brought you here."
"You're wrong." I take a step back. "She's been good to me."
"You're a status symbol to her." He reaches out to stroke a finger along the collar of my jacket. "You're the cook she can use to impress her friends."
"They're your friends too," I bite back. I take a determined step backwards so I'm just out of his reach.
"No. I don't know her that well."
"You're her boyfriend." My gaze narrows. "She invited the friends you share to your birthday celebration."
"She invited her friends." His jaw tightens. "She wanted them here so she could show off my view." He gestures out the expansive windows.
"I want to go." I stare at the floor. I need to go. I need to process everything that's just happened.
"You're not leaving." He leans forward suddenly to run his hand down my cheek. "I can't believe you're in my apartment."
I feel an instant ache flow through me at the first hint of his touch. I can't still want him. He's Cassandra's boyfriend. I need my job. I don't need him. I have to keep telling myself that.
"I need to leave." My tone is insistent and firm but I know he can see through it.
"It's my birthday." His finger runs slowly over my jaw. "A kiss, Jessica. One kiss for my birthday."
"No." I pull back causing his hand to drop. "We're not doing that anymore."
"Why not?" His eyes open fully and bore into me. "Fucking you is all I want."
"You fucked her." I wince when I say the words. Oh god. He fucked her. He touched her the same way he did me. He licked her. He made her scream his name when she came with him inside of her.
"I screwed her twice months ago." He pulls forward so his breath courses against my ear. "I've never really fucked her."
"There's no difference." I take a heavy step back. I have to gain distance. I can't be close to him.
"I screwed her against the wall in her office one night and then again in the back of a limo when she dragged me to an event. Both times almost fully clothed. Both times just my dick inside of her. Briefly. I didn't even come the second time."
"Shut up." I cringe from the vulgarity of the words, from the confession. "Stop talking about her." I don’t want to think about the two of them together. I can't imagine her feeling anything from his body.
He leans forward again, running the pad of his thumb across my
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