over. I want to chuck my phone across the room. I’m shocked that I find myself so annoyed, but I’m also nervous. “What do you want, Sam?”
“I just wanted to talk,” he says innocently but confidently.
“I think we’ve said everything that needed to be said.” I pour every ounce of irritation I can into the phone, but inside, I’m a scrambled mess of emotions.
I feel Jared turn rigid, and Shannon’s eyes bore into me. If I look at her, I know she’ll be mouthing, Hang the fuck up .
“Hey, don’t be like that, baby. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you so much,” he says with a soft seductive voice.
I blow out a breath. “Honestly, Sam, you need to stop this. We’re not right for each other, and I need to move on.”
“Why?” he asks softly, dropping the sultry tone.
“Because you’re an asshole,” I say, my voice shaking a little, but I’m proud I got it out. Good job, Anna.
Jared’s hand on my shoulder confirms that I’m doing well.
“Anna, I know. I’m sorry. Please, please don’t give up on us. I’m begging you,” he pleads with desperation.
Tears of anger prick my eyes, and I clench my teeth, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Fuck you,” I state evenly.
“What?” He’s taken aback.
I’ve never been so harsh with him—with anyone really.
“Where the fuck were you when I was begging you not to give up on us? Where were you when I begged you to stop destroying us?” I stop myself from continuing this stupidity. “Actually, don’t bother answering because I don’t care. We’re done. Don’t call me again.” I hang up. I’m not listening or dealing with his shit anymore.
I toss my phone onto the table. It immediately rings again, so I reach over, turn it off, and place it back on the table. The adrenaline pumping through my body recedes, and I hold back tears. I hate crying. It seems like a cruel twist of fate that I always cry when I experience extreme emotion, like anger, sadness, happiness, frustration, whatever. If it’s strong, then I cry, and I hate it. My hand is still shaking from the strength I needed to stand up for myself. I’m not used to holding my ground, and it drains me.
“Hey”—Shannon comes over from her spot on the floor to sit next to me on the opposite side from Jared—“I’m really proud of you.”
I nod my thanks, breathing deeply, while I snatch each and every emotion that escaped its prison cell, and I shove them back in, the cage clanging loudly behind them. The whole process only lasts a few seconds, and when I’m finished, I give my best friend a weak smile. “Honestly, I’m fine. I just wish he’d drop it. I know he doesn’t want a real relationship. He’s just trying to suck me back in for a piece of ass.” I shake my head. “Or maybe he gets off on fucking with my head.”
Jared clears his throat. “Don’t worry about him.” He leans down and kisses the top of my head. “You’ll find the right guy for you soon. He might be right under your nose.” He smiles tentatively.
“Exactly. Forget that asshole, and focus on the potential around you,” Shannon says.
I swing my gaze back to her and raise a confused eyebrow.
She rolls her eyes. “Duh—Jed.”
Jared blows out a hard breath with a slight growl.
“I don’t think I should jump into another relationship right now. It doesn’t seem right,” I say.
“Why not?” Shannon asks.
“Are you deaf?” I ask with more conviction than I have. “I just got out of a relationship. I shouldn’t jump—”
“That’s not a good enough reason,” she cuts in. “Just because you finally kicked the pickledick to the curb doesn’t mean you can’t give tall, dark, and smoking—”
“Hey!” Chad interrupts.
Shannon rolls her eyes. “Not as sexy as you, baby,” she reassures him.
Chad grins.
“You’re such a child,” she says.
His smile widens. “Guilty.”
“Anyway,” she drawls out, “there’s no set time frame for when it’s
“I just wanted to talk,” he says innocently but confidently.
“I think we’ve said everything that needed to be said.” I pour every ounce of irritation I can into the phone, but inside, I’m a scrambled mess of emotions.
I feel Jared turn rigid, and Shannon’s eyes bore into me. If I look at her, I know she’ll be mouthing, Hang the fuck up .
“Hey, don’t be like that, baby. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you so much,” he says with a soft seductive voice.
I blow out a breath. “Honestly, Sam, you need to stop this. We’re not right for each other, and I need to move on.”
“Why?” he asks softly, dropping the sultry tone.
“Because you’re an asshole,” I say, my voice shaking a little, but I’m proud I got it out. Good job, Anna.
Jared’s hand on my shoulder confirms that I’m doing well.
“Anna, I know. I’m sorry. Please, please don’t give up on us. I’m begging you,” he pleads with desperation.
Tears of anger prick my eyes, and I clench my teeth, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Fuck you,” I state evenly.
“What?” He’s taken aback.
I’ve never been so harsh with him—with anyone really.
“Where the fuck were you when I was begging you not to give up on us? Where were you when I begged you to stop destroying us?” I stop myself from continuing this stupidity. “Actually, don’t bother answering because I don’t care. We’re done. Don’t call me again.” I hang up. I’m not listening or dealing with his shit anymore.
I toss my phone onto the table. It immediately rings again, so I reach over, turn it off, and place it back on the table. The adrenaline pumping through my body recedes, and I hold back tears. I hate crying. It seems like a cruel twist of fate that I always cry when I experience extreme emotion, like anger, sadness, happiness, frustration, whatever. If it’s strong, then I cry, and I hate it. My hand is still shaking from the strength I needed to stand up for myself. I’m not used to holding my ground, and it drains me.
“Hey”—Shannon comes over from her spot on the floor to sit next to me on the opposite side from Jared—“I’m really proud of you.”
I nod my thanks, breathing deeply, while I snatch each and every emotion that escaped its prison cell, and I shove them back in, the cage clanging loudly behind them. The whole process only lasts a few seconds, and when I’m finished, I give my best friend a weak smile. “Honestly, I’m fine. I just wish he’d drop it. I know he doesn’t want a real relationship. He’s just trying to suck me back in for a piece of ass.” I shake my head. “Or maybe he gets off on fucking with my head.”
Jared clears his throat. “Don’t worry about him.” He leans down and kisses the top of my head. “You’ll find the right guy for you soon. He might be right under your nose.” He smiles tentatively.
“Exactly. Forget that asshole, and focus on the potential around you,” Shannon says.
I swing my gaze back to her and raise a confused eyebrow.
She rolls her eyes. “Duh—Jed.”
Jared blows out a hard breath with a slight growl.
“I don’t think I should jump into another relationship right now. It doesn’t seem right,” I say.
“Why not?” Shannon asks.
“Are you deaf?” I ask with more conviction than I have. “I just got out of a relationship. I shouldn’t jump—”
“That’s not a good enough reason,” she cuts in. “Just because you finally kicked the pickledick to the curb doesn’t mean you can’t give tall, dark, and smoking—”
“Hey!” Chad interrupts.
Shannon rolls her eyes. “Not as sexy as you, baby,” she reassures him.
Chad grins.
“You’re such a child,” she says.
His smile widens. “Guilty.”
“Anyway,” she drawls out, “there’s no set time frame for when it’s
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