Page 18 of Break Out

Red Light Situation at the Donut Shop

Simone

It took willpower, but I left Steel sleeping in that hotel room bed. The blackout curtains were closed which was a bummer because I’d wanted to drink in his body and tats in the morning sunlight. It wasn’t to be, though. While he cleaned up following the last time – even better than the first because he’d been so damned gentle – I’d gathered my clothes and tucked them close to my side of the bed so I could dress quietly and quickly.

I hadn’t done many walks of shame, but note to self: wearing dressy clothes makes it easier. That was until my neighbor across the hall opened her door just as I was unlocking mine.

“Simone,” she said, chipper as could be. After she gave me a once-over her tone down-shifted. “Oh, you must have spent the night at Jordan’s new place. Are you moving, too?”

For the life of me, I couldn’t remember her name. It happened every time I saw her, and I was too embarrassed to admit I’d forgotten her name.

I shook my head while pressing my lips together. “Nope. I’m here for a while.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you getting a new roommate?”

With luck, I’d be getting a job at the firm I’d interned at this past semester, but that wasn’t her business.

I smiled. “Probably, but it’s up in the air for now. You look like you’re going to work out, I don’t want to keep you.”

She pointed a finger at me. “Before I forget, there was a man here yesterday looking for Jordan. I let him know that he moved.”

That got my attention. “What kind of man?”

Her head tilted with her grimace. “I’m not sure. He was older, forties or so, but I didn’t ask him why he wanted to see Jordan.”

I paused. “Was he wearing leather, like a leather vest with lots of patches on it?”

She frowned and shook her head. “No, but he had fantastic tattoos. He left before I could ask who he was.”

I nodded. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll pass it along to Jordan.”

Only half of what I said was true. It was good to know because with Jordan’s inability to communicate, maybe he had a debt collector calling on him. However, the last statement was a lie. If I had anything to do with it, I wouldn’t see or speak to Jordan again.

Inside the apartment, the emptiness hit me like a slap in the face. With nobody else here to talk to or distract me though, I couldn’t ignore my feelings. It hurt that he’d pulled one over on me, and I couldn’t believe I’d missed the signs. After living together for so long, his suggestion of moving out was an alarm bell like no other. Yet… I’d fallen for his excuse that he needed to focus on his studies and I was a distraction. For all of my book-smarts, I’d certainly let my heart get stupid.

I grabbed a tissue and wiped the tears from my face. After I blew my nose, another realization hit me. Tennyson lived in the same complex as Chet.

My stomach lurched at the idea that they’d already been together. No, that went too far. Jordan wouldn’t do that. Still, as close as she stood to him and the way she held the door for him like a loyal puppy, they were definitely involved in some way.

The anger and betrayal I felt forced me to get my shit together. I wasn’t going to cry any more for him. It might hurt every now and again, especially at nights – but I was better off without him.

And who knew, maybe I’d look for someone older than me in the future.

“Are you shitting me?” Alexandra shouted.

I had just told her about Jordan’s crappy stunt yesterday evening, and I pulled the phone from my ear a moment before she blew out my eardrum.

I put the phone back to my ear. “Wish that I were.”

“But, but… in front of all your friends?”

My lips twisted to one side. “Pretty sure their actions… or inaction, says they were always Jordan’s friends and not mine.”

She scoffed. “That isn’t the point. Nobody does something that shitty.”

“Jordan did.”

“And he oughta pay,” she muttered.

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