Page 75 of Always Been You

"I want you to leave." That got her attention so he went in for the kill. He took a deep breath, knowing that he needed to get this over with. The faster the better, like ripping off a bandage. It was either hurt her a little now or leave her devastated later. “Now.”

She slowly turned around.

“Where is this coming from?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to remain calm. Her plan had been to ignore his subtle and not-so-subtle attempts at calling things off between them in order to give her time to show him just how amazing they could be together, but it looked like her time was up.

“It’s not coming from anywhere. The plan was always to break up after the talent show. That was weeks ago.”

“Yeah, well,” she waved her hand up and down at him, “circumstances changed.”

“I know. But it’s time to get things back on track.”

“Back on track,” she repeated as her eyes narrowed.

“There’s no reason to keep this up. It’s time we both got back to living our lives.”

“Are you serious?” her tone was deadly calm.

"Yes."

“You’re seriously breaking up with me?” Now her voice was borderline menacing.

“We were never together.”

“Really?” She unfolded her arms and her hands fisted at her sides. “What about Chicago? We weren’t together in Chicago?”

“Jess.”

“I swear to God, if you say my name one more time, I’m going to scream.”

“Chicago was great. But that’s not real life.”

No. She was not going to let him get away with this. There had been something between them and she wasn’t about to let him deny it.

“And what about Fourth of July? Or the other night when I came over as a nurse? That’s not real life?”

“That was sex. It was great, but like I said, I’m not looking for a relationship. I only asked you because I thought that you wouldn’t get attached. If that happened, I’m sorry, but I was clear from the beginning what this was and what it wasn’t.”

She knew he was lying, or at least she hoped he was. Either way, she wanted to find out. "You know, I was talking to Ali about that, that you only asked me because I didn’t like you, and you know what she did?”

Jess waited for him to respond, even though it was a rhetorical question. Finally, his head jerked slightly to the side and she chose to interpret it as a no head shake.

“She laughed her ass off, that’s what she did. She thought it was hilarious that I would believe that story. She said that you asked me because you’ve always had feelings for me and this was your way in."

She saw a flash of recognition, like he’d been caught, but then it was gone and his face was back to being a mask that she was unable to read.

Deciding it was now or never, she laid it all out on the table. “At first, I thought she was high or something, but she had some pretty compelling evidence. You running by my house, showing up at events just because you knew I was going to be there, coming up with this plan because you knew I wouldn’t go out with you if you just asked me.

“So, is she right? Did you ask me as a way in or was it really because you were tired of being set up?”

She pronounced really in such a way as to be sure to let him know it sounded ludicrous.

Ethan’s jaw ticked and she could see he was choosing his words carefully. "It doesn't matter."

“Great! If it doesn’t matter then man the fuck up and just answer the question.” She was trying to push his buttons. She didn’t want him controlled, if he was controlled he wouldn’t reveal the truth. “You had the balls to ask me to pretend to be your girlfriend and then sleep with me, have the balls to tell me the truth as to why. Was Ali right? Were you asking me because you knew I wouldn’t go out with you any other way?”

He knew that she was trying to get under his skin, and it was working. "Yes."

"And what about the ballet, and the movie night, and the art festival, did you go to those things just to see me?"

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