Page 85 of Playboy Boss

Chapter Thirty

“He’s not leaving, Scott.” Tara peered through the peephole. “He looks pretty messed up.”

“Good.” Scottie’s jaw clenched. She’d fought through sadness the whole day, and finally she’d gotten mad. Livid. Number fucking seven! “He deserves it.”

“I told you not to get involved with him.”

“Save it,” Scottie snapped. She wasn’t in the mood to take any shit.

Tara turned to face her, her cheeks red. “You’re right. Sorry.” She turned her attention to the peephole.

Konrad knocked on the door. Was he drunk? His muffled words came through the door. “Scottie, please open the door. I need to talk to you. Explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Scottie yelled from the living room.

“He probably can’t hear you.”

“Shut up, Tara.” Scottie raked her fingers through her wild waves.

Tara faced the door again, her hand gripping the doorknob. She turned it, opening it just a sliver.

Scottie couldn’t see him, though she stupidly wanted to.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you, Konrad,” said Tara.

The sadness came back. The devastation. The insecurity. The pain of the lie. She believed Konrad could be different than what he was. He’d made a great claim. He’d hooked her. He’d made her believe she was the one exception, but she was no exception. Konrad couldn’t change. He had too much baggage to let himself be vulnerable, and she was just a fool with a dream.

A fool with a broken heart.

“Please, tell her. Tell her to come outside. Talk to me for five minutes. One minute. That’s all I ask.”

Scottie could almost hear him breathe.

“Just a single minute,” he said, his voice full of anguish.

Against her better judgment, Scottie walked across the living room and opened the door wider until Konrad came into view. Tara was right. He looked completely messed up. Her heart clenched, but, she held back the tears and the urge to comfort him. Who would comfort her, dammit?

“Are you sure?” Tara’s voice was muffled to Scottie’s ears.

Scottie’s attention was on her own heart beating and Konrad’s glowing blue eyes, rimmed with red. “Yeah.” She stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

Konrad embraced her, but she shoved him away. “No, Konrad. You can’t touch me.”

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “It was stupid. You shouldn’t have ever seen that list.”

Her heart throbbed, the tears fighting her to fall, but she refused. “Clearly.” She crossed her arms.

“It doesn’t mean anything. It was from before.”

“It was a fucking hookup list. For September, Konrad. September!” The anger bubbled up inside her, exploding with her words.

He dropped his head. “I know…”

“When did you write that list?” She needed to know, though the answer would hurt her worse.

He shook his head, sighing. “I don’t remember.”

“Bullshit!”

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