Page 5 of Taking A Chance

Cora finally steps back from me, patting at her eyes and rubbing her hands over her disheveled clothes. She looks up and her eyes meet mine. The silver glow of her irises would look beautiful in paint, especially with the glossiness the tears are causing. Mascara is running down her freckled cheeks and her nose is pink from crying. She’s beautiful in her sadness.This. This is the humanity I want to paint.

“So,” I say, hesitantly. “Do you want to come in for a second?” I throw my thumb over my shoulder, knowing this’ll probably end the way it did last time, and I hold my breath.

“What is it with you men?” she scoffs, turning back to her door. She steps in quickly, and that’s exactly the way I thought that would end.

Fuck.

4

Cora

It’s notlike I need a lot from a knight in shining armor. Just rescue me, make sure I’m safe, and don’t fucking hit on me two seconds after you save me from peril.

For a split second I thought,wow, Declan is actually a decent guy. Maybe I was wrong about him.Then he goes and tries to lock me in his tower—for conquest, no doubt.

“Wait,” he says. “It’s not what you think.”

“Oh, right. It’s not what I think. You’re just a nice guy who invites women back to his apartment practically every day, even strangers like our postal worker, and it’s not what I think.”

“It really isn’t, and I’ve tried explaining many times,” he says.

“Okay, well, you’re either a sex fiend or a fucking drug dealer and either way, I’m not interested.”

Declan throws his head back, shaking it back and forth as he looks up at the ceiling. His hand rubs down his face and over the stubble on his chin and neck.

“I don’t have to defend myself to you. This is so pointless,” he says.

Without another word, he turns back toward his apartment and steps inside, the door slamming behind him.

Standing inside the doorway of my apartment, I step back and slam my own door.My legs give out, and I slide into a puddle on my floor.

I can’t believe my date actually attacked me. Never,everdid I think that would happen, in all my online dating experience. I mean, I know it happens, but you just never think of it happening to you. Ian seemed so sweet, so genuine. Just goes to show you how supremely fake people can be.

I’m so mad at my bullshit meter right now. It’s usually pretty good at detecting scumbags, but it really let me down this time.

The tears start again as I reach for my phone to text Lyla. Here she is, expecting this great news, and I have to flip the switch on the whole thing.

Me:Well, that was a shit show.

Lyla:Oh no, what happened?

Me:He fucking attacked me at my door.

Lyla:OMG are you serious?! Are you ok?!

Me:I’m fine, my neighbor came out and ran him off.

Lyla:The neighbor you hate?

Me:Yeah.

Lyla:I thought he was a jerk?

Me:He is, but apparently he has his limits. Like not watching a woman be assaulted.

Lyla: Well, either way, thank the gods he was there.

Me: Right. But then he tried to get me to go to his apartment.

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