Page 4 of Pucking my Enemy Boss

Jake takes a step forward, but before he can do anything, I pull Mysterious back. “It’s okay,” I say, trying to calm the situation.

But it’s too late. Jake has already made a scene. People are starting to stare.

“You’re embarrassing me,” I hiss at Jake.

He ignores me, turning his attention back to Mysterious. “I’m warning you, buddy. You’re about to make a huge mistake. She’s only with you to attract my attention.”

Mysterious turns to face me. Without speaking a word, I can read the question his eyes hold.

I open my mouth to protest, but the words get tangled in my throat. “I…”

“I understand,” he nods, but a look of disappointment crosses his features. “Good night.”

Then he’s gone, disappearing into the crowd.

I stand there for a moment, watching him go. A mix of emotions washes over me – frustration, disappointment, and then a surge of anger. I whirl back on Jake to find him smirking, thinking he’s won.

“You know you’re a pathetic psycho, right?”

“What?” He shrugs. “I just told the man the truth. You want me, Hol.”

He takes a step toward me, and I instinctively move back.

“Get away from me, Jake,” I snap, my voice trembling with anger. “You’re a useless douchebag with an ego bigger than your actual worth. I don’t want to ever see your face around me again, or I’m reporting you for stalking.”

“So, you’re ending things? I came here to make an apology.”

“Shove it up your ass.”

“Holly,” he tries to cajole me, stepping closer. “You’ll regret this, babe.”

“Jake,” I call out in the coldest tone I can muster, “what I regret is not dumping your ass where it belonged all these years—right in the trash.”

A chorus of gasps around us pulls my attention to the fact that we’ve been surrounded by a group of clubbers really interested in this dramatic break-up. Phone flashlights flash in my face and I suddenly realize we’re being recorded.

Oh shit.I grab my purse and raise it to cover my face. Well, it’s now on record that Jake Roland and I are officially over. I turn to walk away, but he grabs my arm.

“Holly! You need me. You’re nothing without me.”

A part of me wants to karate-chop him so badly for saying those words, but I don’t want to add more drama for the cameras.

I laugh, a bitter sound. “Do your worst, Jake. I’m done with you.”

I jerk my hand out of his and walk away, head high, feeling a strange sense of liberation. I’ve finally stood up to him, and it feels good. But there’s also a pang of regret that I lost what could have been a potential escape from my problems ... at least for tonight.

Forget about that, Holly.I sigh.

For the first time in a long time, I feel a sense of freedom, of empowerment. I should focus on that. The night air is cool against my flushed skin as I step outside the club, my heart lighter than it’s been in years.

1

HOLLY

I leanmy head back against the seat, watching the world blur past through the car window. Chicago. That’s the final destination for the chaos that’s been my life for the past four months.

I'm exhausted. Physically, emotionally, and in every way possible. I’ve left everything behind in L.A.—everything that made me who I am. But maybe that’s the point. Chicago is not exactly the November postcard image I’d imagined, but it’s my reality now.

“Cheer up, Holly!” Lauren’s voice breaks through my thoughts, bright and hopeful. “This is a new beginning. You’ll love Chicago, I promise.”

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