Page 13 of Hate You Forever

Paul

How long?

I think back to the last fling I had.

Jade

Almost two years. How long has it been for you?

Paul

Going on three. I’ve been here. Hard to get into a relationship when you’re where I am.

Jade

I wasn’t talking about a relationship. I was talking about sex LOL.

Paul

I’m…kind of a relationship kind of guy. I don’t do the whole one-night stand or hookup thing.

My heart swells.

Jade

God, you’re perfect.

Paul

No, you’re the one who’s perfect. And I plan on spending every minute we’re together making you believe it.

I begin typing a response, but the dreadedConnection lostmakes my fingers freeze.

I close the laptop and suddenly find myselfthirsty as can be. I head to the kitchen and get a bottle of water. I open it, take a long drink, and then catch my breath. Paul sure is a sweet talker. I can only hope he lives up to his online persona when we actually meet. If we meet, that is. It occurs to me that Memphis has been hard at work in my bathroom for at least twenty minutes now. I guess it wouldn’t be horrible of me to offer him something to drink. I grab out another bottle and take it to the bathroom. When I get there, my mouth drops open. He stands on a ladder, shirtless. His right arm is stretched out to the ceiling, causing his biceps, chest, stomach, and back muscles to flex and ripple making my mouth go dry.

He glances down at me. “See something you like?”

I snap my mouth closed and shake my head, needing to shut down the hormones that are taking over my body.

“Yeah, an asshole hard at work,” I joke, handing him the bottle of water.

He sets the paintbrush down and takes the bottle. “Ha ha.” He uncaps it and takes a long drink. God, I wish that bottle was my body. I can still feel his lips on me like it was yesterday, not almost ten years ago.

“How’s it coming along?”

He nods and recaps the bottle. “Good. Just finishing up the trim now. Rolling it out won’t take anytime at all.”

“It already looks much better,” I say, looking up at the ceiling.

He smiles down at me. “Go away. I can’t focus when you’re standing there gawking at me. I might slip on your drool.”

I shake my head with a smile. “I see that you’re still completely full of yourself. At least that hasn’t changed.”

He scoffs. “It’s only being full of yourself if it isn’t true. And in this case, you know it is.”

I roll my eyes and walk away, laughing as I go.

Memphis has always been hot and cocky and sure of himself. All of that with the wrong personality can be a major turn-off, but he has this personality that just adds to the package, making him absolutely irresistible. I know it. He knows it. He just can’t know that I know it. Otherwise, he’ll never leave me alone. Actually, I don’t know if I want him to leave me alone. We’ve only spent a short time together since he’s been back, but the hours we’ve spent together have been fun and full of laughter. He always could make me laugh, even when I didn’t want to.

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