Page 33 of Verses Of Us

And to top it off, Laurel was a piss-poor replacement. One who only reminded him of how vacant his past relationships were. How unremarkable. Weeks with her had brought him less joy than one minute spent with Alexis.

On the surface, Laurel was perfect—his female reflection. Stunning, rich, successful—she was his ideal match. But deep down, she was boring, unoriginal, and never disagreed with him. And in bed, she always pleasured him first; something that drove him mad. And now they were bound by blood.

All he wanted was someone who craved the pleasure he could give them. Someone who wanted him to give it and who fucking deserved the worship. But as with all the women he hooked up with, Laurel dropped to her knees or spread her legs, too eager to please. She never demanded pleasure or refused him. It was all too easy. She didn’t feel like a prize, not like Alexis did. And even months later, he still couldn’t understand what it was about Lex that made her so special.

He dropped the phone onto the counter and stared at himself in the mirror. Deep down, he knew Alexis was better than him. Even though she was younger in age, he sensed she was superior to him in a million other ways. A nagging voice told him he’d dodged a bullet, because no matter how much fame and money he had, he’d never be good enough for her and she’d eventually see it. She deserved to live a life of her choice. One he could never give her.

Life with him would lead to ultimate disappointment. He’d only let her down. Something bigger waited for her, and it wasn’t being in his shadow. He wouldn’t dare have her miss out on her future so he could indulge in his selfish needs. If spending his life with empty people like Laurel meant Alexis would be happy, then that’s what he’d do. He’d take the sacrifice, knowing they were both better for it.

Besides, he wasn’t ready to give up the life. No matter how happy she’d made him in a matter of days, he’d busted his ass for his career since childhood. He’d lusted after it—the fame, the fortune, the adoration—and he wouldn’t lose it, even if he had to suffer the consequences.

Thinking about Lex, imagining the ways he could make her come, the ways her touch would set him on fire, only sent blood racing to his cock, and he was tired of jerking off to her memory. This had to stop. He refused to dwell on what might have been any longer. It wasn’t helping and only made the stabbing pain in his chest and his raging anxiety worse.

Alexis Stanek would have to remain a memory. The one prize he would never win.

NO CHOICE

Alexis

Acrossthelobbywaitingby the elevator, Alexis spotted her boss Marie, her fingers tapping one arm, the other hand clutching a large coffee.Business as usual, Alexis thought with a wave.

Marie’s big, nearly black eyes, once again surrounded by too much eyeliner and mascara, narrowed and settled on Alexis. She smiled back, but Alexis felt the warning in Marie’s short, dark brown spiky hair shoots aimed directly at her.

“Good morning, Marie.”

“Morning. The meeting starts in five,” Marie announced, as if Alexis didn’t know. The meeting was in ten minutes, but Alexis didn’t correct her. “Is it impossible for you to show up early sometimes?”

Interning atThe Herald, Montreal’s most read English newspaper, Alexis had been working hard for little pay for two years now, and if it wasn’t for the extra credits, she’d have quit a while ago. She loved her job, just not her boss’s constant cold shoulder. Plus, Alexis wanted the paid full-time job it promised once she graduated from university in a few months. She hadn’t busted her ass for five years, working on her joint communications and journalism master’s degree to waste her time whining and giving up because of her snide, control-freak of a boss.

“Sure,” she replied with a practiced pasted-on smile, ushering her boss into the elevator.

They stood far apart, staring at the doors as they closed, and soft jazz music filled the tense air. Alexis never understood where Marie’s dislike came from. Perhaps Marie worried she’d one day steal her job, even if Alexis was way younger and nowhere near as experienced. But deep down, Alexis knew if she kept working as hard as she was, she could very well get Marie’s job. She smiled internally—maybe her boss was right to be watchful.

The elevator doors opened onto the eleventh floor and they stepped out into the already buzzing office. The sound of phones ringing and people typing woke Alexis up, unlike any cup of coffee.

After settling her things at her desk, she offered some quick hellos to her coworkers, before grabbing her pen and notepad and making her way down the long, carpeted hallway to boardroom number one.

She sat at the back as she usually did at these meetings. The room filled with editors and reporters, grabbing coffee or a quick breakfast from the snack table. They talked, leisurely taking their seats. One minute to six, Marie walked in, always the queen of arriving fashionably on time, despite her nagging. Alexis still didn’t know why her boss had waited for her and wondered if it was some kind of mind game.

She tapped Alexis on the shoulder as she passed by. “Come.” A curt nod accompanied her one-word order. “You’re sitting with me today.”

They had never asked Alexis to sit at the conference table before. The thought filled her with fear. She sat beside Marie at the head of the long table, feeling stares boring a hole in her head. They were no doubt wondering what was happening, or maybe who the hell she was. Most of the staff never acknowledged the interns, but she couldn’t blame them; they didn’t last long, coming and going through a revolving door. That she’d stayed so long was a testament to her talents.

When Marcus, the editor-in-chief, walked in, the room quieted down. Alexis liked Marcus. He was charismatic and attractive, with bright teeth, dark skin and salt-and-pepper hair. And though their paths hardly crossed, when they did, he was courteous and offered a cheerfulhello.

“Good morning, everyone.” He settled into his seat, dropping a pile of newspapers, notepads, and keys onto the table. With a stretch, he folded his arms behind him, resting his head in his hands—the signal for the meeting to begin.

One by one, each department pitched the stories they were working on, Marcus accepting, rejecting or amending their ideas. When he reached her, he nodded to Marie.

“Entertainment?”

Marie rolled through the interviews and topics they had lined up for the week, her tone cheerful and completely different from the one she greeted Alexis with.

“We have a little scheduling conflict with today’s job, though.” She side-eyed Alexis, as if it was her fault, and continued. “I have the Dominic Champagne interview at two, but something’s come up, something we don’t wantLe Journalto get first.”

She glanced at Marcus, whose eyes narrowed. Marcus hated losing exclusive stories to their biggest competitor.

“I think she should do it.” Marie glanced at Alexis.

---