Page 3 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

“Who the hell is she?” Zoey demanded, pointing at the woman.

“What’s going on, Josh?” the woman asked, tossing his shirt aside and standing up. She seemed unconcerned with her nudity as she gathered her discarded clothes. She was tall and slender, with subtle muscle tone under her tanned skin. Everything Zoey wasn’t. “You said you were single.”

Zoey glared at Josh. “Hewhat?”

He lifted his hands in a placating gesture, but when he realized it left his dripping erection exposed, he dropped them to his crotch. “Now calm down, Zo.”

“Calm down? You’re telling me to calm down when I come home to find myunemployedboyfriendhaving sex with another woman while I was at work?”

“Why are you home so early, anyway?” Joshua asked, turning away from her as he hurriedly pulled on his boxers and a pair of shorts.

“Because I lost my damn job!” she shouted. “But I’m not going to let you turn this around onme!”

“I’m out of here,” the woman said, sweeping past Zoey. She carried her wadded clothing over her abdomen, making no effort to cover her nakedness.

“Bridgit, wait—” Josh moved to follow, but Zoey blocked him.

“Don’t you dare,” she growled before slapping the letter against his chest. “I want you to explain this.”

Scowling, Joshua took the paper and held it out in front of him, lips moving silently as he read. “I didn’t pay it,” he finally said, tossing the letter onto the bed.

“What?” Zoey’s heart stopped.

Josh shrugged. “I didn’t pay it.”

“Why not?” she demanded. “When I handed you that money, I said it was to pay the rent! Youknewthat. Why the hell wouldn’t you take care of it?”

“I used it for a new console and some games, and took a few buddies out for lunch and drinks.”

“That was ourrent, Josh!”

The apartment door opened and closed asBridgitleft.

Josh’s eyes flicked in that direction, and he hardened his features. “And I’m tired of sitting cooped up in this place with nothing to do!” he yelled. “I’m bored as fuck. I want to have fun.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing his. You’re thirty years old and you spent our rent money on video games and booze?” Zoey turned away from him. Her eyes burned with tears of anger, frustration, and hurt. She latched onto that anger and frustration and swung back toward him. “You cheated on me!”

Remorse flittered across his features; for an instant, he looked like a child who’d been caught sneaking cookies without his mother’s permission. “You weren’t supposed to know.”

“And that makes it right?” Zoey shook her head. “How long? How long have you been going behind my back?” She pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling.

Joshua averted his gaze and sighed. “Since the beginning.”

Zoey stared at him. The tightness in her chest made it hard to breathe, but her heart wasn’t breaking. For that to happen, she would have had to love him. It surprised her to realize she didn’t. Shecaredfor Josh, but her feelings had never quite strengthened to the point of love.

Regardless, what he’d done still hurt like hell.

“Why?” she asked, unable to produce more than a rough whisper.

“I love you, Zo. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I do. I’m just…not attracted to you.” His eyes roamed over her body as he stepped closer to her. “I tried. Believe me, I tried, Zo, but what you have doesn’t turn me on. Maybe if you’d have put in some effort to lose a little weight. I just can’t—”

“Get out,” Zoey said. She didn’t want to hear any more.Couldn’thear any more.

“Zo, don’t be like that. Where am I gonna go? We can still be room—”

“Get out!” she screamed. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Get out! I never want to see you again.”

God, she’d never felt so used, so worthless, so…disgusting. She didn’t want to let his words affect her, but they did. They tore her up inside and left her feeling ugly.

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