Page 27 of In Another Time

Sherelle paused for a moment before responding, her tone softer now. “Lennox, if you don’t know, maybe you need to figure it out before you start coming at me like this. You’re the one who left. You’re the one who kept him at arm’s length. Don’t blame me because he moved on.”

Her words hit harder than I wanted to admit. My grip on the phone tightened. “You could’ve given me a heads-up, at least. I deserved that much.”

“You don’t deserve anything from him,” she said bluntly. “But if you’re so pressed about it, maybe you should reach out to Omir yourself instead of taking it out on me.”

I clenched my jaw, my pulse racing with frustration. “I gotta go,” I said curtly, ending the call before she could say anything else.

I stood there in the hallway for a moment, trying to gather myself. My emotions were a tangled mess of anger, hurt, and something I didn’t even want to name. But I didn’t have time towallow. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and walked back into the conference room like nothing had happened.

The meeting wrapped up without any further interruptions, and I packed up my laptop, ready to escape to my office. As I headed for the door, Jevon, the VP I worked closely with, fell into step beside me.

“You were on fire in there,” Jevon said, flashing me his signature charming smile.

“Thanks,” I said, forcing a polite grin.

He studied me for a moment, his brown eyes warm but probing. “You seemed a little distracted when you stepped out earlier though. Everything okay?”

I hesitated, not wanting to delve into my personal life. “Just a phone call,” I said dismissively. “Nothing to worry about.”

Jevon nodded but didn’t let it go. “Well, if you ever need a good distraction, you know I’m always up for dinner or drinks. Just say the word.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d asked me out. Jevon was undeniably handsome. He exuded confidence, the kind that came with his position and a hefty bank account to match. I usually turned him down without a second thought, but today, my resolve wavered. Omir’s face flashed in my mind. The thought of him getting married, starting a life with someone else, twisted something deep inside me.

“Dinner sounds nice,” I said before I could talk myself out of it.

Jevon’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, but he quickly recovered, his smile widening. “How about Friday night?”

“Friday works,” I said with a nod, trying to sound casual.

“Perfect.”

We exchanged numbers, and I gave him a tight smile as he walked away, my stomach churning with conflicting emotions. I didn’t want Jevon. I didn’t want anyone, really. But maybe this date could serve as a distraction, a way to remind myself that I had options, that I didn’t need to cling to whatever feelings I still had for Omir.

As I headed back to my office, I tried to convince myself that I was making the right decision. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the nagging thought that I was only running from something I didn’t know how to face.

After wrapping up a long day at the office, I decided to hit the gym in my building. It had been weeks since I last worked out, and I hoped sweating it out would help clear my head. Omir had taken up far too much space in my mind today, and I was determined to evict him once and for all.

The gym was nearly empty, which was just how I liked it. I plugged in my headphones, scrolled through my playlist, and landed on something fast and heavy. The bass pumped through my ears as I hopped onto the treadmill, setting it to a brisk run.

Focus, Lennox. Just run. Breathe.

With each pounding step, I told myself I was running away from him—away from the memories, the confusion, the ache I didn’t want to admit I felt. But the harder I ran, the more he circled back. His face, his smile, his kisses, the way he’d look at me like I was the only person in the room. His hands on my skin, his sliding in and out. I pushed the speed higher, willing myself to forget.

Thirty minutes later, my legs were burning, and my shirt clung to me, drenched in sweat. I slowed the treadmill to a walk, panting as I stared at my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors. My face was flushed, my hair frizzed at the edges, but my mind was no clearer. If anything, the memories of Omir had intensified, clinging to me like a second skin.

God, I need to get him out of my system.

I grabbed a towel from the rack, wiped my face, and headed back upstairs. The silence of my apartment felt deafening as I kicked off my sneakers and peeled off my workout clothes. I tossed them into the hamper and made my way to the bathroom, turning the shower dial all the way to hot. Steam quickly filled the room, curling around the edges of the mirror as I stepped under the spray.

The water scalded my skin, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the thoughts invading my mind. My hands moved to lather soap across my body, and before I could stop myself, I was thinking about him again. His hands gripping my hips, his mouth trailing heat down my spine, the way he’d growl my name when he was on the brink of losing control.

My breath hitched as my hand slid lower, remembering the nights we’d spent tangled in his sheets. Nights where the world outside didn’t matter, where it was just us, raw and unfiltered. My fingers moved instinctively, and for a fleeting moment, I let myself sink into the memory of him.

But then I stopped, my hand frozen mid-motion. “What the hell are you doing, Lennox?” I muttered under my breath, yanking it away like it had betrayed me.

I shut off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel to wrap around me. The ache inside me wasn’t going anywhere, and I knew exactly what—or who—could fix it. With a frustrated sigh, I reached for my phone and dialed Justin’s number.

The line rang a few times before his deep voice answered. “Yo, what’s up?”