Page 16 of Runaway Girl
My hand flexed on the door handle, my body rejecting the thought of leaving Alicia behind.
Instinct warred inside me. I knew the closing of that last physical barrier symbolically came with the close of our relationship.
Alicia had already cut off all forms of communication, and now she had passed me over as a client. I was a complete idiot to think I could waltz into her office and reason with her when I only had unsound reasoning to begin with.
Our previous conversations had not gone how I envisioned, always ending in catastrophe. My intention, coming into herplace of work, was not to aggravate the situation further but to reconcile.
Instead, I was rammed straight in the face with a fist full of logic and brass knuckles of reason. The resounding impact made me reflect on everything I’d done.
Overhearing the news about her dad had initially made me pause. I could only imagine the turmoil she was going through. Envisioning my own father in the same position had grief sweeping through me so fast I was nearly winded.
Then, I met her sister, who rightfully called me out on my behaviour. Although they had similar features, there was no way you’d miss the relation based on their character alone—they were both fucking terrifying.
And then there was Alicia. She remained beautiful, but there was a certain exhaustion pulling on her shoulders that I hadn’t noticed before.
Absolute shame surfaced as I thought of all the fucked up ways I continued to add to her stress.
I sat before her with complete transparency, pushed back my internal fears and genuinely apologised.
I would do anything to rewind time and change my actions. To shut down the defence mechanism that made me destroy one of the best things to ever happen to me.
Alas, we were in the middle of a warzone, and Alicia was being attacked on all fronts. I wanted to fight for her, but I was a sleeper cell that managed to stab her in the back instead.
The last thing I ever wanted to do was jeopardise her career. I was so short-sighted that I didn’t even see the risk of my barging into her workspace and demanding she take me back.
God, I was an arrogant fool.
Taking the loss and absorbing that well-deserved self-disgust, I followed behind a vibrant Felix, who hadn’t stopped prattling off numbers and other jargon I didn’t pretend to understand.
I was lost in my own shifting thoughts, wondering how I was going to get Alicia to give me another chance when Felix stalled in the entrance foyer.
Jake leaned over the front desk, flirting with the secretary, whose eyes were lapping him up like he was edible.Yuck.
Felix called her name in a stern tone, pulling her to the side, no doubt to reprimand his employee. Unfortunately, that left me with Jake, who I had been dodging since our disastrous night out.
He swaggered over and traced a fingertip over his cheekbone. “Damn, what happened, bro?”
I arched a confused brow when he pointed to my face.Ahh, the bruise that Alicia’s plastic cock left behind.“I got into a fight… and lost.”
A strange expression dashed over his face before his cocky smirk returned. “Shit, I would have paid to see that.”
I’m sure, asshole.
After that video went viral, I made myself scarce, not wanting to associate with anyone who had anything to do with hurting my girl.
I didn’t care how irrational my reasoning was. Jake had baited and riled me up all night, pushing me to say the most outrageous shit.
It was a rude awakening, but I had taken note.
I was the first-string running back for the East Coast Cyclones.So why did I let the musings of a second-string gunning for my position threaten me so much?
The alcohol mixed with his arrogance got my back up and Ihadto put him in his place.
Yeah, I can see how ironic that was now.
I had ego issues, commitment phobias and underlying traumas I had to unpack. Because I couldn’t bring myself to lose Alicia over my own shortcomings.
Then, Felix cut into our exchange with a fake wide grin. “Go ahead, Jake, Alicia is waiting for you.”
