Page 24 of Heartfelt Pain
Abe might be right. I should probably focus on that instead of sex.
“You’re not sticking around?” Roma breaks me from my thoughts.
We’re by the coat check.
“Ma’am.” Someone appears, ready to help me put on the jacket. Ready to hide the dress I proudly picked out. I keep myarms crossed, so the older man drapes the material over my shoulders.
“A taxi, ma’am?” he asks. I nod.
Life is unexpected. Abe’s dad says that all the time. But what in the fuckery is going on that I somehow end up standing in the hallway of a sex club with Roma.
I head outdoors, needing the cool air.
“Ma’am,” the old man says.
I shake my head. I’d rather stand outside than wait around with my ex-boyfriend.
Roma doesn’t get the hint, though.
Soft warm amber fills my nose. He’s always smelled so damn good.
He stands right beside me, rubbing his hands together. “You want to share a cab?”
“Does it look like I want to share a cab?” I refuse to look at him.
“I think it’s both economical and green.”
“Green?”
“Carpooling is a valuable tool, cutting down on greenhouse emissions.”
“If we’re going the same direction,” I argue. “I’m going home.” I don’t know where the fuck he thinks he’s going. In fact, “What the fuck are you even doing here?”
I came outside, hoping it’d calm me down. It does the opposite. I’ve had enough time for my annoyance to let loose.
He shrugs.
“Don’t fucking do that. Answer the question,” I demand.
“I had a thing here.”
“A thing here? You’re not even dressed right.”
“In all fairness you don’t really need clothes here,” he says under his breath.
I face him. “Why the fuck are you here?”
His hair is more grown out than usual. The top is slightlycurly, a strand falling over his brow. I’m wearing six-inch heels and he’s somehow still taller than me. I hate how it feels like he’s staring down at me. Especially since his eyes are hard, his jaw tense.
“All right, Ren, you want to know the truth?” I blink when he says my name. “I heard you’d be here and it pissed me the fuck off.”
I step back, tightening my hold as I keep my arms crossed.
“You plan on fucking someone tonight?” he asks.
For the past few years, we’ve awkwardly operated around one another. We know all the same people, but we never interact. Now he not only makes eye contact with me but he stands straighter.
“It’s none of your business if I planned to fuck someone tonight.”
