Page 15 of A Love That Broke Us
The car stops at the curb in front of Jensen’s building.
Oh, I’m here. Gotta go. Love you!
I drop my phone back into my purse and step out onto the curb, the winter chill hitting me immediately. Pulling my coat tighter, Ifollow the same instructions Jensen gave me yesterday to get up to his floor.
I take a deep breath, calming my nerves before I knock on his door. A moment later, it swings open, and I’m caught staring at the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. “Wow. You look great,” I say. I don’t know why I’m so surprised. Jensen’s always attractive. But damn, this man can pull off a suit.
“You should talk. You look gorgeous.” His hand slips into my coat, sliding around my waist, and he pulls me in for a kiss. And damn it, if it doesn’t make my knees go weak.
When he pulls back, his eyes meet mine. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah, but can I leave my coat here?”
“Of course.”
He helps me out of my coat, letting out a low whistle as he drapes it over a bar stool.
“Alley,” he says, his gaze sweeping over me, lingering. “You lookhot.”
My cheeks flush, and a smile spreads across my face. “Thank you.”
“So, what’d you do today?” he asks, holding his elbow out for me to loop my arm through.
“Nothing exciting—laundry, cleaning, lunch with Scarlett. That’s about it.” I follow him to the elevator, where we ride down to the lobby before switching to the private one for the penthouse.
“Hey, Mikey,” Jensen says to the elevator operator waiting by the doors.
“Hey, Jensen, my man.” Mikey gives him a quick fist bump and scans a key card.
Honestly, I’ve never visited anyone in New York who has their own private elevator access. Butterflies churn low in my stomach, nerves spreading through me. What if Matt doesn’t like me? The best friend’s opinion matters. A lot.
The doors open, and we step inside just as a woman’s voice echoes across the lobby.
“Jensen, hold the elevator!”
My eyes settle on a stunning brunette with long, sleek hair, a glamorous gold dress that’s definitely designer, and a flawlessface to match. Her skin is radiant, and her body? Perfect. She’s stunning—intimidatingly so.
Jensen presses the “door open” button as she hurries through the lobby, pausing to give Mikey a quick hug. “Hey, Mikey, how are you?”
Mikey’s reply fades into the background as my thoughts spiral. She steps into the elevator, her smile widening, before throwing her arms around Jensen in a tight hug. Her perfume—a perfect blend of sweet and expensive—fills the small space, making it feel even smaller by the second.
“Jensen!” she exclaims, squeezing him tighter, like they’re good friends.
“Hey, Jordan,” he says, his tone calm but friendly.
“How the hell are you? It’s been forever!” She pulls back, placing her hand on his chest and giving it a light pat. “God, you look good.”
The doors close, and the elevator lurches upward, the tension palpable.
“Thanks, so do you,” Jensen says genuinely—because, let’s be honest, how could he not?
Her eyes flick to mine just as Jensen’s hand slides to the small of my back. “This is Alley,” he says. “Alley, this is Jordan.”
Her smile doesn’t falter. “Oh, my God, hi.” She wraps her arms around me. “Sorry, I’m a hugger. It’s so nice to meet you.” She steps back, looking me up and down. “Alley, you are gorgeous!” Then, turning to Jensen, she says, “I’m so happy to see you with someone.” Her attention shifts back to me. “I’m Matty’s ex. I know, it’s weird, but he’s still one of my best friends.”
Relief washes over me, though I hate that for a split second, I was nervous she might be Jensen’s ex—or that they’d slept together at some point. It wouldn’t matter, obviously. Except,my God, how could I possibly compete with someone like her? She looks like an exotic supermodel. And, annoyingly, she also seems genuinely nice, which would ruin the whole “I can see why he wouldn’t be with her anymore” logic.
“So,” she asks, tilting her head with a curious grin, “are you two together, dating, friends?”
