Page 58 of Love to Hate You

The woman who used to drive me insane, relentlessly push my buttons and even make me want to kill her at times.

Hell, maybe I’m already in love with her. All I know is I can’t stop thinking about her and I don’t want to be without her whether I’m at work or at home. I need Charlie Langley in my life.

The question is does she want or need me, too?

And why the fuck would she resign without talking to me? It doesn’t make any sense at all. Determined to find out, I drive over to TB Tech and hurry up to the office. I shove through the glass doors and march straight down to her office, but it’s empty.

Where the hell is she?I wonder and wander over to her desk. I can tell she was here earlier, but I don’t see her purse or jacket anywhere.

“Did you hear?”

I turn around and see Ivy looking so smug that warning bells start going off in my head. “Where’s Charlie?” I ask.

“She quit.”

I shake my head, unable to accept it. “But where is she? Is she in the office?”

“I think she had a doctor’s appointment,” Ivy says and gives me a mysterious little smile.

My heart crashes against my chest. “A doctor’s appointment?” I repeat. Panic explodes inside me and I’m picturing all kinds of worst-case scenarios. Is she sick? What the fuck is going on?

“Yep. I heard her on the phone earlier. Sounds like she’s knocked up.”

Wait, what?I frown, trying to absorb what she just said. “What?”

“Pregnant.” Ivy lifts some paperwork. “Can you sign these?”

I give my head a shake as though I didn’t hear her right.Pregnant?“Are you serious? Why would you think she’s pregnant?”

Ivy lifts a brow. “I told you– I heard her say so on the phone. Why do you seem so surprised? Everyone knows she’s been going out with Jordan Lowe. On the QT, of course.”

Her words are like a punch to my gut and I almost double over. No, she’s been going out with me. “I don’t think so,” I say, my mind in complete denial.

“Well, he was here the other night and they looked pretty friendly. If you know what I mean,” she adds with a wink.

“He’s a new client. They had a meeting.”

“Do you usually kiss new clients?”

My world stops turning on its axis as I try to make sense of her words. “You saw them kiss?” I ask in disbelief. “Charlie and Jordan?”

“Nash, his tongue was so far down her throat, it was almost indecent.” Ivy laughs and I feel sick to my stomach. “Can you sign these?”

“Later,” I say and push past her. A red haze fills my vision, and I can barely see straight. I'm so goddamn angry. Charlie has been seeing Jordan Lowe, too? A part of me isn’t surprised that he pursued her, but she told me she wouldn’t ever date a client.

No, just fuck him, I guess.

And now she’s pregnant.

The pieces of this disgusting puzzle are starting to click together, and I hate what I’m seeing. Was I so into Charlie that I ignored all the warning signs? If she was also seeing Jordan, then she never cared about me. Truth is, she never once said she cared. We had a really excellent time in the sack but neither of us expressed or admitted any serious feelings.

I’m such a damn idiot. Betrayal and hurt don’t even begin to cover what I’m feeling right now. It’s like a semi-truck just ran me over and I’m laying here, still alive and so broken that I don’t think I’ll ever recover.

Assuming the worst is the last thing I should be doing, but why would Ivy so blatantly lie to me?And where the fuck is Charlie?I wonder for the hundredth time as I yank my phone out of my pocket. She doesn’t answer again and now I’m pissed off.

Is she with Jordan? Is that why she’s ignoring my calls? Jealousy consumes me and the need for answers propels me back down to my car. Every moment that passes without talking to Charlie increases my suspicions and anger.

I slam on the gas and zoom through the parking garage like a reckless idiot, almost hitting a concrete barrier on the way out. I’m too worked up to care though and grip the wheel so hard my hands hurt. Heading straight to Charlie’s, I text her:On my way over. WTF is going on?

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