Page 65 of Arrogant Boss

“Sure thing, Miss Ortiz.”

Once we’re at my condo, I pack an overnight bag and head straight to Atlas’s place. Once I walk inside, I kick off my shoes and plop down on the comfy couch. The maid dusts the shelves and mantelpiece, and she sweeps the room with lemon air freshener. His penthouse feels homey. I go to his bookcase that’s tucked away in the corner of the living room to find he’s bought all of Katee Robert’s books and other smutty romance books. I grabNeon Godsand start reading it. I try to concentrate, but my mind keeps veering to lunch. My father had some nerve to try to pay Atlas off. Is that the reason Carter showed up to the funeral? He was so eager to talk to me. I need to know—did he really break up with me because of how I looked or because of my father? I snatch my phone from my purse and dial his number, and I hate that I still know it by memory. My heart beats frankly as he picks up on the third ring.

“Hello, Lake. Is everything okay?”

I’m quiet for several moments, trying to compose myself before I tell him to fuck off. He has no reason to pretend to care about my well-being.

“Did my father bribe you with money to break up with me?”

He’s quiet for a moment, and I hear a door shut in the background before an eerie silence is stretched between us, making me feel as if I’m suffocating. “The money was a bonus. I was going to break up with you regardless. I didn’t know at t—”

I hang up the phone, and tears well in my eyes. I didn’t want to hear any more of what he had to say. I needed the truth. He was going to break up with me because of the way I look, and he got paid for doing it. Bitterness burns in the back of my throat. My father has been trying to control me for the longest time. He tried to talk me out of being a fashion designer when I was in high school. I thought it was out of love, but that’s not love. The only reason why I dated Carter was because he insisted on it. His father is wealthy, and I guess when he found out they were no longer of benefit to him he tried to get rid of him. My father is not the dad I painted in my head. I know he loves me, but his way is so jacked up, and I don’t understand. That’s why he and my mother used to always fight before the car accident. That’s why she would bury herself in her floral shop. My father is the most selfish man I have ever known, and he won’t change, so I’ll have to deal with him accordingly by keeping my distance. Him moving to Florida was the best idea he had. I feel uglier than I already do, and I never want to feel this anymore. I’m tired of feeling as if I’m not good enough and feeling like the world has a problem with the way I look.

I lay my head back on the back of the couch, and I flip through the book, not paying attention to the words.

I don’t know what I saw in Carter in the first place, and how the hell did we last as long as we did? He was so self-absorbed and selfish, and I was too stupid to realize it. Well, he did me a favor. He and backstabbing Odette deserve to be happy.

I doze off, and several hours later, someone taps my shoulder. My eyes pop open as I grab the napkin from the end table and wipe my mouth, then I toss it in the trash can. Atlas hovers over me, wearing a t-shirt that hugs his biceps and a pair of jeans that hang low on his hips. His hair is damp as if he just came from the shower. He looks yummy in his outfit, and my gaze lingers on his face. He’s so beautiful on the inside and out, and he’s seems like the only constant thing in my life. Those butterflies bounce in the pit of my stomach. I never thought my heart would beat for any man the way it beats for him.

As I sit up, I remove the book from my chest and set it down on the coffee table.

“How long was I out?” I ask, rubbing the side of my temple.

“According to my housekeeper, a few hours.” He leans down and kisses me on the lips.

“What’s for dinner?” I ask, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

He doesn’t reply as he stares at my face, and my cheeks heats.

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I was distracted by your beauty. What were you saying?”

I playfully smack his arm. “Real smooth. What’s for dinner?”

“I want to take you out in the big city.”

“Okay. Do I need to change into something more elegant?”

“No, your dress is fine. Keep it on. I like to watch your ass sway back and forth in it. I’ll take you out to eat as long as you put out. You put out on the first date, don’t you?” he jokes.

I bat my eyelashes. “I’m a good girl. Good girls don’t put out on the first date. You have to respect me first,” I play along.

“Well, in that case, I’ll treat your ass to McDonald’s.”

I burst out laughing.

“I save my good restaurants for women who only give up the ass.”

“You’re funny.”

“And you, Boots, are delicious.”

Once we exit the apartment, Thomas drives us to a fancy-ass seafood restaurant, where we eat, talk, and laugh. When we finish at the restaurant, we get into the car and ride around for thirty minutes. We pull over to the side of the curb, and Atlas opens the car door for me.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Brooklyn Bridge Park.”

“I didn’t know they had a park here,” I say.

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