Laura
Rex was standing at the glass panes. His hands were in his pockets, and his hair looked darker in the low lighting. I said his name to get his attention. Rex ignored me. I waited, but he didn’t bother looking.
“Go home princess.”
“Don’t call me that.”
Rex glanced over his shoulder, “Are you upset because I’m using your father’s nickname for you?”
“Yes. I told you in confidence, not so you could use it against me. Didn’t we have something good?”
I waited for answers. He didn’t say a word. I cautiously went to his desk. There was a whiskey bottle next to a large envelope. Maybe it wasn’t a good time. Things were already confusing, but I was there and couldn’t turn around. “I’m not trying to interrupt your night. I want to know why you changed your number. I called a few days after you left. Why didn’t you call? Why did you end it without so much as a goodbye? Please tell me.”
Rex turned around, and there was a smoldering heat in his eyes. He was mad, but I wouldn’t leave until he said something, anything that made sense. A flicker of more happened when his eyes swept over my body. Rex had this tender way of looking at me. This time it was a bit hostile. I sighed, “My timing is awful.”
“Why are you upset? Didn’t you move on?”
I was confused by his questions. “No, but you did.”
“If only it were true,” Rex didn’t give any explanation beyond that, and I needed one. He started texting on his phone, so I placed one hand on my hip, “You can tell Teddy to come in here, but I’m not leaving until we talk.”
Rex glanced at me, “Who’s Teddy?”
“Theo,” I said without hesitation. “It’s his nickname.”
“I’m amused by it,” Rex replied. “Why are you here?”
I struggled to keep the emotion at bay, “I was trying to talk, but you ignored me in front of everyone, so this was the only way I could think of. What happened? One minute, we’re planning a trip, and the next, you’re gone. Did I mean anything to you?”
“You were everything to me,” Rex replied with ease.
“Then why would you leave without a word? I can’t wrap my mind around that because it never made sense.” I was caught in his dark gaze for a moment. Tingles shot down my spine and across my hips, but I ignored the feeling. “Rex, you owe me an explanation.”
He closed the distance between us. I stepped back but couldn’t move since his desk was right behind me. Rex didn’t care about my reaction to him. He moved closer. “I don’t owe you anything. I would’ve cut ties with you sooner had I known you were fucking someone else.”
“How dare you say that?” I hissed at him. “You were the one who left, so who I fuck shouldn’t matter.”
My feelings were hurt. How could he believe I had sex with someone else while we were together?
“This was a mistake,” the words tumbled out of my mouth. “You’re not the man I thought you were.”
“Aww, princess, don’t be sad,” he teased me.
I tried slapping him. Rex grabbed my wrist. It didn’t hurt, but I lost my balance. He caught me, and I was pinned on his desk within seconds. Rex stood in-between my legs but kept his hands anchored. Our position felt intimate. I was embarrassed and tried not to let it show. My chest heaved and my heart was beating like crazy, but I needed my demand to sound convincing. “Let me go.”
“I’m not touching you,” Rex replied. He wasn’t even winded after what happened.
The frustration and heartache came all at once. I was upset, but the anger came off Rex in waves. I trembled but didn’t make eye contact. “I wanted to talk. I didn’t come in to start trouble. I saw you and figured we could clear things up, but that’s not possible now,” my rambling ended when my voice cracked.
I looked at him and his dark brown eyes locked on mine. “Why are you scared? Do you think I’ll hurt you?”
“No,” I quickly replied, but it was a lie. I didn’t know what he was capable of. Rex was twice my size, so it was a stupid decision to lash out in the first place. I managed a shaky breath, but my eyes filled with tears, “Stacie is waiting for me.”
Rex moved. I flinched and scooted away from him. He caressed my cheek and his thumb brushed my mouth. I was shocked by how comforting it felt. The air around us crackled with emotion. I was still in love with him, but I couldn’t say it. Rex touched my chin. He wanted my attention, but I tried looking everywhere but at him. It was a mistake to confront him, knowing I wasn’t prepared to deal with all the emotion that came from it.
“Laura, look at me.” It was a calm demand.
I did as he asked but tears spilled from my eyes. “Can I leave? I won’t come back. I promise.”
Rex wiped away my tears. “Calm down. I shouldn’t have teased you.”
I was shocked by his apology, but I was still scared. Rex kept caressing my face, “I won’t hurt you. That’s not the way this works.” He leaned forward and my cheek brushed his shirt. The familiar scent was a reminder of times past, so I was torn between pressing my face against his chest and pushing him away. Rex stepped back, and it made my heart ache. I wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Rex was holding the envelope.
I wiped my face and waited for him to explain.
“Laura, you were with a guy the night I left town. I saw you. He answered your phone in the morning.”
I wracked my brain with my heart racing. I was with Cameron. He never mentioned the phone call to me, not once, in all this time. Confusion clouded my mind.
“I wasn’t cheating on you.”
Rex was mad, but he calmly held out the envelope. “Give this back to your father.”
“Why did he give it to you? When did you meet my Dad?” the questions flew out of my mouth. I was trying to process everything and explain my side of it, but Rex calmly set the envelope on my lap. He crossed the room and stood at the door.
I wasn’t in any condition to argue, so I slid off his desk, wiped my face, and clutched the envelope to my chest. I waited until I was near him to talk. “I’m sorry for hitting you, but I didn’t cheat on you. I wouldn’t. I’m not that kind of person.” My rambling ended when Rex opened the door. He was finished, and my heart ached more when I left his office.
Theo and Stacie were in the hall. She grabbed my hand. I remember that, but everything afterward was a teary blur. We left Savage Paradise and went to the waiting car. I didn’t hear a word Stacie said. I was thinking about all the months I spent upset thinking Rex was a jerk for leaving the way he did, but the weight of the envelope added to my guilt. I stumbled into the car and stared out the window, lost in regret.
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