Animalistic (Tiger in Her Bed)

And that was why when she saw Chris, she only felt a mild annoyance as supposed to rage from his betrayal. But he should have broken their relationship off cleanly. Considering their history, he owed her that much.

Interrupting her thoughts, Chris poked his head in her office. “Hey. Can I have a minute?”

“If I don’t have any other choice.”

He entered and closed the door. “How are you doing? I heard about the fire. I’m really sorry. If there’s anything I can do to help, you let me know.”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you need to find a new place to stay?”

“Nope.”

“Are you staying with your aunt?”

“God, no. You know she’s a hoarder. I’ve got a new place and a roommate.”

“Where is it?”

“The Village.”

“Greenwich Village?” Chris seemed surprised. “You still have some of your clothes at my place. If you like, I can drop them off at your new place.”

Arielle thought about it for a moment. “I don’t want them. Just put them in the dumpster.” It might sound like a waste, but she didn’t want anything that had been contaminated by Chris. Plus, Trent’s mom had been so generous, she had more clothes than she would ever need.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Anything else? I’d like to get back to work.”

Chris looked uncomfortable. Usually he was full of arrogant swagger; guilt must be eating him alive. “I’d like to apologize for what I’ve done to you. You have every right to be angry with me. I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. It just happened. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that Sabrina and I–”

“Chris, I don’t really need to know the details.”

“I just want to explain–” Chris shook his head. “I just want… Please let me explain so I can feel like less of a bastard.”

“Don’t worry about.” She leaned back in her chair. “It was a long time coming anyway. You and I have been growing apart for a while. The world is what we make of it. We create our own happiness and misery. So why be intentionally miserable? I’m over you and me, and am ready to let all of this go,” Arielle paraphrased what Trent had said to her during their heart-to-heart. For a young guy, Trent was surprisingly deep. His head was chock-full of Eastern wisdom that he had learned during his stay at the monastery in Japan.

Chris laughed weakly. “You’re being easier on me than I deserve. It’s making me feel like a dick.”

“Why should today be different than any other day?”

He raised an eyebrow, looking bewildered for a second before he got control of himself. “Try not to take all of this out on Sabrina. She had it hard too. She’s felt inferior to you since you were kids, especially considering her dad likes you better than his own daughter.”

“Inferior?” This was new to her.

He affirmed it with a small nod. “You may not have noticed, but Hoffman always compared her to you, and it affects her self-esteem. She tried hard to please him, but she can’t compete with you. You were more of a daughter to Mr. Hoffman then Sabrina ever was.”

She knew that Hoffman liked her, but she totally hadn’t expected to hear that. “That still doesn’t excuse her shitty behavior, and how horrible she’s been to me, to everyone who works here.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Chris threw his hands up in exasperation. “I won’t make excuses. For her or for me. I hurt you and I’m sorry. She did too, and I know she’s sorry. Her pride won’t let her show her true self. Beneath her mask, she’s fragile, you know? I guess that was what drew me to her in the first place. You’re a much stronger person than she is, Arielle. You never lose your cool, even when things are awful. And you never give up when you face a challenge. Hell, you’re the toughest woman I know.”

What was he talking about?

No, she wasn’t tough at all. She just wasn’t big on broadcasting her feelings to others. But she felt there was no point in correcting Chris, so she kept it to herself. Although, she did wonder how long Chris had been having this affair with Sabrina? She resisted an urge to ask him because it wouldn’t do her any good to know at this point. They were finished. The last strand of connection that tied them together had been severed when she caught him with Sabrina. This was a chance to make a clean break.

She forced herself to smile. “Thanks, I guess?”

Someone knocked on the door. They were both surprised when they saw Mr. Hoffman standing there. Chris unconsciously tugged his shirt and straightened his tie in the presence of the founder of the firm.