Chasing Us (Dark Love 2)

I take another swig of the whiskey. This time the burning has stopped, and the liquid feels smooth as it makes its way down my throat. Victoria is decent-looking, I mean when she isn’t so conniving, I can see that she’s a head-turner. The slutty black number she’s wearing is enough to get me hard if I try to concentrate. Who knows what I’m thinking anymore? My mind’s spinning, and I just want to forget everything that happened tonight.

“I don’t care about the pictures anymore. Come with me.”

I pull her arm as she looks at me confused by my sudden change of heart. I press the elevator button, and as the doors open, I drag her inside, pressing the button to the penthouse suite.

“What the hell’s wrong with you, Edwards?”

When we reach the penthouse level, the doors open, and I pull her hand to my door. As I swipe the card, she asks me one more time what the hell is wrong.

“You want to fuck me? Well, get inside before I change my mind.”

With a grin widening across her face, she runs her fingers along my cheek before following me inside and closing the door behind us.

This time, I’ll make sure Charlotte and I are completely done.

You want to hurt me for what I did to you, Charlotte? Well, you’ve won.

To quote you, “I’m done.”

CHARLIE

I sit opposite Julian at a restaurant downtown. The tension is palpable, and no matter how I angle the situation inside my mind, it always comes back to the same thing.

Lex.

The restaurant is busy for a Saturday night, and it only dawns on me as I look around and notice almost all the tables taken, we should’ve chosen something more intimate to have an important discussion regarding our future.

Clasping my knees together beneath the table, I’m unable to make eye contact with Julian. I have no clue how to begin ending things with him. My mind is a train wreck of emotions from a terrible week of no sleep and too much alcohol.

As my hand lays flat against the pristine white tablecloth, he places his own on top, a glimmer of hope sparkling in his eyes as our gaze finally meets.

“Julian, we need to talk about us.”

He leans in, cupping my cheek. A familiar touch of warmth but no longer the touch I crave. The guilt of my indiscretions allows his hand to linger longer than necessary, knowing this will be the last time he touches me, and most likely the last time he’ll look at me lovingly.

It is now or never.

I have to tell him it’s over.

I know where my heart belongs despite the hurt and humiliation plaguing me each time I remember the last time Lex and I were together.

I study his face, almost as if we will never cross paths again, admiring his hazel eyes, the way they comfort me and make me feel secure. Everything about us was so easy before Lex walked back into my life. We have no past to haunt us, and until that day in the restaurant, there was no one else between us or meddling with our relationship. It was just all us, and if the universe worked differently, it probably still would have been only us.

As he tilts his head and leans forward to kiss me, a faint smile plays on my lips as I allow myself a moment of closure. Julian will always be the beautiful man who swept me off my feet, and no matter what happens from this moment onward, we’ll always have those memories.

He deserves better, and even though I’m going to hurt him by ending what we have, one day he’ll look back and thank me. Maybe not now, but one day, one person will love him and only him.

My train of thought is interrupted by a loud commotion. As I turn my head toward the sound, my mouth drops at the sight in front of me.

Lex.

He’s standing beside our table with an attractive blonde.

Wait, is that Kate?

What the hell?

It all falls into place.