“You don’t know me. How could you assume that Kate is anything but a friend?”
“You’re right. I don’t know you, Noah. I guess I’m the ass for assuming. Or, I could be the intelligent one for figuring it out before I make a mistake.” She turns around and opens the door.
“Morgan,” I call her name.
Her heels tap against the wooden floor, avoiding my plea for her to stop. She repeatedly taps on the elevator button, and with a slight delay, it allows me to catch up to her.
I enter the elevator along with her. “What the hell was that?”
She avoids me, staring at the doors. Pretending I don’t exist.
“Morgan.” I pull her arm toward me. “I don’t get you.”
“Like I said, you don’t need to get me.”
I’m fucking frustrated that we’re back to square one, despite me thinking we were moving forward. “Are we back here again? You acting like a goddamn bitch on some power trip?”
Quick, and with a vengeful stare, she tightens her lips as her cheeks flush with anger. “I need to go,” is all she says.
“You always need to go. You always need to be somewhere else. Why won’t you make time for me? The man standing here, right in front of you.”
Something changes. Her eyes are pleading with me to understand. But understand what? I don’t know how to fucking read her. She places her hands on my chest—the electricity between us is undeniable.
I pull back, surprising myself. “No, Morgan. I’m not going to touch you anymore. I fucking want you. In my bed. Now,” I tell her with complete and brutal honesty. “No more games. I’m laying my cards on the table. You can see them. Until you show me yours, I’m not going to touch you.”
She releases a disturbing laugh, increasing my anger. “That’s not possible.”
“Sounds like you’re the one panicking?”
The doors to the elevator open, and inside the lobby, a few of the staff are casually standing around having a conversation. They notice us, say hello, then continue to converse amongst themselves.
“You know what, Noah? I can’t do this, whatever it is.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re a player. Women want you. In the restaurants, at the workplace, calling you on your desk phone,” she says in a frustrated tone, then continues quickly, “I want you. But I don’t have the time for this. Goodbye.” And with her harsh words, she exits the building, leaving me alone.
This is not goodbye.
I’ll make damn sure it isn’t.
NOAH
Three days have passed, and I haven’t heard a word from her.
Presley mentioned, in passing, that they had met for lunch. But that was all. She could tell I was fishing for more information, but I can’t let my pride interfere with work.
Both of us need time to cool off after our heated argument. I just can’t understand how a woman—so frustratingly beautiful and stubborn—can affect me so much. I struggle to sleep, and my appetite is minimal, even adopting Kate’s terrible habit of checking my cell a thousand times a day.
I’ve kept Kate out of this problem, not wanting to highlight Morgan’s dislike for our friendship. Charlie’s been busy with a critical court case, so I barely see her at home. It’s only Lex around. He’s taken a couple of days off to work from home.
“What’s she done now?” he questions, watching me on the couch, absently channel surfing.
I find myself stuck on some show about renovating a house in England. Sending Kate text after text, I question the weird things they keep saying. Her visit to LA has been canceled due to some last-minute business she needs to take care of in Chicago. It soured my mood even more, missing her overbearing ways.
I let out a grunt. It’s barely a response.
“Let me guess? She won’t fuck you. Doing that annoying thing that women do… the cat and mouse chase.”