The Office Rival: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

“I don’t get it, then. You weren’t drunk, but you…”

The penny drops, and I stare into his eyes to read the truth behind his admission. He wasn’t drinking. Therefore, he knew full well what he was doing. Unlike myself, I kind of just went with the flow, and let my body succumb to the moment. Does this mean he wanted it to happen? Did he plan for this to happen? Was what he said in my parents’ kitchen true?

“Presley…”

“Haden, what the hell does this mean?”

In a quick change of emotions, his momentary sympathetic expression changes as he sucks his cheeks in with a wide-eyed look. “I wasn’t drunk, but I was angry with you. That was it.”

“I

f you’re angry with someone, you throw a martini in their face or throw shade on social media. You don’t fuck them in the alley!” I turn to face away from him. Just when I thought there was more to this, he reminds me why I am a hormonal mess. The tears are building, and I watch the people strolling past as a distraction.

He places his hand on my shoulder as a kind gesture, but I shake it off, not wanting him to touch me. And so, we sit in silence for a very long time while I try to calm myself down. A good hour later, my stomach rumbles, and all I can think about is food.

“It’s done, okay?” I mumble, hoping to redeem myself. “How about we grab some lunch and head to the lake? My treat.”

Haden smiles cautiously, then stands to take his ringing phone out of his pocket. Excusing himself, he walks toward the tree, and the moment he answers the call, his face lights up. He then speaks, saying something about the wedding and honeymoon, but shortly after, his smile fades, and an argument erupts.

“I told you I don’t want to go there. Why won’t you fucking listen to me?”

He is talking loudly enough for me to hear the conversation, but I pretend to be engrossed in the kids running near the church entrance, ignoring the pang inside my chest.

“Eloise, I don’t give a shit what you want. You said this wedding was going to be small and uncomplicated, not the splashy affair you’re turning it into.”

He is kicking the tree with the toe of his shoe and utters more words. “I need to go, okay?” His face softens again, and a small smile escapes him. “Yeah, me, too.”

I remember the ‘me, too’ at the end of the conversation. It’s the reply to ‘I love you.’

It’s like a stab into my fantasy bubble.

A reality check.

No matter what he does or says, he’s marrying her.

And I’m just the woman carrying his baby.

Fourteen

Awkward lunch partners. Someone should create a reality show based on that.

After returning from his phone call, something between us changes. Haden seems less friendly and almost annoyed that he was forced to have lunch with me. That, in turn, puts me in a foul mood. We still have another day left in each other’s company, so I take the mature approach. Or so I thought.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why are you acting like a jerk?”

Chewing his mouthful of bread at a slow and annoying pace, he eventually swallows to answer my question. “Nothing’s wrong,” he mumbles, taking another bite to avoid talking.

“God, you’re such a woman. Whenever someone says ‘nothing’s wrong,’ there’s always something wrong,” I complain.

“Geez, you nag like the rest of them.”

“Did you say that I nag like the rest of them? You know what?” Whether it is the stifling heat or the anger consuming me, my body temperature rises, and suddenly I feel woozy. “I’m jumping into the lake.”

His knee-jerk reaction is laughable. I’ve jumped into this lake a million times, and today is no exception. Taking my wedges off, I carry them and place them on a rock. It would have been a good idea to wear my swimmers, but this heat is overbearing, and my dress will dry within minutes.

“There could be anything in that lake,” he warns me.

“Can’t be as bad as what’s beside me,” I mutter under my breath.