The Office Rival: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

“I guess so.”

The question makes me think. Even if I could go back in time, would I make Jason the father of my child? It would’ve been so easy and a stroll in the park. But everything that Masen is lies in his DNA. He has Haden’s blood running through his veins, and truth be told, I wouldn’t change that for the world.

“There’s always the future, Pres. It’s not a closed book between us.”

“I miss you,” I blurt out, not intending for it to come out the way it does.

“I miss you, too.”

“It was so easy, what we had,” I confess. “Life is so complicated now. I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”

“But is easy wrong?”

“No, it’s drama-free, and all I’ve been doing for nine months is living in a world of drama.”

Jason presses his palm against mine and leans forward. With only the glow of the candlelight between us, my body moves in, bringing us close together.

“We both were searching for something else, Presley. But we already had it all,” he concedes. “Now we’ve had that time apart, I’ve realized no woman can compare to you. Sure, you have your quirks, but Presley, I want my life with you.”

He said all the words I wanted a certain someone else to express. He’s offering me everything we had on a silver platter with a nice red bow to complete the package—an easy life filled with love and happy memories.

“Jason, I have a son. My life is about him now, and he’s not yours.”

“I know that, but you know I was raised by Jeff, and he was a great stepfather. I’m not here to replace his father. I’m offering you a life, Presley. A life with me.”

I lower my head and stare at the tablecloth. With his hands still touching mine, his offer appears too good to pass up. But I’m angry at the Jerk. Livid, in fact, and to make an important decision like this, I need a clear head.

I tell him I need time to think, and on cue, the alarm goes off, warning me that I have to return to Masen. I kindly tell Jason I need to go, and being the true gentleman he is, he offers to walk me back to my apartment.

It’s a cool night with a heavy breeze, and just as my body shivers, he removes his jacket and places it over my shoulders. We talk about our families as we walk back home, reminiscing about the good old days and our joint family vacations.

“It was really good seeing you, Jase.”

He leans in closer and kisses me on the lips. Suddenly, the guilt washes over me and I pull away, wiping my lips without even thinking. He looks taken aback by my ability to pull away, let alone wipe his kiss from my lips, but he doesn’t comment on it.

With trepidation, he asks, “Can I come in?”

I open the door and notice the apartment is quiet. With only the hall lamp turned on, I assume Vicky is with Masen in my room. I motion for Jason to follow me, and he does until we reach the bedroom door. When I open the door, I almost fall back into Jason’s body at the sight of Haden sitting on my bed, shirtless and holding Masen.

“I… uh… where’s Vicky?”

“Nice to see you, Presley. Vicky had an emergency, and since Masen is my son, I thought I’d stay over and spend some time with him.” His voice is dripping with sarcasm, and behind his frames, his eyes are fueled with fire and rage.

“Okay… Jason, this is Haden, Masen’s dad,” I introduce slowly, preparing myself for the biggest shit-storm to rock this universe.

“Nice to meet you.” Jason nods.

Haden is trying to hide his anger, but his outburst is imminent. “So, is there a reason why you went out and abandoned our son?”

Bingo. Typical Jerk saying his jerk-like things instead of communicating in a mature and adult way.

Another reminder of why Jason is a better fit for me than Haden could ever be.

“I’m going to walk Jason out,” I grit.

I turn around and grab Jason’s hand on purpose, guiding him to outside the apartment while I try to calm myself down.

Outside in the hall, he shakes his head. “A young jerk.”