“You can get the fuck out now,” I told him coldly.
He stopped in his tracks. “Woah, what the hell, Marlena?”
“It’s Lena, and you heard me. Get out of my apartment.”
Jeremy took another tentative step towards me. “I thought we were getting along here—”
“That was until you took a call from one of your other women,” I spat out, unable to stop myself. God, I sounded like a jealous girlfriend. Yuck.
Jeremy seemed at a loss. “What a minute, I think you’ve got the wrong impression—”
“Was that Sheila Moore?” I asked.
“Well, yeah—”
“And did you or did you not have sex with her?”
Jeremy looked incredibly uncomfortable. “We’re friends, Marlena. Anyway, I don’t see how my past with other women has anything to do with what’s happening here. Between us.”
“Your past?” I laughed a little maniacally. “That sounded a whole lot like your present.” I sounded shrill.
Jeremy put his hands out, trying to touch me. “Baby, come on. Don’t be like that. I’m here with you. That’s all that matters.” He was trying to placate me. Trying to talk me down from the ledge. He was treating me like a silly girl and that infuriated me.
“Who else are you having sex with, Jeremy? Because I’m sure it’s not just Sheila and me. Should I start a club where we can all get together and compare notes?” I asked nastily, noticing how his expression grew just as cold as my tone. “Does Sheila also like that thing you do with your tongue? Maybe I should ask her what her personal favorite Wyatt move is?”
“The color green isn’t pretty on you, baby,” Jeremy said softly, his words hard enough to break a bone.
“Oh, it’s not jealousy. It’s disgust. With myself. For letting you anywhere near me. And I am not your baby.”
I was being cruel. I was trying to hurt him. Because I was hurt and jealous. And hating myself for being those things.
Jeremy looked as if I had slapped him. “Wow, okay. If that’s how you feel, I guess there’s nothing more to say.”
For a brief moment, I wanted to tell him I didn’t mean it. That I liked him being here with me. That I enjoyed his company—when he wasn’t annoying me. That I liked him.
But I couldn’t. Because I was nothing more than conquest and even if I wanted to play that the sex hadn’t mattered, I had too much pride to be a notch on someone’s bedpost.
His phone rang again, he picked up his phone and I saw the name Greta on the screen.
“Another one of your ‘friends?’” I even used air quotes. He was turning me into a caricature. It was humiliating.
Enough was enough.
I glared at him, trying to sift through the hundreds of screaming insults I wanted to hurl at his head. “Just get out. I can’t deal with this. I have to get ready for work,” I finally said tiredly, feeling drained.
Jeremy frowned. “I feel like some signals have gotten crossed. If you’d only let me explain—”
“There’s nothing for you to explain. We got drunk. We had sex. It’s over now and will never happen again. Now, I need you to leave so I can get ready for work. I’ll see you at the office.” Jeremy opened his mouth then closed it again. I watched as he put on his clothes from the night before. I went to the front door and unlocked it.
Jeremy’s phone pinged again, but this time he didn’t look at it. Probably because it had already gotten him in enough trouble that morning.
But I was thankful for that annoying phone. It reminded me of exactly who I was dealing with. And who Jeremy was. Because it seemed sometime in the last twelve hours, I had forgotten.
I opened the door and stood aside for him to walk into the hallway. He looked at me, but I refused to meet his eyes. I felt wretched, but hell if I’d let him see that.
“You should try listening once in a while. Sometimes you hear a whole different story than the one you think you know,” Jeremy said and then he walked down the hallway and far away from me.
Chapter 9
Jeremy
I walked down the hallway and then stopped. I turned back, half hoping she was standing there watching me leave. But she wasn’t. The door to her apartment was closed.
That had gone incredibly, horribly bad.
Yet, why was I strangely turned on by being unceremoniously booted out? Man, I had some serious issues.
My phone buzzed, and I was ready to throw it against the brick wall if it was Sheila or Greta again. It wasn’t. This time it was Rob wondering if I wanted to meet up for breakfast before court.
Shit. I had court in less than two hours, and I was still wearing the clothes from last night.
I’ll meet you in thirty minutes.