17. Jenna #2
“I’m not your pet or some trophy that you can keep on display just to prove to yourself that you won.” I stuff my phone down my bra then turn back to my packing. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I’m going to get out of your hair.”
Chewing on my lip, I look at my stand mixer. I can hear Bethany in my head scolding me about keeping personal possessions at a Prism client’s house. She’d definitely lose it if she knew I’d slept in his bed.
I’ll get a storage unit. See? Problem solved. And I can live there too.
“You’re not leaving here. You don’t even have anywhere to stay.” He’s derisive, like I’m some stupid little girl that can’t manage her own life.
“I can’t stay at my client’s house.”
“I will put you in one of my brother’s hotels.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
His eyes narrow. His jaw clenches, the tendon on his neck prominent. He’s about to blow a gasket.
“You are so infuriating. You put yourself and your dog in danger, all because you’re too stubborn to admit that I’m right that you’re in danger and that you cannot, in fact, be trusted to take care of yourself.”
“I’m not in any danger. You overreact,” I tell him, busily packing my bag.
He grabs a shirt from me and throws it down, getting in my face.
“Your ex says otherwise. The messages on your phone say otherwise, and I haven’t even played your voicemails because I’d probably go to jail as an accessory to a crime just for listening to whatever the hell these men are sending you. ”
“They just want attention. I ignore them and move on, which is what you need to do.”
“You are so incompetent.”
“You are so possessive and overprotective and controlling. You’re the one who’s causing me the most trouble right now.”
We’re both breathing hard, not backing down.
“Fine.” McCarthy steps back. “You’re going to realize that you were wrong and I was right, and you’ll come crawling back to me. And this time, I’m going to make you beg before I help you. I’m not going to just show up and save you from yourself.”
“ Fine. I don’t need you to anyway.”
“Oh my god, you slept in his bed?” Hannah whisper-shrieks at the office.
“Shh! Keep it down.” I look around furtively.
Bethany seems to sense something is amiss. Through the glass door of her office, I see her look up.
“Not on purpose.”
“He saved you then brought you home to take care of you.” Hannah is making heart eyes.
“No, don’t do that. Usually, you’re the one telling me men like him are an inflatable red flag and I need to run far, far away.”
“I know, but he’s rich, and you’re not getting any younger.”
“You sound like Granny Mavis. She never liked Nathan. She doesn’t like any of my boyfriends.”
“Except McCarthy.”
“Boyfriends, not clients with control issues. ”
“You need to go to the police about Nathan.” Hannah’s face is serious. “I mean, you need to go to them about all your ex-fiancés but Nathan especially. I think throwing someone out of a car is a felony.”
“And say what? Nathan’s just going to lie and tell them that it was just a relationship issue and that I’m trying to weaponize the law against him or some nonsense.” I look at Truman, who’s sitting on Hannah’s desk, sniffing her pothos plant.
“Besides, then Nathan could tell them that I stole Truman. I can’t risk them taking my baby away.”
“Nathan’s not going to give up. You publicly humiliated him,” Hannah says. “I’ve been stalking his affair partner’s Instagram, and she is dogging him out. He’s crazy. He’s going to do something violent.”
“No, he’s not. I know Nathan. I’ve been with him for years. He’s not actually capable of actually hurting me,” I scoff. “I’ll just avoid him.”
“Stay at McCarthy’s for a couple weeks, at least,” Hannah says, begging. “You said he offered.”
“I said he ordered. Anyway, the offer is rescinded. Don’t look at me like that—it’s for the best. Bethany will flip if she finds out I’m living at my freaking client’s penthouse.
” I sigh. “I’m not McCarthy’s girlfriend.
When he gets bored of gloating about winning, he’ll kick me out anyway.
Then I’ll be homeless and jobless. This way, I’m just homeless. ”
My friend is slowly shaking her head.
“Soooo…” I rock on my heels. “Do you think I could crash at your place for a couple nights? Just until I find something. ”
Hannah looks guilty. “My roommate and her boyfriend are on the fritz again. He’s got the couch. But we can make a pallet for you. I think it will be fine!”
“Sharing a one-bedroom with you and your roommate and her boyfriend sounds like a lot.”
“He’s not paying rent, so I feel like if she complains, I’ll just tell her Billy has to go.”
“No, I don’t want to cause you any issues. I don’t want to be the messy, needy girl whose relationship issues negatively impact her friendships.”
Hannah hugs me impulsively. “You could never. I stayed by your side even when you were dating Andreas.”
“You’re the only reason I didn’t sign onto that time-share.”
“And look how far you’ve fallen.”
“I’ll go stay at my mom’s.”
“They’re so far away.” Hanna wrinkles her nose.
“It will be fine. Don’t worry about me!”
“You said you were never going to move back home.”
“My other plan was to rent a storage unit to sleep in, but they’re ridiculously expensive, especially when all I want to put in there is a stand mixer and some pots and pans.”