Chapter 15
YASMINE
Relieved I didn’t bring a purse or jacket with me tonight, I dash out of the nightclub past the cloakroom, my chest heaving as I fight to control the swirling emotions zipping through my mind and body.
The cooler air bites at my skin as I step out into the night, a stark contrast to the intense heat of the club. The sound of Cole’s voice follows me, then disappears into nothing as the doors swing closed behind me, and I puff and pant from running away.
He’s the last man on earth I want to see, and I definitely do not want to speak to him, so I run down the sidewalk, sprinting in my heeled boots, and onto the road to hail a passing cab, then jump in and zoom into the night.
Twisting in my seat to check the rear window, I let out a sigh of relief upon seeing he hasn’t followed me and then turn to face forward.
I don’t even want to breathe the same air as him, let alone let him make up pathetic excuses for why he didn’t call me.
Screw him: the guy who promised to call and never did, even when I thought he was different.
Turns out he was just like all the other guys, even though I genuinely thought we had something. We shared something special, didn’t we?
It sure felt that way.
How wrong I was.
And then he shattered my already fragile heart after what my ex did to me, opening fresh, ugly scars. Only this time, somehow, they cut deeper.
I’m an idiot to think I was what Cole wanted.
But once the adrenaline rush wore off, I knew that when yet another day passed without a call, I wasn’t enough for him, not enough to make him call me. To him, I was a one-time plaything for the night, nothing more.
I’ll never admit to anybody, but he somehow broke my heart even though I didn’t even give it to him to break.
Maybe it’s shame or embarrassment, not heartbreak. Whatever it is, I don’t like how he made me feel, and the afterglow didn’t last for as long as I would have liked.
I scoff, shaking my body out, feeling rattled.
When I saw Cole, my body reacted involuntarily, deceiving me in a way I despised. My nipples hardened, my heartbeat quickened, and I realized that if I didn’t leave immediately, he would come up with some lame excuse for not calling.
I knew that hearing his voice or seeing his smile would make me vulnerable and I’d be like putty in his hands, and that’s a risk I couldn’t take again.
So I ran.
It was the only way.
I don’t want to see him again.
Never is too soon.