Chapter 33 #2
She blinks, caught off guard, and then, to my surprise, she lets out a soft laugh. “Oh my God, baby, you are jealous.” Her tone shifts, tinged with amusement and disbelief as she steps closer, reaching for me.
I step back before she can touch me. “Me? Jealous? Of course not. Why would I be?” My voice hardens as I add, “I could get any woman I want.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before regret twists in my gut, but I’m too proud—and too rattled—to take them back.
Lainey freezes, her hand falling back to her side. Her expression shifts, a mix of hurt and anger flashing in her eyes. “Yeah?” she says, her tone sharp and cutting. “Well, maybe you should’ve done that instead of telling me to move in with you. I knew it was a bad idea.”
The words hit harder than I expect. “Moving in with me is a bad idea now?” I demand, my voice rising.
“Are you even listening to yourself? What are you doing, Zach?”
“So it’s true,” I snap, the frustration spilling over like a dam breaking. “You’re still in love with Drew.”
Her face falls, her eyes wide with shock, and then she lets out an incredulous laugh, one that’s more disbelief than amusement. “Oh my God, Zach. I’m not in love with Drew!”
“You just said you regret moving in with me,” I bite out. “Kind of sounds like it.”
“I meant you asked me to move in for all the wrong reasons!” she fires back, her voice sharp.
“I did?”
Lainey’s expression shifts to anger now. “You know, I didn’t attack you when Clarissa was all over you!”
“What does Clarissa have to do with this?” I growl, my patience fraying.
“Oh, so now you’re protective of her?” she shoots back.
“What? No! I don’t care about Clarissa,” I say, exasperated.
“Yeah, sure,” she mutters, rolling her eyes.
“Lainey, you know I don’t like Clarissa,” I say firmly, trying to pull us back from the edge.
She crosses her arms, her voice rising again. “So you don’t like it when I bring up Clarissa, but it’s okay for you to say something about Drew? I never even dated Drew!”
“But you were in love with him!” I counter. “At least I didn’t love Clarissa.”
Her laugh is bitter this time. “What are you talking about? I never loved Drew! Liking someone and loving someone are not the same, Zach.”
“Are you sure about that?” I fire back. “Because I saw the way you looked at him.”
“Looked at him?” she repeats, her tone incredulous. “That’s what this is about? You’re jealous because I looked at him? At least I wasn’t all over him like Clarissa was all over you!”
“That’s not fair,” I snap. “She touched me—it was unwanted.”
“And you enjoyed every minute of it,” she shoots back. “Just like how you enjoy every minute with every other woman!”
“What are you even talking about now?” I ask, my frustration mounting.
She takes a deep breath, her voice steady but sharp. “You want to get upset with me about Drew? Fine. We might as well get it all out while we’re at it. What about the brunette at the restaurant where you showed up on my date?”
“The brunette?” My brows furrow, and then it clicks. “That was Blair.” I laugh, the sound harsh.
“I know how Blair looks,” she adds, her tone sharp. “She’s a blonde.”
“Yeah, she’s a blonde now,” I reply. “But she was a brunette that night. Lainey, you were jealous then?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she says quickly, avoiding my gaze.
I step closer, softening my tone slightly. “Lainey, baby,” I say, looking her in the eyes. “I think it’s time we stop this.”
Her brows knit together. “Stop what?”
“Us,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. It’s killing me to say this, but the thought of us crashing and burning, of ending up hating each other, feels worse. “You and I both know we weren’t going to work out. We don’t fit. I can’t be your Mr. Perfect, and you know it.”
“Mr. Perfect?” she repeats, her voice breaking slightly. “Is that what this is all about?”
“Yes,” I say firmly, though my voice wavers just enough to betray me. “I will never be Mr. Perfect for you. I know you want that. And you deserve that. I don’t want to be in the way of you finding your happily ever after. I think you should move out.”
Her mouth opens, but no words come out for a moment. Finally, she whispers, “Move out?” Her voice trembles, but she quickly squares her shoulders, holding back tears. “So that’s it? One little fight, and you’re ready to throw everything away?”
I flinch at her words, the weight of them pressing down on me, but I force myself to keep my voice steady. “It’s for the best.”
Before either of us can say more, a hotel staff member peeks their head into the hallway. “Lainey? Zach? They’re about to do the send-off.”
Lainey doesn’t turn around. She replies evenly, “We’ll be right there.”
As the staff member leaves, she lifts her gaze to mine, her voice trembling but determined.
“I guess I should thank you for reminding me why I was looking for Mr. Perfect in the first place. Because I don’t want to end up with someone who runs at the first sign of something real instead of fighting for it. ”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yes. You finally see now. You deserve your happily ever after.” My voice cracks slightly as I add, “We can discuss co-parenting when the baby comes.”
Her chin lifts, and she nods tightly. “Yeah, sure.” She takes a shaky breath. “I didn’t bring much to your place yet, so I’ll come by in a few days to collect my things.”
“Okay,” I say quietly. The word feels heavy, final.
Lainey takes a step toward the reception doors and then stops, turning back to me. Her eyes lock on mine, and for a moment, I think she might take it all back. Instead, she says softly, “I really thought you were different.” Then she walks away.
I stand frozen, watching her disappear back into the room. The noise from the reception washes over me, but I can’t focus on anything. I tell myself this is for the best. She deserves someone better than me. Someone steady. Someone perfect.
But it doesn’t feel like the best. It feels like a knife twisting in my chest.
When I finally walk back inside, everyone is sending off Wyatt and Chloe.
I spot Lainey with Janelle and a few others, her laughter masking the hurt I know is there.
Drew is standing next to her, and someone snaps a picture of them.
My chest tightens, but I push it down, telling myself I made the right choice.
Later, as the guests begin to leave, I see Lainey walking out alone.
For a moment, I think about going after her, but I stop myself. She deserves someone who doesn’t have to second-guess everything.
Even if it kills me to let her go.