21. Chloe
21
Chloe
My muscles scream once my eyes pop open.
Well, they’re not necessarily screaming in pain, but they’re definitely reminding me how long it’s been since I worked them so deliciously hard.
But man, was it worth it.
As I try to stretch out some of the stiffness, I wonder what any of this even means.
Luckily, the bed is empty, so I crawl out quietly, feeling like a thief in the night. I tiptoe around the room to pick up my scattered clothing.
Really, Chloe? This is what you're resorting to?
This brings back college memories, doing the walk of shame before sunrise after a terrible choice for a one night stand. Ugh!
But of course, as luck would have it, my toes get tangled with my thong straps and I fall forward, grabbing the nightstand to catch the fall.
Phew! That was close!
I'm playing right into the hands of the "clumsy " label... again . I’m beyond help at this point.
I finally get myself together. Now's my chance to make a run for it without being spotted by Daniel or Michelle. I head downstairs and carefully cross the hallway to the front door. Unfortunately, fate isn’t on my side today.
“Hey.” Daniel’s voice comes from somewhere behind me, and I jump out of my skin, my heart racing.
I spin around to see him standing by the kitchen doorway.
“Hey, I thought you had already left,” I say, fixing my hair.
“Please, you have to stay for breakfast.”
“No, I should get—”
“No buts.”
“I’m really not hungry, and I have to be somewhere.”
Daniel folds his arms and leans toward me with a smug smirk. “If you don’t stay for breakfast, you’re fired.”
My eyes widen in shock. “What?!”
“I’m kidding. Just hurry up and get in here already,” he snickers, walking away.
Jeez, can this man be any more infuriating?
The table is decked out like Thanksgiving came early. I see a stack of fluffy pancakes with syrup drizzled over them. Next to it, there’s a skillet of scrambled eggs and crispy bacon strips that could wake up the whole neighborhood with their sizzle. Not to mention, a bowl of fruit salad and a plate of freshly baked blueberry muffins.
It smells like heaven, and now I feel like a bear just out of hibernation.
“I couldn’t decide on what to make,” Daniel says as he settles down.
“Wait. You made all this?”
“Yep. I figured I’d cover all the bases.”
What the...? He definitely hit a home run with this spread, and I wolf down what my stomach can take. Daniel, thankfully, didn’t interrupt, although it felt uncomfortable having his eyes follow my every move.
I know he’s waiting to talk and chalk up last night to a classic blunder. But as he parts his lips, probably to start the ‘it was a mistake’ speech, I jump in.
“Let’s forget last night ever happened,” I say.
“What?”
“Let’s face the truth, Daniel. It was wrong on so many levels. You know how these things work. We talked about it last night. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed what we did, and I’m sure you did, too. But if you’re worried that I’ll get all mushy and romantic on you, don’t.”
Wow .
I never knew that the words coming out of my own mouth could hurt this much. And I totally underestimated how much my own heart would sink at the sound of them.
Daniel’s face drops as he leans back in his seat.
“This was simply something that happened in the heat of the moment as far as I’m concerned.”
“Really?” he asks.
“And you should be happy to hear that it won’t affect our office dynamics anymore either because I’m leaving.”
Daniel puts his head down. “You’re leaving?”
“I got a job offer from another company. I’ll be starting in just over a week.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Daniel’s eyes darken.
“Well, it’s not like we’re dating. You make it pretty clear that you’re just my boss all the time,” I retort. “We just work together.”
“And you think that excuses it? That I wouldn’t care?”
“I don’t want to complicate things,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady. “We were just… having fun, right? No strings attached.”
His laugh is bitter. “No strings? Do you really think I’m that detached?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “But I thought you’d understand.”
“All I see here is you running away.”
“It’s not running away,” I argue. “It’s moving forward. This job—it’s an opportunity I can’t pass up.”
“What about us?”
“There is no us .”
“And you get to decide that?”
“I do,” I say firmly. “Because I know what I want, and you don’t.”
Daniel studies me before asking, “And what’s that?”
“More,” I mutter under my breath, my voice tinged with frustration. “I want more than this. More than half-truths and constant uncertainty. I want a future that doesn’t involve me sneaking out of my boyfriend’s house at dawn. I want to be with someone who’s emotionally consistent, who doesn’t talk badly about me to his brother, and someone who recognizes what I bring to the table.”
Daniel doesn’t respond. He just watches me with stormy eyes. And then, unexpectedly, he nods. “Fine. Go.”
“Dan—”
“Save it,” Daniel interrupts. “You knew. You knew all along you were going to leave, didn’t you? That’s why you decided to be with me last night.”
“It wasn’t like that!”
“Then what was it like? Because from where I’m standing, it looks pretty cut and dried.”
“I wouldn’t have entertained another job if you weren’t always so hot and cold. I was with you because I wanted to be in that moment.”
“Convenient,” Daniel scoffs, and I can almost see his walls going back up, brick by brick.
“Everything got so complicated, and it was too much,” I change my tune. “I wasn’t looking for this. It just... happened .”
Daniel’s eyes pierce through me, and for a moment, I think I see a crack in his armor. But it’s gone as quickly as it appears, and he waves his hand. “Just go,” he says quietly.
I nod.
“See yourself out,” Daniel says walking out of the dining room. Or maybe out of my life forever.