“Josh got the next promotion, too, and continued moving up over the next few years while I was stuck in that same position. He had the power to sway someone into promoting me, but he said he didn’t want to risk his job, and I understood. He was travelling constantly on the company’s dime and making a little more money, and the company had him driving a luxury vehicle. I didn’t blame him for wanting to keep that security.”
“One night, I had to stay late to finish something. Instead of texting him to let him know, I figured I’d stop by his office. I picked up food for both of us, since I always handled dinner. And breakfast. And lunch. When I reached his office, the door was open, and he was talking to one of our bosses.”
“They didn’t see me. Before I stepped inside, he said something specific about an idea I’d mentioned to him a few days earlier. I stopped and listened to him suggestmyidea, word for word, as if he had come up with it. I waited for him to give me credit, but instead I listened to him negotiate another promotion and a pay raise for himself.”
“Fucker,” Conner said, the words gravelly.
“Yeah. I had all of his passwords, so I went through his emails and realized it was far from the first time he’d used my ideas. And that he was getting paid a lot more than what he’d told me. We were splitting the bills fifty-fifty while he made more than ten times what I did. I texted him that I’d be home late, and when I went home to confront him earlier than I said I’d be back, he wasn’t there.”
Connor’s jaw clenched.
“Like a truly crazed girlfriend, I texted his sister to track his phone—he shared his location with her but not me—and found him at a luxury apartment that he owned. The door had the same code as our place, so I unlocked it, and found him in bed with a model.”
“Tell me you at least yelled at the bastard.”
I gave him a sad smile. “I left, ended things over text, packed my stuff, quit my job, and moved in with Emmy. She was taking a break from kindergarten at that point, so we lived like touristsfor a while. I found the young professor applications, and we moved here a few months later.”
“You never confronted him?”
“No. I just wanted it to be over. He used me and cheated on me, and I felt… worthless. I just needed to get out.”
“He better havebeggedyou to come back.”
“He did. Twice. He just wanted me to help him with work.”
“I hope you told him to fuck off.”
“Emmy did for me. I was busy crying on the couch, in a blanket nest.”
Connor dragged me into his arms and hugged me. The gesture caught me off guard, but not in an unpleasant way.
My arms were trapped between us, so I couldn’t hug him back as he held me.
“I’m sorry, Zoe.”
“It’s okay. I moved on. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was always doing everything for him, and he never did anything for me. Breaking it off was for the better. I was never really happy with him. I just thought that was what relationships were. After we broke up, Emmy and I started to joke that she was a better boyfriend than he was.”
“But you haven’t dated since then.”
“No. So I don’t know how to do healthy, happy relationships any better than you do. I’m not sure where that leaves us.”
Connor considered it. “I think it means that we just need to go for it. Try new things. Make it up as we go.”
“Connor, I amhorribleat making things up as I go.”
He chuckled. “Then we’ll make a plan.”
“Adatingplan?”
“Amatingplan. I’ve got to convince your wolf that I’m worth biting. I’d make the plan alone, but something tells me you want to be involved.”
“Something tells you correctly.”
“Alright. Do you want to brainstorm together, or do you want to sleep on it?”
“I’m fine either way.”
Connor pulled away and looked down at me, studying my face. “You’re lying to me.”
