Chapter Twenty-Nine
Noah
After Eva hadn’t responded to any of my attempts to get a hold of her and make this right, my decision is simple. I fought all I could for us and can’t fight anymore. I poured my heart out for reasons even I don’t understand, and she has dissed me repeatedly. Yet, like a sick glutton for punishment, I still come back for more.
When Monday rolls around, I drive to work feeling worse than I could have imagined. Having drunk myself to hell all weekend, I’m forced to face the fact that our love is gone. No one has ever treated me with such disrespect, except for one person— and I erased her from my life.
A sick feeling comes over me when I realize I’m going to have to do the same with the only woman I have never wanted to live without.
Deciding to stay and move closer to be with Eva is turning out to be the biggest mistake of my life.
Rex and Michael are in the office, and after some very awkward moments, we seem good, and silently agree to forget what happened and move on. After lunch, I busy myself with work, and it isn’t long before I thankfully lose my train of thought, and become preoccupied with all I have to get done today.
“Excuse me, do you come here often?” comes a playful voice from behind me.
I don’t have to turn and look to know who it is. My heart already breaks hearing her voice. I pause my work for a moment but then quickly continue the task.
She walks up to my side and leans against the table I have my plans spread across—plans I was trying so hard to fix and make sense of before she walked in smelling of regret.
“What, you’re not talking to me now?” she asks.
Sadness hangs in her voice and I hate myself for putting it there. I want to grab her and kiss her, long and hard, until we both can’t think or feel anything but the way things should be between us. Until carnal need takes over and we have to restrain ourselves from taking it further on the workbench in front of me. Just like we used to.
In the past.
Fuck, how did she already become my past when just last week she was the only future I would ever need?
But I don’t touch her. I don’t take her in my arms like I crave.
“I don’t think we have very much to say to one another,” I tell her, still not looking up from my work.
“Come on, Noah, you know that is not true,” Eva whispers, then slides closer.
When I don’t respond, she says, “I want to talk to you about something … something I hope you’ll be happy about.”
“Oh, so now you want to talk? Seems to me like Friday night all I could get out of you was a cold shoulder.”
Moving to the other side of the table, I try to put some distance between us.
“That’s not fair and you know it,” she whispers sadly.
I push back from the table and stare into her eyes. God, she’s gorgeous, her makeup is fresh and perfect, her hair is slipped back in a low ponytail. She’s dressed in a black blouse and a pinstripe pencil skirt that hugs her waist and ass perfectly.
But no matter how good she looks, or how good she smells, or how much I know no other woman will ever compare to her— to this, I have to stand my ground. I might need to make her my past, but if there is even the smallest hope for a future, she needs to listen and hear me out.
“Really, Eva? I’m sorry. Yes, please tell me how I can help you? What is so urgent that now you find the need to want to speak to me even though my endless attempts for your attention over the last few days repeatedly were ignored,” I yell.
Eva backs up. I’ve hurt her, I know it. But she’s hurt me too, and I need her to know that. No more fucking games.
“I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I was just trying to figure some things out,” she explains, shakily.
“Well …” I laugh. “I’m glad you figured out whatever it was. Now excuse me, I’m trying to work.”
I look back down at the plans and hope she gets the hint and leaves me alone. I can’t say goodbye to her, not like this. Whatever she figured out, good. I’m happy for her. But I’m extracting myself from the situation like I should have months ago.
“I came to tell you that it looks like I might have a job offer,” Eva says harshly. “In LA. They want to meet with me on Thursday.”
Shocked, and extremely pissed, my eyes widen as I look back up at her. She’s leaving? How long has she known about this? Is this what her drunken night was about? Is this why she continued giving me the cold shoulder at the party and all the days that have followed? Is this what her lame, what if I can’t promise you forever, was all about?
