I sigh, pressing the phone against my ear as I pace toward the window. “Hi to you to, Daniel . And yeah, sorry, I was a little busy—like sleeping off the headache you basically gave me.” I exaggerate.
He scoffs. “Sleeping? That what we’re calling it? You left with that guy, Jainey. You act like I don’t know what happens after you’ve been drinking.”
“You know… you’re cute when you get possessive, but let’s not start acting like this is something it’s never been.”
There’s a pause. I can hear him exhale, that heavy kind of sigh that means he’s trying not to snap. “So, you’re trying to tell me you didn’t stay with him?”
I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. “Oh my God, Daniel. Relax. I’m home. See? Perfectly alive and well—not chained in anyone’s basement or in his house. You can stop with all the questions now.”
“Jainey—”
“Daniel,” I cut him off. “If you’re that jealous, you can come see me later, okay? We’ll talk. Or yell. Whatever helps you close those pretty blue eyes at night.”
He hesitates, voice lowering. “Later doesn’t work for me. I’m already heading over.”
Of course he is.
I stare at the phone, blinking once before letting out a dry laugh. “Shocker,” I mutter.
“I just want to see you,” he pleads, but I can hear the edge hiding underneath.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you do.” I hang up before he can say anything else, tossing the phone onto the bed with a sigh. He just wants to see if I’ll change my mind, but he has another thing coming if he thinks he’ll be the one to change it.
He’ll be here in twenty minutes, tops—no matter where he’s coming from. That’s just how he is. Persistent and predictable.
I glance at my reflection and groan. “Perfect,” I mumble to myself. Let’s see how bad I can make this day go before it’s even starts.
? ??
By the time the knock hits my door, it’s only been seventeen minutes. I roll my eyes, tossing the towel I’ve been using to dry my hair onto the bed. “Punctual as ever,” I mumble as I grab a loose tank top from the drawer, tug it over my head, and glance at myself again.
I don’t look as bad as I feel—but close enough. No point pretending otherwise.
Another knock, louder this time. Yup, it’s definitely Daniel.
“Yeah, yeah, hold on,” I call out, dragging my feet down the hall, already bracing myself for whatever version of him is waiting on the other side.
I open the door, and his blond hair is perfect as always, his blue eyes sharp but edged with exhaustion. Hisposture is tight, broadcasting frustration, yet there’s something softer buried under it—something he’s trying, but failing, to hide.
Is he… really sad right now?
“Wow,” I say, leaning against the doorframe. “Can’t even give me time to put on my apology outfit.”
He doesn’t smile—not even a twitch. “You could’ve called me last night.”
“I could’ve,” I say, sighing. “But I didn’t. I was tired. And honestly, I didn’t even know what I’d say.”
His jaw flexes, the muscle jumping hard, and he crosses his arms tight across his chest. “You walked out with that dude. At my parents’ house Jainey. You have any idea how that looked on me?”
“Yeah, I know exactly how it looked,” I reply, keeping my voice calm but firm. “And I’m not proud of it. But let’s not act like we didn’t have our own mess before last night.”
He tilts his head, eyes narrowing with that sharp mix of hurt and ego. “Our own mess? You mean when you ghosted me for weeks?”
I cross my arms too, mirroring him without meaning too. “Yeah. That mess.”
“Why, Jainey?” He asks, and his voice cracks just slightly—not enough for him to notice, but enough for me to hear it. “What did I do that was so bad you couldn’t even answer a damn text, let alone see me anymore?”
I look down, picking at a chipped edge of my nail, grounding myself before meeting his eyes again. “You literally told me you loved me,” I say, not bothering to soften it. “During sex, Daniel. That’s not exactly light conversation material.”
