Still, knowing all this, I couldn’t stop myself from going on Stanton’s Instagram again, staring at the new pictures Chris and his twink boyfriend had posted. This time they were at some beach in California, smiling happily at the camera with their arms around each other, as though they’d been in love for years. My heart ached as I slammed the laptop closed and leaned back in my chair.
I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. Brandt was right, and I needed to accept that Chris and I were over. I couldn’t keep torturing myself by obsessing over his boyfriend’s social media posts.
It was done.
Finished.
Sighing, I rose, grabbed my computer, and shoved it into my messenger bag, then slipped the strap over my shoulder. I headed out, making sure to lock the office door. I passed a couple of students who I was sure had to be in my classes because they smiled and said hello, and I answered them with a grin of my own and a nod. Once I’d cleared the rambling gray-stone building that housed the law school’s teaching staff, I stopped to take a deep breath of the late-summer air. The trees hadn’t turned yet and the leaves were green and vibrant. The world looked so much happier than I felt.
Shaking my head, I set off at a steady pace across an expanse of grass that sloped down a small hill toward the parking lot, taking my time to enjoy the walk. It wasn’t often I got outside because of my work, but I always tried to run during the daylight hours when I could—since the breakup I hadn’t run outside once. I wanted to change that. The gym was okay, but there was something about running while watching the sun rise.
Pulling the strap of my bag farther up on my shoulder, I picked up speed as I neared the parking lot. My beat-up white Toyota Corolla I’d bought secondhand after Chris left sat in the farthest corner, but that was out of habit. I used to drive Chris’s new Audi and he’d loved her, so I made sure to park her in a place someone was least likely to hit her. Now I felt like a complete tool for still parking in the same spot. It wouldn’t matter if someone hit the Toyota—it was already filled with dents.
“Flynn!” A familiar voice had me turning around and freezing at the sight of the man it belonged to. I hadn’t seen him since before the breakup and never expected to again because Corey was Chris’s friend, not mine. But here he was striding across the law school lawn with a wide grin and a wave, in the brown leather jacket he always wore to ride his motorcycle. “Hey!”
I blinked, my grip tightening on the strap on my shoulder. “Corey. What are you... doing here?”
Corey was an investor, whatever that meant, and had no reason to visit me. I hated how my chest felt lighter at the sight of him. He’d been my friend, too, even if he and Chris had met first. The dimples in his cheeks warmed my heart as he stopped in front of me. “I came to see you.”
“Why?” I blurted out, inwardly cringing. It didn’t matter why because he was here.
“Why not?” Corey grinned. He’d always been the guy in our group to make everyone laugh. He got pleasure out of happiness and I liked that about him. “I wanted to check in.”
“You could’ve called.” I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Let’s start again like my big mouth didn’t ruin the moment.”
His smile grew wider and he nudged my arm with his fist. “Still the old you. Good.”
I didn’t feel like the same man, but I nodded anyway because it was nice to see him. “I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me. You and Chris were friends before I existed in his life.”
He grunted and shook his head, crossing his arms over his wide chest. He reminded me of Chris in a lot of ways, with the same intelligence and popularity. Corey was charismatic, but unlike Chris, who settled down with me, Corey was a playboy—he slept around and enjoyed a new man every night. Chris had always said that Corey would be young for the rest of his life, and I’d wondered if Corey’s bed-hopping was what made Chris leave me. Did jealousy of Corey’s freedom finally make him cheat?
“You have to know that I don’t agree with what Chris did. I’m not a fan of this new guy because he only wants Chris’s money. You and he were for real.”
“No, we weren’t.” I laughed pitifully as my gut lurched. The sadness I’d tried to keep inside welled in my eyes in the form of tears, but I held them back. I wasn’t going to cry again. I’d already cried too much for him. “I hope you’re not here to try to get us back together because it isn’t going to happen.”
“Nah. Fuck that.” He let his arms fall to his sides, digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans. The stare he gave me sent a shiver down my spine. It held an intensity I’d never seen in his gaze in the past. “He doesn’t deserve you.”
I stared back at him, not quite sure what to say. It sounded almost as if he was flirting with me, but that couldn’t be possible.... “How is he?”
Corey shrugged one shoulder. “Living his best life, or so he thinks. This kid he’s hooking up with is spending like it’s the end of the world. A fool and his money are soon parted.”
I snorted. That didn’t surprise me, but I couldn’t feel bad for him, either. He’d hurt me too much and a vengeful part of me wanted him to feel the same pain. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Corey quirked his charming smile at me and cocked his head. “No, you’re not, and neither am I. Don’t take him back, even if he comes crawling on his hands and knees.”
“I have no plans to.” I’d already imagined him asking for my forgiveness and the no I’d give him; it’d been a fantasy since the moment he walked out of our house with his possessions.
Corey straightened and stepped in closer to me, his smile turning liquid warm. An alarm went off in my head, a reminder that this man in front of me was Chris’s friend. This unnecessary attention could be a cruel joke. There was also the worst fact to consider—he only ever had one-night stands. Regardless of what I’d done with Judge, I had no plans for a relationship that was only sex. “Maybe we could have dinner tonight? Catch up.”
I laughed nervously and ran my hand over my head, fingernails scraping through the short hair to my scalp.
“Ugh-oh, that isn’t a good sign.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“What do you mean?” I asked, dropping my hand.
“You only run your fingers through your hair when you’re trying to find a polite way to say no.” He pitched forward a little so the top half of his body was closer to me. “Don’t say no, Flynn. We can have a fantastic time. Chris won’t need to know.”
My stomach fell to my toes. “I don’t think—”
