“Clean up this mess, email Foxy, and maybe watch some movies and read some fucking books.”
Noah crosses his arms. “You should call him.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No, not after what I did. I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear from me.”
“I mean, hedoesowe you forty-grand. Forty grand is a lot of money…”
“And you’re the one who told me I don’t have to take it, remember?” I bite.
Noah purses his lips. “I know, I’m just saying… you wouldn’t let a random client off the hook like that, so you shouldn’t let Mr. Millionaire off the hook, either.”
I roll my eyes. “He’s not a random client, Noah. He’s—”
“I know. Mr. Perfect.” Noah relents. “Still, I think you should at least tell him how you feel.”
“What good would that do at this point? I’ve already cost him the job he wanted, and ruined his entire vacation. The jig is up. There’s nothing else I could possibly say to fix this. I’ll just have to chalk it up to experience and never take a private gig again.” I narrow my gaze at him. “And never listen toyouagain where clients are concerned.”
Noah dismisses me with a wave.
“Seriously, I appreciate you wanting to stay and help, but—”
I set my coffee down on the coffee table as I try to collect the books and games and organize them into piles. Looks like Noah’s been on quite the reading binge while I was gone.
Though I’m surprised most of the titles seem to be of the gay romance or reverse harem genre. I don’t judge, but I can sayI never thought I’d seen the day he read a book of mine, let alone some of the dirtiest ones I have. Seriously, Ariel Dawn’sMonsters of Ashwoodand Beatrix Hollow’sHide & Seekare not exactly what I’d recommend for a newbie dipping their toe in romance, but I guess some people like to jump in head first.
“I think the best thing for me is to get things as back to normal as I possibly can.”
So that I canforgetabout Mr. Perfect and the happiest week of my life. Well, most of the week, anyway…
I shoo him towards the door. “I’ll call you if I need you.”
Noah sighs in defeat once more. “Fine. But if I don’t hear from you by, like, two, I’m stopping over unannounced to do a welfare check.”
“Fine.” I practically shove him out the door, shutting it as he keeps going on about texting him, all too glad to get him out of my space.
I spend most of my morning cleaning up and organizing my space to resemblemyspace once more, while I let Netflix run through a bunch of movies, just because listening to Taylor right now feels too depressing, because it reminds me ofhim.
It also doesn’t help that I can’t open TikTok on my phone without seeing that Taylor Swift trend Lola and I did, which makes me think of her. It even came across my feed last night when I was doomscrolling, and I had to scroll past it without a like because you can hear Aaron open the door, and the reminder is too much for my damn heart at the moment.
I know it was a job, and I rationed I could handle it, but clearly I couldn’t. I let myself fall for Aaron and his perfect world. His family. The hot summer nights. The look in his eyes when he asked if I would have chosen him if he were just a regular guy.
I think I would have chosen him in any genre, in any reality.
Because Aaron Everett is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. He’s hot as fuck, he’s witty, successfull and ambitious and he’sgot a wicked sense of humor. He knows how to push my buttons, how to light up the parts of me I forgot existed. He knows how to push me, but also how to hold me.
How to give me what I need without asking. And he knows how to make me beg for it, too.
How does one justforgetsomeone like that? I may be the professional, but Aaron… Aaron was the perfect man all around. It was like he was made from my literal wildest dreams and every wish I’ve ever made.
I suspect I’ll never really be able to forget him. Which is why I have to do the best I can to get back to mynormallife.
But what is my normal life? Going through the days alone on my couch, reading about happily ever afters and binging nachos while I dance alone in the refrigerator light? Hopping from date to date until I become so busy I don’t have time to think or breathe?
Before last week, I was fine with all of that, but now…
Now I’m not sure what I want except to just get through this damn day without thinking about Aaron Everett and how I fucked up.
I should have never said yes to his offer. I should have never let him fuck me. And I should never have told him that I loved him…
