Page 22 of The Editor’s Choice

I curse myself for not taking the time to better explain the sudden shift in my actions, but we were both drunk, though that’s just another excuse for my shitty behavior.

When I heard the candle hit the door as I walked away, I knew I had made the right choice. She isn’t ready for a shot at being with me. She can’t handle it right now, even if she fully believes she can. And I’m not entirely sure this is what she truly wants.

I decide it’s best to steer clear for a while, though my thoughts are drawn back to her throughout the night, keeping me restless. When the sun starts to rise, I slip my shoes back on and head out for some supplies, picking up some sunflowers and roses, as well as a crystal vase, in lieu of an actual verbal apology.

Knocking softly, I wait for a response. When there isn’t one, I try the handle, finding it unlocked. I’ll have to remember to chastise her about that when she’s in a better mood and doesn’t hate me quite so much, I think.

Letting myself in, I hear and feel the crunch of glass against the tiled floor. Sighing in frustration, I head for the kitchen, placing the vase on the counter before finding a broom and garbage can. As I bend to start sweeping the broken glass, all I can picture are the shards her heart must be in with everything she’s been handling lately.

There’s a heaviness in the pit of my stomach when I think about how she’s hurting right now, desperate for a way to ease that pain, even for a moment. And I royally fucked it up last night.

All my recently discovered feelings for her bubble to the surface, causing the backs of my eyes to sting with unshed tears. I’m equal parts frustrated and devastated that I ruined things with her last night, seeing as I knew damn near instantly that she was it for me.

Instead of rushing to her, waking her, and trying to explain my side and why I said what I did, I clean the apartment, putting things back in place to keep her from doing it while nursing the nasty hangover she’s about to endure.

I tread lightly into her bedroom, finding her passed out on the bed, still uncovered, with a bottle of wine in her hand, phone on the floor. Plugging her phone into the charger, I place the vase on the nightstand before walking to the other side of the room and closing the curtains tight. It’s barely morning, but the sun will be peeking through them in no time, no doubt waking her earlier than she needs.

I gently take the wine bottle before heading to the kitchen to place it back in the fridge. I can’t find the screw on cap to save my life, but maybe she will find it when she finally wakes up.

I’m halfway to the door before I turn around and head back into the apartment. I find a piece of paper and pen in the kitchen, next to her laptop. I scrawl out a quick apology note before placing it next to the vase in her bedroom.

“Ball is in your court, sunshine,” I say quietly before slipping out of the bedroom, then out the front door and back to my apartment.

My phone buzzes in my pocket as I step back through the apartment door. A sinking feeling hits my stomach, the dread knocking the breath out of me. Opening the screen, I see what I’ve been trying to avoid has caught up with me.

Update. Now.

I stare at the message as my stomach churns and my heartrate picks up. James is not a man you want to cross, and I’ve been avoiding him since I saw Jade in the gym that day. I knew the time would come, but I was hoping to put it off a little longer.

There’s been a slight issue. Assessing the situation currently.

I shoot off the text, lock the phone, and shut my eyes tight, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my thumb and first finger. Fuck. This isn’t good.

Within seconds, the burner is vibrating in my hand. I hold my breath for a few seconds before quickly exhaling, trying to alleviate some of the stress before I get my ass handed to me.

“Yes?” I answer, trying to keep the annoyance and frustration out of my voice.

“What do you mean ‘there’s been an issue’, Roman?” James questions, getting straight to the point. He’s never been a ‘how’s the weather’ kinda guy. Small talk just isn’t his cup of tea, and I respect that, as the feeling is mutual.

“Exactly what I said. There’s been an issue. I’m assessing the situation and deciding how to proceed from here,” I reiterate, enunciating the words carefully.

“I can read, Roman. What kind of issue are we talking about here? Like a you can’t find her issue? Or she doesn’t have plans for repayment issue?” he continues, not flustered by my response.

“More like a she’s dead issue,” I say, waiting for the information to sink in. The line is dead for several seconds. Long enough that I wonder if he’s even still on the call or halfway here to take me out for not telling him the second I found out.

“She’s dead? Well, that’s just wonderful,” he responds sarcastically. “What happened to her?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. The police aren’t doing shit to figure it out, so I’ve been doing some digging on my own. I wanted to know if someone else put out of a hit on her for a debt or if this was something else entirely.”

“Keep me posted. Drop off the face of this earth again, and I’ll find you. When I do, it’s not going to be a good day for you,” he states, hanging up the call before I get a chance to respond.

I send a text to Sara, letting her know I’m going to need an update soon. She’s been consistent with keeping me in the loop so far, but I feel like this has gotten a bit out of hand with the text and call from James. I need to get this figured out quick and decide how to continue before he makes that decision for me.

I wasn’t planning on getting caught up in Jade when I took this assignment. This is the last thing I saw coming, but maybe our disagreement last night was for the best and should’ve been left at that. At least that would have kept her out of this and safe.

I had been going to that gym since I moved to town, but the fact that Jade also worked out there made my assignment that much easier since I needed to keep tabs on her. Literally a stalker, but it’s my job. I haven’t had an assignment in a couple years, so I took this one serious when it came down the line. I was hesitant to take it at first, seeing as I told him I was done with this life, but it came from James himself, as a personal favor.

He had pulled me into his dimly lit office. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen him face to face. Before I could even get a good look at his face, I could feel the energy. Powerful. Masculine. Dominating. As my eyes fell across his face, tiny white scars and all, I felt my breath catch inside my chest. His dark eyes and hair were breathtaking, but not in a particularly good way. Like they weren’t meant to be that quite that dark, that haunting. When he spoke, I was taken aback, shocked by the tone and emotion in his voice.