Page 45 of Two For One

You can’t end this. I wrote. That's not fair. We should talk when O is here.

“Absolutely not,” she said, shaking her head vigorously. “The only reason you want O here is to command me to forget what I said, or force me to stay.”

When have we ever forced you? I've never heard you say no and if you're ending this then it should be with both of us.

My hand cramped from writing so fast. Xiomara pursed her lips as she read what I had written.

“I can’t do this, Ezra,” she said softly. “I’ve had a lot of fun but…you know this was just fun and that's all.”

I scowled, looking away from her, writing quickly.

So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?

“I don’t want to–” She shut her mouth quickly. “I don’t normally do relationships like this and I need to focus on my jobs and my abuelos.”

The lie permeated the air, and I wanted to call her a liar. Something happened that she wasn’t willing to tell me, but I wouldn’t let this go. Xiomara was as much mine as O was. They might act indifferently, but I saw right through it. They were mine, and I just needed them to realize it. I had let this thing go too long with O and it was time I put my foot down with both of them.

I’ve never been happier and felt at home till you. I’ll always think of you, even if you think this was just some measly fuck.

I showed her my pad, watching her read it with her lip in between her teeth, a small tremble in her lips showed me she wasn’t as unaffected as she was playing to be.

“It wasn’t some measly fuck,” she whispered.

I nodded, leaving my notepad with one last message. I hope we meet again.

Leaving her was so hard, each step I took I wanted to run back to her until I made her realize we were perfect, that this wasn’t temporary. I kept walking, fighting the urge to turn around, but I needed to let her sit with that for a moment. Once I finished following the senator, O and I would be having a long conversation, something that was long overdue.

I got into my car, powering up the laptop, seeing the encryption was broken and I had full access to the files. At least one thing had gone well. I sent Mars my win before I looked around for the senator's vehicle. Dammit, they had already left. I started the car, heading towards their hotel, it was the only other place he had been to and was probably on his way there.

The streets were quiet as I drove, until I noticed one car following me too closely. Whoever it was, they were horrible at following someone discreetly. I still had some pent-up anger I needed to get rid of, I could take the men in that car and maybe get some answers. Once this thing with Saint was done, I would have more time for Xiomara and O because they had suddenly become my priority.

15

Xiomara

SOMETHING IS FISHY IN CLIMAX, COLORADO.

My lip trembled the entire way I drove home. My heart ached with such loss that it felt like I had lost something that was a vital part of my life. Losing Ezra and O should not have felt like this. We had only met a few weeks ago. Sure, we had spent lots of time with each other, but not enough for me to feel this shitty about ending what we had. It was the best for all of us and I just couldn’t jeopardize my income. My abuelos relied on me and I couldn’t sacrifice their care.

The first tear slid down my cheek as I parked my car and another as I looked at the brand-new tires on my Beetle. A river of tears streamed down my face as I opened my door. My babies meowed, weaving in between my legs while I put my stuff on the counter. Something was seriously wrong if I was feeling this heartache over a few fucks and hangouts.

Things had always felt a little too good with them. This was for the best.

Was it?

I took my clothes off as I walked to my bedroom, heading straight for the shower. A nice hot as hell shower would make me feel better and knock some sense into me. This heartache was ridiculous and if I hadn’t just had my period, I would chalk it up to hormones.

The water was scalding as I stood in the shower, crying my eyes out, seeing Ezra’s crestfallen face over and over again. My chest tightened each time I thought about what was going to happen when Ezra told O; some crazy part of me hoped he would come over to fuck me and tell me it wasn’t over.

Goddess, I was more fucked up than I thought I was.

I took an everything shower, hoping that would make me feel better, but surprise…it didn’t. I was even more exhausted. Changing into the nicest pj’s I owned, I forced myself to blow dry my hair, so it wasn’t a frizzy mess when I woke up in the morning.

My phone rang just as I was about to start and I quickly answered it seeing my abuelas phone.

“Abuela, what's wrong?” I asked, bracing myself for horrible news.

“Are you ok, mija?” she asked.