He picks up the pace.
The third level is completely empty. All doors are closed. There is no one up here. I scan the hallway, quickly running out of ideas. Panting, I dart to the restroom and jerk the door open.
I only meet silence.
I toss the clutch on the vanity top, prop my hands on the sink, and bend forward. I take a few long breaths, trying to calm my heart and make the wheezing cease.
The door bursts open with a loud bang when he steps in.
* * *
I shoota side-eyed glance at his shoes.
“Get the fuck out,” I growl in a low, menacing voice.
He takes a step forward.
I straighten and face him, but I can’t focus on his features, and I can’t look into his eyes.
“Get the fuck out, Jaden,” I say, my teeth grinding.
He shoves his hands into his pockets.
“Let’s talk,” he says in a commanding voice.
My eyes rove over his features and his unbuttoned neckline.
I never thought it would hurt me so much to see his face again.
“I don’t want to talk, Jaden. There’s nothing to talk about, and I don’t need a slideshow to understand. One glimpse was enough. Now get the hell out.”
He takes another step closer.
I jerk out of my paralysis, and the first thing I lay my hands on––a bottle of soap––becomes airborne, heading in his direction.
He ducks out of the way of it, the soap splashing all over the wall. He shoots his hands up.
“We only talk, for fuck’s sake,” he barks, his eyes pulling into a tight line.
My eyes roam over him, floating over his shoulders as I fight the pain gripping my chest. I whip my gaze to the side, snatch my clutch and take a couple of steps back.
“I don’t need your fucking pep talk, Jaden,” I say, barely keeping my voice under control. “There’s nothing we can talk about. I know who you are. I see who you are. I understand who you’ve become. You’ve planned it all along, haven’t you? You knew what you were aiming for, and I was the perfect step for you on your way up. A means to an end.”
I pause and breathe out a sarcastic chuckle.
His eyes stay on me, unreadable.
“You had no problem using me. I bet you haven’t had the slightest remorse. The poor, rich girl can take another punch. She’s strong. She’s made it so far. She knows the game. The risks. If nothing else, she understands loss. She will be fine. I bet that’s what you thought. I was your way out, or should I say your way in. Some incidental collateral damage. Some chick you fucked for fun, who also served a purpose. So fucking what? Right?”
Blades of steel lash at me from between his lashes.
His hands are still tucked in his pockets, his broad chest not moving beneath his crisp, white shirt.
I wonder if he’s breathing.
“You have no fucking heart, Jaden,” I say in a different voice.
No longer angry and no longer fuming.