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jenny
?. . .?
Walkinginto the rented kitchen space again was depressing, almost as depressing as going back to living in my tiny apartment, but both of those things weren’t nearly as bad as coming home the day after leaving Eaton’s to find all my product stacked back the way it was before my temporary stay at his house.
Now a whole week has passed, and I’m not only hurt, I’m pissed. He didn’t even fight for me. All that talk about soul mates and knowing I was the one for him the second he saw me was bullshit, and it pains me to admit that what he did hurt worse than any other breakup I’ve had. I dated Daniel for three years and didn’t even shed a tear. I dated Eaton for forty-eight hours and I’ve cried myself a river.
It takes three trips to get everything inside the kitchen. Even though he was only around to help me make the product once, I didn’t think I’d ever have to do it again at all, which made each trip more miserable than it was before. Putting my headphones on, I crank up my happy playlist and got to work, trying to trick my brain into thinking everything was okay.
After making the first batch of edible spunk, the music had almost done its job, and I decided dancing might push me over the edge into damn near joyful. As I measure out the ingredients for the body-safe lube, I shake my ass and really get into it. The heaviness in my heart doesn’t lift for even a second, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way I’ll move on is if I fake it until I make it.
I’m using a spoon as a microphone when I do a spin that has my dress swirling around me. In my periphery, I catch a glimpse of a man, and my heart falls to the floor, terror instantly flooding my bloodstream. I fist the metal spoon as I turn to face the intruder. The dark outline of a man standing just out of sight comes into focus, making my hands shake and my knees weak.
How could I forget to lock the back door? It’s usually the first thing I do, but I was lucky enough to snag a reservation in the middle of the day for once, and everyone knows bad guys only attack at night. Right? Someone better tell that fact to this stranger because he looks like he’s ready to pounce.
“Don’t come any closer. I’m armed,” I shout, seeing that my purse is on the table that’s closer to him than me and in it is my taser.
He doesn’t listen, and why would he? I’m armed with a spoon. He takes two steps into the harsh kitchen lighting, and the second I can make out his face, I breathe a sigh of relief that only lasts for two seconds before anger takes over.
“What the fuck are you doing, scaring me like that?” I point the spoon at him. “That was an asshole thing to do.”
“Sorry, Baby Cakes. I wasn’t hiding so I could scare you. I was hiding so I didn’t interrupt your dance party. Didn’t know you had moves like that,” Eaton says, his hands tucked in his pockets.
“How would you? You barely know me,” I grumble, turning back to my pot to hide the hurt expression on my face.
“That’s not true.” His voice is much louder now, telling me he’s moving closer. “I know a lot about you.”
“Which is probably why you dumped me.”
“I didn’t dump you.”
“Sure fooled me. Usually, when a man returns all your possessions, it means he’s done with you.”
“I only returned them because I knew you’d need them while I took some time to figure a few things out,” he says from right behind me. His hands settle on my hips, and I spin around, digging the spoon into his chest.
“You don’t get to touch me. Not after one simple warning from my ex not to hurt me had you running away with your tail between your legs.”
“That’s not what happened, and I’m hoping you’ll give me the chance to explain.”
It hurts to look into the whiskey eyes that fooled me into thinking this man was trustworthy. Clearly, he’s good at manipulation. “What’s there to explain?”
“A lot, actually.” He reaches over me and turns the burner off. “That looks about done. Why don’t we take a seat while it cools?”
“No, Eaton. I’m hurt, and listening to more lies will only make that hurt grow.”
“I never lied, Baby Cakes.”
“Don’t call me that,” I say, staring at the ground.
He tips my chin up. “Please just listen to what I have to say. If you don’t believe me or don’t like my explanation, then I’ll leave you alone forever.”
“Promise?”
He smirks. “Hell, no. I’ll continue to do whatever it takes until you forgive me. I wasn’t lying when I said you were the one for me and that we belong together, and until you believe it too, I’ll be at your side proving it.”
“That’s not okay, Eaton. No means no.”
His lips flatten to a straight line. “I’m joking. Mostly.”
