left…” My apartment was empty of her things. She was really gone.
“We’ll figure out how to convince her,” Johnny said. “We will.”
“How?” I wiped my tears away. “I have nothing to prove my innocence.”
“Zahara,” Ian said. “You could ask her to tell Hazel the truth.”
I laughed despite my broken heart. “After she screwed me over, you really think she’s going to make it right? I don’t think so. This is exactly what she wanted. But if she thinks she’s getting anything out of me, she’s sadly mistaken.”
“Maybe we can wait a few days then try to talk to her friends,” Johnny said suggested.
“If I show up at Ryan’s place, he’ll kill me.”
“What about Cortland?” Ian asked. “If anyone will listen to you, it’s him.”
“No,” I said immediately. “He’ll rip me apart before I can get a word in. And he’s taking care of something else right now. I can’t bother him.”
My friends sat on the floor on either side of me.
“We’ll get her back,” Johnny said. “I promise. We’re with you in this.”
That should make me feel better, but it didn’t.
When I went to work a few days later, I was hoping Hazel would be there. I needed to talk to her. I’d do it as many times as it took to get her back. Even though we’d been apart for a short while, her absence was unbearable. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t do anything.
“Where’s Hazel?” I asked the choreographer without saying hi. I noticed a new girl had taken her place. I wasn’t sure why.
She looked at me with a stern expression but didn’t snap at me for my rudeness. I knew that was because I was the assistant director. If I were anyone else, she’d chew me out. “She quit.”
“What?” My voice came out louder than it should. “When?”
“Yesterday. She submitted her resignation and contract breach.” She walked away and started the next set.
My head was spinning. She actually quit her job, something she loved. Because of me. I didn’t even do anything wrong. God, everything was so fucked up. What the hell do I do?
After work, I cal led her but she didn’t answer. I left her three voicemails before I finally gave up. She would never return any of my phone calls. I’m surprised her phone was even on.
I went to Ryan’s apartment even though I knew he would punch me hard in the face. I wasn’t going to give up. That wasn’t an option. Hazel was the best thing that ever happened to me. I couldn’t lose her.
I knocked on the door and waited.
Janice opened it. “Flynn?”
“Please let me talk to her.” I sounded so desperate, even to me.
Her eyes burned in hatred. “I should kick your ass right now.”
I knew she meant it. “I didn’t cheat on her! I swear on my life I didn’t. My ex-girlfriend set me up. Please let me talk to her.”
“She’s not here.”
“Where is she?”
“Work.”
Work? “Where does she work?”
“Sean gave her a job at the company.”
So, Hazel was serious. Her dance career was over—because of me. “Is she still staying here?”
She gave me a hard stare. “I suggest you don’t come back here. If you do, I’ll slap you so hard it’ll make Ryan’s punches feel like the wind.” The threat was in her gaze. “And you better leave before he gets home. Honestly, I think he might kill you.”
“I don’t care,” I said honestly. “Do whatever you want to me. I didn’t do anything wrong and Hazel is supposed to be with me. You think physical pain affects me at all? There’s nothing you can do to make me feel worse than I already do.”
She held her gaze for a moment, but her eyes started to soften.
“As long as she’s here, you should expect to see me often.”
“Then you should expect two black eyes.”
“When will she be home?”
“I’m not telling you anything.” She shut the door in my face.
I sighed then gripped my head. What the hell do I do?
I walked to Sean and Mike’s company a few
“We’ll figure out how to convince her,” Johnny said. “We will.”
“How?” I wiped my tears away. “I have nothing to prove my innocence.”
“Zahara,” Ian said. “You could ask her to tell Hazel the truth.”
I laughed despite my broken heart. “After she screwed me over, you really think she’s going to make it right? I don’t think so. This is exactly what she wanted. But if she thinks she’s getting anything out of me, she’s sadly mistaken.”
“Maybe we can wait a few days then try to talk to her friends,” Johnny said suggested.
“If I show up at Ryan’s place, he’ll kill me.”
“What about Cortland?” Ian asked. “If anyone will listen to you, it’s him.”
“No,” I said immediately. “He’ll rip me apart before I can get a word in. And he’s taking care of something else right now. I can’t bother him.”
My friends sat on the floor on either side of me.
“We’ll get her back,” Johnny said. “I promise. We’re with you in this.”
That should make me feel better, but it didn’t.
When I went to work a few days later, I was hoping Hazel would be there. I needed to talk to her. I’d do it as many times as it took to get her back. Even though we’d been apart for a short while, her absence was unbearable. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t do anything.
“Where’s Hazel?” I asked the choreographer without saying hi. I noticed a new girl had taken her place. I wasn’t sure why.
She looked at me with a stern expression but didn’t snap at me for my rudeness. I knew that was because I was the assistant director. If I were anyone else, she’d chew me out. “She quit.”
“What?” My voice came out louder than it should. “When?”
“Yesterday. She submitted her resignation and contract breach.” She walked away and started the next set.
My head was spinning. She actually quit her job, something she loved. Because of me. I didn’t even do anything wrong. God, everything was so fucked up. What the hell do I do?
After work, I cal led her but she didn’t answer. I left her three voicemails before I finally gave up. She would never return any of my phone calls. I’m surprised her phone was even on.
I went to Ryan’s apartment even though I knew he would punch me hard in the face. I wasn’t going to give up. That wasn’t an option. Hazel was the best thing that ever happened to me. I couldn’t lose her.
I knocked on the door and waited.
Janice opened it. “Flynn?”
“Please let me talk to her.” I sounded so desperate, even to me.
Her eyes burned in hatred. “I should kick your ass right now.”
I knew she meant it. “I didn’t cheat on her! I swear on my life I didn’t. My ex-girlfriend set me up. Please let me talk to her.”
“She’s not here.”
“Where is she?”
“Work.”
Work? “Where does she work?”
“Sean gave her a job at the company.”
So, Hazel was serious. Her dance career was over—because of me. “Is she still staying here?”
She gave me a hard stare. “I suggest you don’t come back here. If you do, I’ll slap you so hard it’ll make Ryan’s punches feel like the wind.” The threat was in her gaze. “And you better leave before he gets home. Honestly, I think he might kill you.”
“I don’t care,” I said honestly. “Do whatever you want to me. I didn’t do anything wrong and Hazel is supposed to be with me. You think physical pain affects me at all? There’s nothing you can do to make me feel worse than I already do.”
She held her gaze for a moment, but her eyes started to soften.
“As long as she’s here, you should expect to see me often.”
“Then you should expect two black eyes.”
“When will she be home?”
“I’m not telling you anything.” She shut the door in my face.
I sighed then gripped my head. What the hell do I do?
I walked to Sean and Mike’s company a few
Similar Books
