Things We Never Planned

CHAPTER TWO:The Aftermath

LIAM

I was still seething when I dropped her off. She clearly didn't know who I was. That was why she dared to speak to me the way she did.

I hated it when people made assumptions about me, especially people like her. I know her type well. They look down on rich people because they believe that we have everything handed to us. That was a lie. I worked my ass off to have everything I have right now, and I was not going to let anybody belittle my efforts—even if she was the prettiest thing I'd ever laid my eyes on.

I didn't do one-night stands. It was a principle. I slept with a lot of women, but I always liked to know a bit about the women I brought to my bed—well, hotel rooms. This was the first time I'd ever let a woman into my bed and now I regret it.

The night before when she was drunk, she seemed so much cooler. She was saying everything that came to her mind without holding back and that was what drew me to her.

I shook my head to get her out of it. I needed to forget her. She was a mistake that had already happened, and I needed to forget about it.

“Why do you look like you're about to punch the wall?” My best friend, Caleb, said when I walked into my office.

I threw my briefcase on the chair before sitting next to it.

“Why are you in my office so early this morning?”

“I just got into town, I missed you—don't think I didn't notice you avoided my question.”

“Yeah, and I'm not going to answer it. How was your trip back?”

“You will. It wasn't bad. Vegas was awesome—as usual.”

I grinned. “I don't even want to know what you did there. The new casino doing good?"

“Oh, man, it's awesome. We are pulling in a lot of customers. That was a very good idea on your part.”

I shrugged. “I've never had a bad idea.”

He rolled his eyes. “I have so many examples to prove you wrong.”

“Oh, please. Don't you have work to do?”

“Yes, but first of all I want to hear all about your first one-night stand.”

My eyes widened. “How did you—”

“Kaid texted me the very second you left his apartment with her.”

I groaned. I should have known that gossip wouldn't keep his mouth shut. “There's nothing to it. We had s*x and that was it.”

“Don't make it sound like it's not a big deal! You've never had a one-night stand before, there has to be something different about this one.”

And there was. The girl whose name I didn't know intrigued me from the moment I laid eyes on her and even though she pissed me off, I still found myself attracted to her in a way I had never been attracted to any woman before.

“Well, there's a first time for everything. Nothing special about her.”

Caleb grabbed his coffee and got up and headed towards the door. “Liam, I've known you since we were three years old. I know when you're lying to me,” he said with a stupid grin on his face and walked out before I could respond.

***

RACHEL

“Where the f**k have you been?” Liza said the moment I walked into our apartment.

“To hell and now I'm back.”

“I was so worried about you. I've been trying to call you all morning.”

“I uhm… lost my phone.” I lied—well, technically it wasn't a lie. I didn't have a phone anymore.

“You lost your phone? Where? How?”

“Can we hold on with the third degree? I need food in me.”

Liza glared at me and looked like she was about to say something else, but stopped herself. She walked over to the kitchen and put some eggs and toasted bread on a plate and handed it to me.

“I love you,” I said as I began to wolf down my meal.

“Sweet talk won't work with me. I'm still waiting for an explanation.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, I left the party with a stranger. Don't ask me what happened, I don't remember. He is fine as hell, he's an asshole, and he dropped me off and we both swore never to speak to each other again. P.s I'm never listening to you again.”

She was quiet as I spoke, but then she burst into a fit of laughter. “You had a one night stand?”

“Why's that so funny? People do it all the time.”

“Yeah, people… you're not people Rach.”

“Well, maybe I've decided to change.”

Liza scoffed. “You'll never do a thing like this again, if I know you very well—and I do.”

“You're right. I have to go see my dad, then I have work and I have to prepare my interview questions for Mr. Stone… shoot me now,” I said.

“When's it?”

“Tomorrow.”

“You'll nail it. I have to get to class now.”

“Bye.” I waved her off and walked into my room.

I'd worked for months to get an interview with Mr. Stone. He was the schools’ biggest and most mysterious donor. Nobody knew who he was, but he gave out scholarships to over a thousand students every year—mostly international students from Africa. Everybody looked at him like he was a Saint and finally, I would get the opportunity to give his voice to the students. I was very excited about it.

As I stepped into the shower, thoughts of a grey-eyed British devil invaded my thoughts against my will. His words were now ringing in my ear: “You don't know me." Why did that statement bother me so much? Why did I feel bad for judging him without knowing him?

I pushed the thoughts and the guilt away. It's not my fault he's an asshole. I didn't do anything wrong. If anything he should be the one to apologize to me.

I groaned. Justifying it didn't make me feel better. If anything, I only felt worse.