CHAPTER 12
1251 Words
LILA'S POV
The rest of the workday passes in a blur of filing, answering emails, and pretending I didn't just get f****d on my boss's desk while finding out he wants me to be his fake contract mate for a year.
And this is only day two at Meridian Enterprises.
I keep my head down, avoiding Wade's office as much as possible. Every time I hear his door open, my heart jumps, and I busy myself with whatever's in front of me.
Mr. Richard stops by my desk twice to drop off documents, giving me these weird looks like he knows something happened, but he doesn't say anything.
Thank Goddess for small mercies.
By four-thirty, my brain is fried. I've read the same email about quarterly projections five times and still have no idea what it says. All I can think about is Wade's proposition.
‘Lila… I need you to be my mate. My fake mate. For a year.’
The words keep replaying in my head like a broken record.
As soon as five o’clock hits, I grab my purse and practically sprint to the elevator, desperate to get out of this building and clear my head. The moment I'm in Liam's car, I pull out my phone and call Brooke.
She answers on the second ring. "Hey babe! How was day two? Better than yesterday, I hope?"
"Sabrina's not Wade's fiancée, Brooke," I spill.
She goes quiet for a second, then: "I'm sorry, WHAT?"
"She's Wade's ex-fiancée. They broke up six months ago. She just refuses to accept it."
"Oh my Goddess." I hear rustling, like she's sitting up. "He told you this?"
"Yeah. Right before he f****d me on his desk."
"LILA!"
"I know, I know!" I slump in the driver's seat, staring at the parking garage ceiling. "I'm a disaster. I'm a complete and total disaster."
"Okay, slow down. Start from the beginning."
So I tell her everything. About Wade cornering me in his office, about how angry I was, about the s*x that was somehow even better than before, and then about his insane proposition.
"He wants you to be his fake mate?" Brooke's voice goes up an octave. "For a year?"
"Yes."
"And he's going to pay you?"
"He said he'd compensate me well. We didn't discuss specifics."
"Lila, this is..." She pauses. "This is actually kind of genius."
I blink. "How is this genius? This is insane!"
"Think about it. You need money, right? You just lost your apartment, you're living with Liam temporarily, and this job, while it pays well, isn't going to solve all your problems overnight."
"Okay, but…"
"And this way, you get to be with the guy your wolf is convinced is your mate, without any real emotional commitment. It's a business arrangement. Clean. Simple."
"Nothing about this is clean or simple, Brooke."
"You know what I mean." I can practically hear her grinning. "Plus, imagine Connor's face when he finds out you're dating a billionaire Alpha CEO. The same Connor who told you that you weren't good enough."
That hits different.
Connor. f**k, I almost forgot about him.
"Actually," I say slowly, "I need to go get my stuff from his place. Like, today. Before I lose my nerve."
"Want me to come with?"
"No, I'll be fine. It's just some clothes and personal items. In and out."
"Text me when you're done, okay? And seriously, Lila, think about Wade's offer. This could be really good for you."
"I'll think about it," I promise, even though I've been thinking about nothing else all day.
We hang up, and I sit there for another minute, gathering myself. Then I start the car and head toward the apartment I used to share with Connor.
The one I thought I'd be living in for years.
The drive takes twenty minutes, and with every mile, my stomach twists tighter. I hate that I have to see him again. Hate that he gets to occupy any more space in my brain.
By the time I pull up to the familiar building, I'm nauseous.
I take the stairs to the third floor, my footsteps echoing in the stairwell, and stop in front of apartment 3C. Our apartment. Except it's not ours anymore. It's his.
I knock, my knuckles barely making contact before the door swings open.
And there, standing right in front of me with a frown on his face, is Connor.
He's wearing nothing but a towel slung low on his hips, water still dripping from his hair like he just got out of the shower.
His frown softens into a lazy, almost teasing smile as he scans me up and down, an expression that used to make me melt and now just makes me want to punch him.
"Lila." He leans against the doorframe. "Didn't expect to see you so soon."
"I'm here for my things," I say flatly. "That's it."
"Sure," He steps aside, motioning for me to come in. "Help yourself."
I walk past him, my skin crawling at how close we are, and head straight for the bedroom. Our bedroom. The one I decorated, the one we slept in, the one where I caught him f*****g Amber.
I try not to look at the bed as I grab my boxes and start throwing in clothes from the closet. My favorite jeans, my good bras, the sweater Liam got me for Christmas.
Connor appears in the doorway, still in just that towel, watching me.
"You look good," he says casually. "Different somehow."
I don't respond, just keep packing.
“Been keeping busy, huh?”
"I suppose."
"I suppose? That's it?" He moves closer, and I can smell his body wash. The same one he's always used. "Come on, Lila. We were together for two years. You can't even have a conversation with me?"
"There's nothing to talk about." I shove another shirt into the box. "You cheated. We're done. End of story."
"It wasn't cheating if our relationship was already over."
I spin around so fast he actually steps back. "Excuse me?"
"Come on." He has the audacity to look smug. "You had to know we weren't going to last. You're aware of your rank, Lila. I need someone stronger. Someone who can keep up with me."
"Someone like Amber?" I snap. "The girl with the personality of a fruit fly and the IQ to match?"
His jaw tightens. "At least Amber knows how to have fun. You were always so... uptight."
"Uptight?" I laugh, but it comes out bitter. "I'm sorry I didn't enjoy watching you f**k another woman in our bed."
"That was one time."
"That I know of!" I turn back to my packing, my hands shaking now. "And honestly? I don't care anymore. Keep Amber. Keep this shitty apartment. I'm done."
I zip up the first box and start on the second, grabbing toiletries from the bathroom. My toothbrush, my shampoo, the expensive face cream Brooke got me that I barely got to use.
When I come back out, Connor's moved closer to the bed. His hand's on the towel, and there's this look in his eyes that makes my gut turn.
"You know," he says slowly, "you don't have to leave angry."
"I'm not angry. I'm indifferent."
"Stop pretending." He smirks, and then his hand moves to the knot of his towel. "I know you, Lila. I know what you like."
Oh Goddess, he's not seriously about to do what I think he…
The towel drops.
- Writer
