Chapter 13

“What’s up? Got a bee in your bonnet? Melvin sidled up to her, whispering sweet nothings, the air between them thick with ambiguity.

Jocelyn turned her head and forcefully pried his hand away, putting some distance between them.

She saw a flicker of annoyance in his eyes and remembered the way he looked at her after he put that woman in the car the other day. It hurt like hell.

Melvin stepped back, leaning against the wall, his expression cooling off

“What do you mean?” he asked

Jocelyn stared him down, only now realizing how little she meant to him

He didn’t even bother to offer an explanation

She didn’t want to go all harpy on him, interrogating who that woman was, or who he had been with during those two days and a night.

She pointed at the bag by the door, “Did my dad give that to you?”

“Yeah, Melvin glanced at it nonchalantly.

So, why’d you bring it here?”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t 1? Where else should I have taken it?

“You know damn well that’s my dad returning a favor. Even if you think it’s beneath you and don’t want it, you shouldn’t flaunt it in my face!” Jocelyn’s temper flared up.

Melvin frowned. So where should I have dumped it?

“Do you despise these things that much? Are they just not worthy of your precious attention, so you dump them on me? Jocelyn’s tone was sharp, she wanted to keep her cool, but she just couldn’t.

“You’re way off base. Melvin reached for her hand, “Come on…”

Jocelyn shook him off, “I don’t even know what my place means to you. Sure, I like you, but I’m not bottomless. Like this stuff, if you don’t value it, toss it. Don’t give it to me or flaunt it. It just makes us look like a joke!

“What are you trying to say? Melvin’s face darkened too.

Jocelyn took a deep breath, “I won’t be the other woman.

With one woman out in the open, one in the shadows, hoping to have it all?

Dream on!

scowled. The

day, in the moment. But now, even that’s too much, so what’s there to cling to?” She looked at Melvin, “You’ve just been playing with me, and now,

be labeled a homewrecker, a

Melvin’s eyelids, he asked,

in

Done playing?”

Chapter 1

before turning and heading into the bedroom. He didn’t even shut the door. He got dressed and

slammed shut with

breath, filled with nothing but frustration

cared about, what she wanted to hear, but he wouldn’t

end, he disdained to explain because they were

no need to explain, it’s

that they’d been crossed, no matter how painful or unwilling, she had to cut ties.

make

the closet, and threw them into

burn

at the door Judging by the rhythm, it couldn’t

the door. It was Rose, her neighbor

have a fight with your boyfriend? I saw him standing down there

Jocelyn froze

He didn’t leave?

and watching the time. It had been two hours since he

in her mind, making an

sit still any longer and hurried down to look around. But there was no sign of him.

she scoffed at herself.

she doing?

someone new, so how could he have nowhere to go? Why would he linger downstairs? He wasn’t that attached Mocking her own foolishness, she turned to

me? Melvin stood there, putting out his cigarette in the nearby trash

Jocelyn felt a sharp pain

and walked past him,

elevator. He pulled her into the nearby fire

Let go of me!”

space, “If can’t bear to see me go, why didn’t

defiantly saying, “You’re

you here for me?”

“No!”

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