Boyfriend
The smirk on his face was the same one he’d worn the night I realized I didn’t love him anymore. Smug. Certain. Like the world existed to hand him whatever he wanted, and I was just one more possession he could collect at will.
“What the hell are you doing here?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t bother softening it.
He didn’t answer. Not with words. Instead, he pushed past me like he owned the place. His cologne—too strong, too sharp—hit my nose as his shoulder brushed mine. The gall of him.
I spun on my bare heel, heart pounding. “Excuse me? What the fuck, are you stalking me now?”
“You weren’t responding to my texts.” His tone was maddeningly casual, like he was telling me the weather.
I blinked at him, jaw slack. “So you had to come here?”
His eyes flicked around my penthouse like he was assessing it for flaws. “Why are you making such a fuss?”
I almost laughed. Almost. “Why am I—? Are you insane? We’re over. You know that. And you—” I jabbed a finger toward him, “—are a smug, selfish bastard who doesn’t get to waltz into my home like you own it.”
That got a small scoff out of him, the kind that says poor, delusional woman. “We’re not over until I say we’re over. You need to try harder in this relationship.”
“There is no relationship.” I enunciated every word like I was teaching a toddler to speak.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice as though this was some intimate moment. “Please. You know nobody would be able to make you feel the way I do.”
I stared at him for a beat, then the laugh came—sharp, bright, unkind. “Really? You think you’re that special?” I shook my head, letting the truth drop like a blade. “If you don’t know it already, you are one of my biggest mistakes. I don’t know what the hell I was doing with you.”
His smirk faltered, just a flicker, but I saw it.
“You’re boring in bed,” I added, because it was true and because I wanted the words to stick under his skin like glass splinters. “You talk about nothing but yourself. You’re an egotistical, self-centered bastard who thinks women should orbit around you. News flash—they don’t. And you will never be anything like my new boyfriend.”
That one landed. His eyes narrowed, all charm gone. “New boyfriend?”
“Oh, did I forget to mention?” I tilted my head, feigning innocence. “Yeah. New boyfriend.”
“Who?”
I just smiled. “Not you.”
He lunged forward, like he could intimidate the answer out of me, and before I could step back, his hand came up, reaching for my face. His mouth aimed for mine.
The slap was instinct. A sharp, satisfying crack that echoed in the quiet room. His head snapped to the side, and for a heartbeat, the only sound was our breathing.
“Get. Out.” My voice was low, dangerous.
His jaw clenched. The muscle there twitched. “This isn’t over.”
“Yes,” I said, my hand still tingling from the slap, “it is.”
I walked to the door, yanked it open, and waited. When he didn’t move, I jerked my chin toward the hallway. “Don’t make me call security.”
That did it. He stalked out, throwing a final glare over his shoulder before disappearing into the elevator. I shut the door and locked it, sliding the deadbolt into place with a satisfying thunk.
For good measure, I grabbed my phone and dialed the front desk. “Hi, this is Liliana Arthur in the penthouse. Effective immediately, I don’t want a man Ryan—” I gave them his name, every syllable dipped in venom “—allowed into the building. Ever.”
“Yes, Ms. Arthur,” the receptionist said. “We’ll make a note.”
“Good. Thank you.” I hung up, tossed the phone onto the couch, and sank down beside it.
For a moment, I just sat there, adrenaline still humming through my veins. My pulse was too fast, my cheeks flushed. But slowly, the tension bled out of me, leaving something else in its place.
A smile.
Not because of him—God, no. Because of what I’d said.
Boyfriend.
The word had slipped out like it had been waiting in my mouth all along. And when I’d said it, one face—one man—had come to mind without hesitation.
Ronny.
My smile grew, sharp and almost wicked. An idea began to take shape, curling warm and dangerous in my chest.
I could already imagine the look on his face when I told him.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
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