Page 43 of The Most Perfect Wrong

I’m at the end of my rope, and I’m afraid that when I snap, it’s going to be on the wrong person—Ryan. Sure, I have a right to be upset with him, but I’ve taken it too far. Aside from being a hypocrite, his life shouldn’t affect mine this much.

It’s Monday, and we leave early tomorrow morning for Austin.

God, any day now, VP.I’ve started calling him that—only because I can see that it bothers him.

“Alright, let’s get right to it. Should we go over what we want to accomplish tonight before we tackle our itinerary?”

I glare at him. Is he being serious? I’ve already been sitting here, waiting for him, for over an hour. “Great idea, VP. Let’s add another meeting to discuss how to make our meetings more efficient. That’ll get us out of here quicker.”

“Great,” he says, rolling his eyes. “The wicked witch of the west is still here.”

“Oh, look, and I got stuck with the scarecrow, who doesn’t have a brain.”

I stare him down, daring him to push me further.

“God, if only sarcasm burned calories—you could be a fitness influencer. Then you could quit, and leave me the hell alone.”

That's it—I’ve hit my breaking point.

“Oh, I bet you’d like that, huh? You’d be creeping on my Instagram page… Do you think about that when you jerk off at night, VP?”

Ryan chuckles. “Not if I wanna come, sweetheart.”

His comment catches me off-guard, and I’m torn between wanting to throw something at him and laugh.God, what is wrong with me?

I settle on a smirk. “Didn’t seem to be an issue for you in Newport, bud.”

“Oh, it was all I could do to shut you up, babe. Tell me, do you scream for Brad, too?”

I roll my eyes. “You wish, Ryan. It didn’t last long enough for me to even remember your name, let alone scream it.”

He leans forward, his voice lowering. “It was long enough to make you come… multiple times.”

I lean in too, our faces inches apart. “Ever hear offaking it, VP?”

He scoffs. “If that was faking it, you’re the best goddamn actress I’ve ever seen. Didn’t think people could make themselves convulse on demand.”

“Well, thanks for the compliment. It was my first time ever having to fake it—I’ll take that as a win.”

We glare at each other, fuming. He’s tight-lipped, chewing on the inside of his cheek, giving me that sexy, smoldering look that only pisses me off more. I catch myself staring at his lips, then force my gaze back to his eyes.God,I want to punch him—or drag him somewhere private and tear his clothes off.

Ryan rubs his temples and sighs. “Okay, Cooper, I get it. You think I’m a scumbag, and you hate me for reasons I can’t even begin to fathom. But we have got to stop this for tonight. Can we please,” he pauses, taking a deep breath, “please, just be cordial for an hour or two so we can go home? You can go back to hating me tomorrow.”

“Fine,” I say sharply. “But just so we’re clear, I never stop hating you.”

“Fine, whatever,” he mutters.

I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to take control. He’s the boss, after all—he’s made that perfectly clear. “Well then, lead the way, VP,” I say. “Let’s see if you’re better at this than you are at… other things.”

* * * * * ?* * * * *

I drop my bag on the kitchen counter with a heavy sigh, the sound echoing in the empty apartment. My mind’s still racing from the confrontation with Ryan, but at least Brad’s out of town until Wednesday.Thank God. I can’t deal with him tonight. Never knowing which version of him I’m going to get—accusing, condescending Brad, or sweet, loving, horny Brad—it’s exhausting either way.

I flop onto the couch, anxiety heavy in my chest.What is my life?How did I get here—constantly catering to someone else’s needs and emotions while mine slip through the cracks?

I think back to Gavin. God, he really did a number on me. I wish I could go back to my fourteen-year-old self for a redo—learn how to use the word no, for starters. Tears sting my eyes, and I blink them back as I get up to finish packing.

I open my bathroom cupboard to get tampons for my suitcase.Of course, I start my period at the most inconvenient time. Lucky me.I grab an unopened box and eye my bin of sex toys. I rummage through it until I find two of my favorite vibrators. Yeah, I’m definitely going to need these this week. If Ryan and I keep going at each other’s throats, I’ll need some way to decompress.

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