Page 57 of The Jerk in Apartment 1B

“Not exactly. I agreed to give him more time.”

“Which means what?”

“It means I won’t date other guys. But I wasn’t going to anyway, so nothing’s really changed.”

“How much time does he need?”

“He said he doesn’t know.”

“So you’re just supposed to wait around until he figures this out?” Scott says.

“Basically, yeah. But I don’t think he’ll take long. He said he misses me and that he still loves me.”

“If that’s true, he’d want you back now. He wouldn’t want to wait.”

I glare at him, my pulse going faster. “Why would you say that?”

“Say what? That he wouldn’t want to wait?”

“Yeah. You’re implying Asher doesn’t love me. Or miss me. Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true. Ask any guy and he’ll tell you the same thing.”

“Tell me what? What’s your point?”

Scott pushes away from the counter and stands in front of me, his eyes on mine. “Every guy wants to succeed in their career. And a lot of us are competitive and driven. But if we find the girl we want to be with, the girl we love more than anything, there’s no way we’re ditching her for our career. It’s not even an option.”

Hearing him say those words, and the way he looked me in the eye as he said them, is affecting me in ways I wasn’t expecting. Making me feel things I shouldn’t. I need to get out of here.

“I’m leaving,” I say, going around Scott and hurrying to the door.

“Trina, wait!”

But I’m already gone. I race down the hall and into my apartment.

And then I cry. I sink to the floor and cry. Because of Scott, and what he said about Asher.

Because I’m worried he might be right.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Scott

Trina’s angry at me. Because I told her the truth. Maybe I should’ve kept quiet, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let her ex make her think they had a future when they don’t. It’s obvious he’s just keeping her around until he finds someone new. Or maybe it’s all a game to him. A way to control her and make sure she doesn’t find anyone else.

I can’t stand guys like that, but unfortunately, they’re everywhere. They know just what to say to keep a girl attached to them. Trina’s ex can say he loves her over and over again, but his actions don’t match up. He wouldn’t break up with a girl he loves and throw her out on the street.

Trina doesn’t get that, which is why I tried to tell her what’s really going on. She told me I’m wrong, but I think, deep down, she knows I’m right. That’s why she ran out of here. She didn’t want to hear that her ex doesn’t love her the way he should.

Maybe I should’ve said it a different way. People always tell me I’m too direct, but if someone needs to hear something, I don’t think I’m doing them any favors by talking around it, making them guess what I’m saying.

Now Trina’s probably crying in her apartment. I hope not, but given how she looked when she left, it’s definitely possible. My intent wasn’t to make her cry. I wasn’t even going to get involved. I kept telling myself to keep quiet, to stay out of it. But the more she told me, the angrier I got. The guy is playing her, but she doesn’t see it. She still loves him and wants the future he promised her. The wedding. The kids.

She’ll probably go back to him. She’ll move into his apartment and six months later, maybe a year, he’ll do it again. He’ll end it and kick her out.

I’m pacing the floor, my hands forming tight fists, feeling the need to punch something. I shouldn’t be this upset over some girl I just met, but I am. I’m furious this guy asked to meet with her just so he could tell her to sit around and wait for him.

Why would Trina want a guy like that? She could do so much better. She’s smart and funny and surprisingly resilient. Most people in her situation would be staying on their friend’s couch, sleeping all day, and feeling sorry for themselves. But Trina got an apartment and a job within days of her whole life falling apart. She’s even willing to sleep on the floor. It really bothers me that she’s doing that. She’s so uncomfortable she’s only getting a few hours of sleep. And she’s right about the rats. I’ve had a few get into that apartment the past year. I didn’t want to tell her that or she’d never sleep.

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