Page 115 of Love Me Not

“She was pretty rich.She was taking care of her niece, unfortunately.Her parents passed away in a tragic accident.”

Damn it.My voice cracked toward the end.I hoped it went unnoticed, but as soon as I looked up at my ex-now-current roommates, they all had the same look on their faces.

“Why'd you quit?”Erin asked, never one to ignore the elephant in the room.

“I… uh… thought it would just be better to move on,” I said, chewing on a piece of the overly sweet donut.

Silence.

“Oh my God!You fucked your boss!”

“Harmony!I did not!”I sputtered, heat automatically rushing to my face.

April let out a small squeak, and Erin let out a mock scandalized gasp.

“Oh, youtotallydid.”Erin’s grin made her look like a feral cat.“Did it get too real?Did your employer find out?No, let me guess—she turned out to be awful?”

I couldn't find the words, so I slammed my mouth shut.I didn't want to think about Lux.Especially in that way.If I was being honest, I wanted to try and forget her as much as possible.

It had only been a few days, but I missed her more than I cared to admit to myself.And every night I lay on that couch, I looked up at the ceiling and thought of how much of a mistake I’d made to leave her and Bella.

I wondered if Bella was being well taken care of.If Lux was overwhelmed again.If both of them were getting their emotional needs met.

And mostly, I just wanted to be with them.

My eyes stung with unshed tears.

“Guys,” April whispered.

“Was she a hot MILF?”Harmony asked in a conspiratorial tone.

“I don't think she's technically a MILF,” Erin muttered.

“I mean, she has a kid now, so it counts?—”

“Guys, stop!Look at her!”

All eyes were on me, and they watched as I quickly broke down in front of them.

I couldn't hold in my sobs anymore.

“Oh shit.Oh no.Juliette, I'm so sorry.”

Harmony was by my side in a second, wrapping her arms around me.I took her hug, but it wasn't the hug that I wanted.I wanted to be back in Lux’s arms.No other arms would do.

April came up to my other side and wrapped her arms around me while Erin grabbed my hand, squeezing it.

I let everything out.All the pain from reliving my parents’ murder.The hurt from leaving Lux and Bella.The regret for not being able to tell Lux that I loved her too.

They might have just been roommates once upon a time, but they were the closest thing to friends I had.

“I’m sorry,” I said through my sobs.When I tried to pull away, Harmony and April just held me tighter.

“Nothing to be sorry about.”Harmony placed a chaste kiss on top of my head.“I shouldn’t have said that stuff.You know sometimes I don’t really think before I speak.”

“Obviously,” Erin muttered.

“You’re not any better,” April spat, though her voice didn’t hold much weight.

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