Page 30 of Judge Me Not

She sends me a picture of her curled up on the couch, sleeping.

Cee Cee:Her temperature is back to ninety-eight point seven.

I should be relieved it went down and not up. But it still is not perfect.

She texts again when I don't respond.

Cee Cee: She's fine.

Me:Okay. That's good.

Cee Cee:Yes. Try to enjoy yourself.

But there's no amount of pampering that can make my worries disappear.

7

Colton

My day'sone fire after another. The merger I'm in the middle of closing has several issues arise. As soon as I fix those, a notification pops up on my phone with the Bergdorf's invoice.

I call Bree. "Thanks for taking care of Jasmine." Bree is Janelle's sister. Between the two of them, I never have to worry about what I'm wearing.

"She's sweet."

I smile. "Yes, she is."When she's not trying to fight me.I'm still a tad bitter she won't let me pick her up.

Bree stays quiet. I know that silence.

"Do you have something you want to tell me?" I ask.

"I'm worried about her accessories."

"What about them?"

"She didn't get any."

"Why not?" I growl.

"I asked her to look at jewelry, and she refused. I was taken aback. Your girlfriends usually go to the jewelry section before the dresses. So I didn't even think about her evening bag. She's not going to have anything to carry her phone or lipstick in."

I crack my neck, staring out my window and watching the cars race across the Manhattan Bridge. "Did you send the dress to my house yet?"

"No."

"Pick a purse for her. Text me some jewelry pieces, and I'll let you know what to send."

"Will do."

She didn't want it? What kind of woman doesn't want jewelry?

Is she trying to prove a point to me?

What am I even doing with her?

Any free moment I've had, I've asked myself this. When she told me I couldn't pick her up because we aren't dating, it didn't lessen my obsession for her to become mine.

She hates me.

---