Page 108 of One Bossy Date

I heard the front door open. “Yo! Anybody home?”

I kept quiet, watching Zoe, and breathing deeply.

Think.Think.

This was not going the way I’d planned.

Zoe was still staring at me with a mixture of confusion and anger.

“Hey, yo, there you guys are.” Dax walked into the office. “What up?”

Zoe and I were silent, neither of us knowing what to say, or who should say anything at all. We were at quite an impasse now, and I didn’t know how to fix it.

“Hey, bro,” I said flatly.

“What’s good?” Dax swiveled his gaze from me to her, then back to me, catching the drift. “I’m out, guys. I was just here to see the boys.” He hoicked a thumb over his shoulder. “Maybe I can grab a few of their things.”

“Why?” Zoe asked quickly, stress overtaking her features. She stood up quickly and looked at Dax.

“Well, I’ll be taking them when Anders leaves in three days, of course.”

For fuck’s sake, Dax.

“What?” Her voice grew in volume and anger.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Dax looked at me. “Shit, bro. I thought you’d have told her by now.”

I stood as well, annoyed at my brother’s horrible timing. Again. First, he’d spilled on Mom, and now this.

“Goddammit, Dax,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “Get the fuck out of here.”

He shut his mouth, lifted his hands in surrender, and backed out of the office, closing the door to give us privacy.

“Wait, what?” Zoe repeated, turning to face me. She appeared incredulous, and I felt everything I’d been excited about crumble to pieces. “Three? Days?”

“I was about to tell you,” I said.

“Oh, really? Better late than never, right?”

“Zoe, if you’ll just come with me, or at least think about it. We’ve been so happy, haven’t we?”

“Yeah, I thought so. But apparently, you’re the kind of man who makes decisions for women, and that’s justnotmy type.”

“Does my age have anything to do with it?”

“What?” Her lips thinned. “What does that have to do with anything? I don’t care about that. In fact, I neverthoughtabout that, not even once.”

I didn’t even know why I asked that. I tried to compose myself. “Let’s be calm.”

“Be calm? No!No. You kept your plans from me. You said February or March. What, were you planning to just kick me out and wish me well?”

“No, of course not. I would never.” I clenched my jaw, trying my best to remain focused. “You knew I was leaving. I never hid that. I want to take you with me, for fuck’s sake.”

“I’m not a fucking object, Anders!Jesus. Threedamndays.” Her voice was loud now, echoing throughout the room. “That’s all the time you were going to give me to decide about my business and my life?”

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