I leaned against my car as I stepped out, pulling my hat down, my hands shoved into my pants pocket.


    I wasn’t supposed to be here. I wanted to respect her reason for not wanting to see us, but by God, ! felt like I was going crazy, like I was losing it.


    I had pulled a little favour and asked for her school schedule, so now I was outside her campus, waiting.


    And then I saw her.


    My heart fucking shattered.


    There she was, walking out like she hadn’t just shifted my world. Like she wasn’t the reason why the sun looked different for me. Like she wasn’t the reason I could breathe more easily. Her hair caught


    the light and held it, like it wanted to stay with her-I didn’t me it.


    Her skin had the kind of glow that made everything else look dull. She looked like the kind of dream I


    wasn’t meant to have.


    I didn’t move. Couldn’t.


    She smiled at someone beside me. Someone who wasn’t me, and I felt the breath knocked from my


    lungs.


    I had never seen her smile like that. She’d had small smiles, just a slight lift of her lips, but never a


    smile so wide and genuine.


    I wanted to drown in it.


    I watched as she waved her friend goodbye, getting into a car and driving off. I waited for a while before I got into my car and followed her, and as I trailed behind her car, all I could think of was how pathetic I was. How so needy, and just so damn pathetic.


    But I didn’t mind being pathetic for her. I didn’t mind at all..


    I followed her for about twenty minutes until she parked in front of a small apartment. I watched her step out, my eyes following her every move. There was nothing more I wanted to do but to get out of my car and go knock on her door. But I’m sure I was thest person she wanted to see right now. And I couldn’t break into her house in broad daylight.


    I was going to break in when it was dark.


    12:55 Tue, 9 Sept


    So I waited, not once shifting. I didn’t move at all, and just waited, my hands never leaving the steering wheel. And finally-finallyl-night fell.


    But just as I was about to step out of my car, her door opened and she stepped out. My breath hitched when I saw her. She was dressed in a little ck gown, her hair tied up and exposing her elegant


    neck.


    Just the mere sight of her curves and her neck made my dick hard. I slowly looked down at where my hardness was straining against my pants, and I couldn’t help but scoff.


    “Of course.”


    A year, and it had stayed limp, but just the sight of her fully clothed had it standing again.


    Of fucking course.


    I needed her. Life wasn’t so bright without her, and I was going to get her. One way or another, even though it meant telling her the truth. God knew I would sing for her.


    She got into her car, driving off, and I followed.


    She drove to a club. That was thest ce I expected to see Rosette.


    I shouldn’t have followed. I knew that. But knowing has never stopped me when ites to her. ! realized I was a damn fool for her.


    She stepped out of the car and all eyes turned to her like she was a ma and they were metals. That little ck dress clung to her like it had missed her body just as much as I did. Her heels clicke against the pavement, her legs long, steady, and devastating.


    She joined her friend from earlier, that smile returning as they linked their hands together and headed


    into the club.


    My hands gripped the steering wheel hard like I might fall apart without something to hold onto. You never know, I might. My pulse was a war drum in my chest. I didn’t move for a long minute. Then I


    did.


    I pulled my hat lower, stepped out, and joined the line like I belonged. I didn’t. I was here for one reason. One woman. One need.


    Once inside, the beat hit first, then the perfume, the bodies, the scent of sweat, and perfume and alcohol. And sex. The smell of it was heavy in the air above all else. I could never understand why people wasted their time in ces like this when there were more organized ces. And worse, I didn’t understand why Rosette would be here.


    12:55 Tue, 9 Sept u


    I searched everywhere for her, and I found her fast. She was still with her friend, still clinging to her arm like it was the only thing still keeping her here. And she looked… ufortable.


    I moved to the bar, ordered a drink that I slowly nursed without taking my eyes off her.


    “Hey, handsome,” a woman purred as she sat beside me, her hands immediately on me, the smell of her perfume making me want to gag. “What’s a guy like you doing all alone?”


    “I’m not alone,” I answered without taking my eyes off Rosette, raising my ss to my lips and taking a slow sip.


    “You aren’t? Then why don’t I see anyone around you?”


    “Because my woman went about her business. She’ll be back soon, and I’ve got to tell you, she wouldn’t be so thrilled seeing you all over her man. We’ll both get into deep trouble.”


    She left immediately, and I scoffed into my drink, still watching Rosette.


    She finally let go of her friend’s arm when a guy walked up to her. He leaned in too close, whispered something in her ear that made her giggle and shoved his shoulder.


    I saw red, my hand tightening around the ss.


    My fingers twitched at my side, my jaw clenched so hard it hurt.


    He touched her, ced his disgusting hand on herp, and she shifted, her smile dimming.


    My pulse quickened, hammering in my throat. If he touched her again and made her ufortable. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Fuck that, I knew.


    And he did. His hand slid higher, touching her bare thigh, and now she really looked ufortable. She murmured something to him, but he just smiled, his hand moving higher.


    And that was when I snapped. I got off the stool, moving forward, my eyes fixed on them.


    He was fucking dead.