Chapter 4

“Fuck. You’re here again?!”

That was how he greeted me the moment I stepped into his house again.

“My gas stove ran out. I can’t cook,” I lied.

I made my way to the dining area. The table was already set, and it felt like I’d interrupted his meal.

“Great. You’re having breakfast as well. Perfect timing, right?”

“Are you going to eat here?” he asked.

“I can’t cook breakfast at my place. Why? Is that not allowed?”

“Totally isn’t,” he replied immediately.

Wow. What an honest man.

“You really are heartless. I can’t go to work starving.”

“As if I care. Just order food online and stop bothering my supposedly peaceful breakfast.”

“The delivery will take too long. I might be late for work.”

“Then stop by some restaurants before you go to work.”

I rolled my eyes and groaned. “As if the service will be that fast.”

“You really won’t run out of excuses, will you?”

“And you really won’t stop being so grumpy, will you?” I shot back. “God, good thing I have a lot of patience for you.”

He had no choice but to sit down as well when I took the seat across from him. There were three dishes on the table, none of which looked familiar to me. How would I know? I stick to eggs or frozen meals for breakfast since they’re the easiest and quickest to cook.

I wasn’t surprised that the food was delicious. He’s a chef, after all. He owns three restaurants with almost twenty branches in total.

“Your cooking is chef’s kiss. It makes me want to visit one of your restaurants and try everything on the menu. I bet everything tastes good.”

“You’ve never been to any of my restaurants?” he asked. “I mean, you claim that you like me, yet you haven’t even eaten at one of my places. I honestly wonder if you really like me…” he said meaningfully, as if catching me out.

“Oh,” I whispered. I shook my head and chewed the food in my mouth before speaking. “I’m always on a diet, you know.”

“A diet for what?”

“For my figure, obviously.”

“You’re already thin.”

“Correction, it’s sexy. Duh,” I said smugly.

He murmured something, but I didn’t catch it. I didn’t pay any more attention because I was too busy eating.

“Thanks again. I’m so full,” I said when we finished. I rubbed my stomach to show how satisfied I was.

“As if I had a choice.” He cleared the plates and took them to the sink. I followed him.

I chuckled. “Too bad you didn’t.”

I went back to my house to shower and get dressed for work. I even saw the burnt eggs and bacon on the table that I had cooked earlier. I really wasn’t a great cook.

I put on light makeup, grabbed my bag and car keys, and headed out. I saw Xerces outside his house, already on his way to work. He was wearing semi-formal clothes.

“Drive safe!” I yelled. I winked at him before hopping into my car.

I started the engine. Just as I was about to pull out, my phone rang. I reached into my bag and answered.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I have some news,” Elizabeth said on the line.

“Is it good or bad?”

I leaned back in the seat. I saw Xerces’s car revving up.

“Unfortunately, it’s bad.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Really? This early, Elizabeth?”

“But I know you’ll want to know. And, uh, you’ll hate it at the same time.”

“Fine. Spill it.”

“Are you still mutual friends with your asshole ex on your social media accounts?”

Her words grabbed my attention. “What about him?”

“Check his I*******m story. Now.”

I did what she had told me. I opened the app and looked up his account. We were still following each other, but I muted him. I didn’t want them thinking I was too bothered by what they did. I’d never let them get that satisfaction from me, especially my sister.

I checked his story and saw a photo from the opening night of his new bar downtown. I remembered how he used to tell me it was his dream to open his own place. He couldn’t do it back then because his parents wouldn’t approve—they wanted him to focus on the family business after Xerces backed out of his responsibilities and chose his own path.

I didn’t know he’d already achieved his long-time dream. He must be very happy now.

I tapped the screen to see the next slide, and it immediately ruined my day. It was a close-friends story: a photo of him and Ariella, my sister, hugging.

My grip tightened on the phone. Fuck. Jealousy hit me all at once.

“You tell me, babe. Are you really over him now?” Elizabeth said.

“Damn you.”

“Chill. I didn’t mean to ruin your day. But I also know you’re still not over your ex. So what now? Are you just going to let them be happy together while you—what? Keep drowning in your own misery?”

“That would never happen,” I said through gritted teeth.

I’m going to get even. I know he still loves me. If he ever finds out there’s something going on between me and his brother, he’ll definitely lose it.

I’ll make him come back to me, crawling if he has to. He’ll beg me someday to take him back. I’ll make sure of it.