chapter 4

I shot up from bed, my heart pounding violently against my ribcage, jolted awake by a series of aggressive knocks echoing from the front door. My eyes darted to the digital clock on my nightstand, 6:13 a.m. I groaned and rolled my eyes. Seriously? Who the hell thought this was a reasonable time to show up at someone’s door?

“Lexie?” a familiar voice called from the other side.

Of course. That voice. I’d recognize that traitorous tone anywhere.

Rafael.

“For God’s sake,” I muttered, dragging myself out of bed with all the enthusiasm of a corpse. “What a fantastic way to start the day.”

I stomped toward the door, not to open it, but to tell him off and make him leave. Immediately.

“Lexie, I know you’re in there,” he called again. “Please, open the door.”

“What the hell do you want, Rafael? Get lost!”

I yelled through the door, hoping he’d take the very obvious hint. But instead, he only knocked harder, as if his fists alone could tear the door down.

Growling under my breath, I unlocked it and yanked it open.

“What?!” I snapped, ready to unleash hell.

There he stood, pathetic, wide-eyed, and holding a massive bouquet of red roses. The audacity was staggering.

“Let’s talk,” he said, his voice soft.

“I said get lost!”

I tried to slam the door, but he jammed his foot between it and the frame like some low-budget romance movie villain.

“What do you want?” I asked, deadpan.

“I just want to talk. These are for you.” He held out the flowers like they were some kind of peace offering.

I stared at them without flinching. “There’s nothing left to talk about. You cheated on me. You got my cousin pregnant. And now you’re marrying her. That seems pretty straightforward to me.”

I made another attempt to shut the door, but this time, he forced it open and stepped inside like he still belonged here.

“What part of ‘leave’ don’t you understand?!”

My voice rose with fury. And before I could throw him out, before I could even speak another word—he kissed me.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t tender. It was desperate.

“I love you, Lex,” he whispered once he pulled back. “It’s always been you. Not Amanda. I don’t want to marry her.”

And there it was, the waterworks. Rafael, the man who shattered me, was standing in my living room crying.

But instead of pity, I felt nothing but the burn of fresh rage.

“Get. Out.”

“Lex, please-”

“I SAID GET OUT!”

I shoved him backward and out the door with all the strength I could muster, slamming it shut behind him with every ounce of anger left in my body.

“I love you…”

His voice echoed in my head like a curse. My knees buckled, and I slid down to the floor, fists clenched and tears pouring freely down my cheeks.

“Lexie? What happened?”

Claire’s sleepy voice drifted from the hallway. She looked like she’d just stumbled out of bed, clearly roused by all the noise.

“Rafael…” was all I could manage to say.

She didn’t ask anything more. Instead, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms tightly around me.

“Shhh… I know it hurts. I’m here.”

But I couldn’t stop crying. In fact, I cried harder.

“What the hell did I ever do to deserve this, Claire? What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing,” she whispered. “They betrayed you, Lex. That’s all there is to it.”

After a while, I pulled away, wiping my face with the back of my hand. There was something I needed to say, something that had been sitting heavily in my chest since last night.

“Ram Jordan…”

Claire blinked. “Rafael’s uncle?”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “I told you… I’m thinking of using him.”

“You’re serious?” she asked, her brow creasing.

I nodded slowly, my lips trembling. “I don’t know if it’s right… but yeah. I’m planning to use Ram.”

“How exactly are you planning to do that?”

I hesitated, looking her straight in the eye.

“Rafael cheated on me, Claire. You know why?”

She shifted uncomfortably. “Because… you wouldn’t sleep with him?”

“Because I’m a virgin. I told him to wait. But he couldn’t. And Amanda was there.”

Claire nodded, the weight of my words settling between us.

“Well, Ram is here now too. And if I give him what I couldn’t give Rafael… do you think it would hurt him?”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “Wait… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying… I’m going to give my virginity to his uncle.”

“You’re out of your damn mind!” she said, her voice rising in disbelief.

I gave her a small, broken smile. “I think I am, Claire.”

“Lex, don’t do this. You’ll only end up hurting yourself more. Sleeping with a stranger just to spite Rafael? That’s not a plan. That’s a breakdown.”

“Then what should I do?” I whispered. “I’m falling apart here. Maybe it’s stupid, maybe it’s the worst idea I’ve ever had. But if it helps me breathe, even for one second… I’ll do it.”

Claire stared at me, clearly torn, then finally sighed.

“So what are we calling this, huh? Operation: Help Lexie Get Laid?”

I let out a weak, humorless laugh.

“I guess so.”

“Oh my God. This is such a dumb idea,” she muttered. “But fine. I’ll help you. I’m not going to just stand by and watch you self-destruct alone.”

I gave her a soft smile.

“I wish you weren’t serious about this,” she said, wiping away a tear. “But I know you are.”

“I am.”

“So… how exactly are you planning to pull this off?”

Later that day…

“Oh my God, is that Ram Jordan?” I said in my most fake-surprised voice as I walked into the café Claire told me he frequented.

He turned, offering a smile. “Lexie. Hi.”

He stood and reached out to shake my hand.

“You live nearby or something? Feels like we keep bumping into each other,” I said with a grin I barely believed myself.

Honestly, I should’ve rolled my eyes at my own bad acting. Claire had done her part, she’d tracked down where he might be and texted me the moment she saw him. I came straight from class, barely thinking twice.

“Yeah,” he said, pointing toward the windows. “Right across the street.”

“I see…”

He gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit. Have you ordered yet?”

“Nope. Just got here.”

I sat, and he waved a waiter over. I ordered a sandwich and a banana milkshake, simple and safe.

“So,” I said, leaning forward slightly, “you doing anything tonight?”

He raised a curious eyebrow. “Not really. Why?”

“Exams are finally over. I was thinking of celebrating a bit. Wanna come?”

“Exams?” he repeated, brow furrowing.

“Oh… right. I didn’t tell you. I’m a nursing student. Over at that university.”

He blinked, clearly surprised. “So… you’re a college student? A kid?”

“Not a kid. I’m 24,” I said quickly. “Legal.”

“You’re still young,” he replied, chuckling. “I don’t hang out with kids, Lexie.”

“I’m not a kid. Come out, have a drink with me?”

He tilted his head, studying me. “Wait… are you asking me out? Like, on a date?”

His voice was low, laced with sarcasm, yet somehow it still made my pulse stutter.

I found myself staring again, unable to help it.

God. How can someone look this good with a scowl?

The sharp lines of his jaw, the tension in his brow, the intensity in his dark eyes, it all made my stomach flutter in ways it shouldn’t.

Rafael didn’t even come close. Not even in his best suit.

My teeth grazed my lower lip as my eyes flicked to his mouth full, defined, infuriatingly kissable.

“I’m sorry, Lexie,” he said at last. “I prefer my women sober. Drunk dates aren’t really my thing. Also… kids aren’t my type.”

“Sober? Wow. Fine,” I replied with a huff. “And for the record, I’m 24. What are you, 50?”

“I’m 36,” he said, clearly amused. “And if I were 50, I’d be the most handsome fifty-year-old man alive.”

Cocky bastard. But he wasn’t wrong.

“Well, yeah,” I muttered, smirking. “You’re basically a walking Greek god, but that doesn’t make me a child.”

He rolled his eyes again.

“Still a kid.”

“Twelve years isn’t that much,” I insisted.

“What?”

“You’re twelve years older than me. Big deal.”

Ram laughed as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Yeah, and when I was out there with women, you were still in diapers.”

Excuse me?

“Hah. At twelve? You probably hadn’t even been circumcised yet.”

I muttered it without thinking, not realizing he heard.

“What the hell?! Did you just say-? Kids aren’t supposed to say that stuff!”

“Oh my God. You weren’t supposed to hear that. And I’m not a kid. I’m 24. Stop treating me like some giggling teen, it’s not charming.”

He laughed harder.

“Actually, you’re being very teeny right now. And that’s what’s charming.”

“Stop calling me a kid. If we’re not going on a date, then fine… just sleep with me instead.”

He choked on his coffee, nearly sputtering.

I handed him a glass of water, utterly shameless.

“I can’t even go out on a date with you, Lexie. How much more, fuck you? And what makes you think I’d sleep with you?”