Into The Fire - E. L. Todd Page 0,62

I think I was different? Maybe he was like that with all girls? Maybe he stuck around with me because he continued to get what he wanted without any commitment.

Thank god I didn’t say anything and make myself look like an idiot.

“Uh, anything else?” the girl asked.

“No.” I shook my head quickly.

She just stared at me.

I left the doorstep and headed down the hallway. The trash shoot was on the way so I shoved the breakfast inside and heard it fall all the way down to the bottom. Then I kept going and felt my heart break cleanly into two pieces.

***

“Is that hunk of a man your man yet?” Shelly asked at the office.

Just when I stopped thinking about it, she brought it up. “It’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?” Disappointment was in her eyes, like I’d just taken away a really good treat.

“It’s a long story but…it’s not going to happen.”

“I want the long story,” she said firmly.

I told her everything that happened, even the part where I tossed the perfectly good food in the garbage.

“What a dick,” she snapped.

“He’s not a dick,” I said. “He didn’t do anything wrong. But that doesn’t mean it’s not painful.” It wasn’t until I saw him with another girl that I realized just how much I wanted him for myself. Knowing he was intimate with someone else, shared the same experience we had countless times, just made me feel empty. I guess I didn’t mean anything to him after all.

“But he told you he hadn’t slept with anyone.”

“Maybe saying that made him realize he should.” I stared at the stationary on my desk because I couldn’t handle the pity in Shelly’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry, girl…”

“Thanks. I’ll get over it.”

“You know what this means, right?”

“No.” Was I supposed to?

“You need to move on and start dating. You need to forget about Ash.”

I knew she was right, but I realized how pathetic I was when I didn’t want to. Ash and I didn’t have a chance to be together so I needed to look for someone else. When we started hooking up, I never expected to develop feelings for him. Three months later, I was head-over-heels. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I know the perfect person.”

“You do?” That fast?

“My brother.”

“Whoa…hold on.” Wouldn’t that be weird? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“My brother is a really good guy. He had a bad break up about six months ago and he still hasn’t gone out with anyone. You two are perfect for each other.”

Because we’re both losers?

“He’s a lawyer, he’s twenty-eight, and he’s cute. I mean, he’s related to me so he’s obviously good looking. And I want to find my brother a nice girl that won’t rip his heart out.”

“I don’t know…”

“It’s happening. Just get over it.”

When Shelly had her mind set, she didn’t budge.

***

I didn’t know what I was thinking when it came to Ash. I was so convinced that I’d never fall for him. He wasn’t my type—at all. He was headstrong, stubborn, and so full of himself it was ridiculous.

But I loved so many other things.

Why did I let this happen? He made it clear it was just meaningless sex and I accepted those terms. Why did I assume things had changed? A guy may act one way but that doesn’t mean anything. Ash probably didn’t feel anything for me at all. I was just a friend he liked to hang out with and someone he liked to fuck too.

How did I get myself into this mess?

Now I was going on a blind date. That’s how low I’d stooped. Shelly wouldn’t set me up with a freak, but since the guy was her brother, she could be blind to his flaws. And if he was some kind of player or jerk, he wouldn’t make that known to his sister.

This was probably going to be a disaster.

***

I entered the restaurant and tried not to play with my hair. He probably already spotted me by the door and I didn’t want to look unsure. Confidence was always attractive, not shyness.

People were chatting quietly at their tables and drinking from their glass flutes. Waiters passed by with trays laden with delicious food. I stepped past the hostess podium and searched the tables. When my eye fell on a young man sitting alone and staring at me, I knew he was the one.

He stared at me like he knew exactly who I was. He wore a collared shirt with a dark tie and slacks. He had short brown