“Stop it.”
“No.”
I walk to the bus stop with him beside me. I’m staying silent, and he is jabbering.
“Did you run this morning?” he asks. “I did.”
I stare at him.
“I’m actually quite fit at the moment—all this heartache has me running at record speed,” he continues.
That makes two of us . . . I keep my mouth tightly closed. I don’t want him to know that I’ve been angry running too.
We catch the bus. I’m silent, and he’s carrying on like we are long-lost best friends.
“Do you want to go camping this weekend?” he asks as he opens his paper.
“No. I’m going to my parents this weekend,” I reply flatly.
“Oh.” His face falls. “Well, that’s going to be uncomfortable.”
“What is?”
“When I follow you to your parents.”
“You are not coming to my parents,” I scoff.
“Watch me.” His eyes dance with mischief. “You won’t talk to me; I’m going to keep following you until you do.”
“I don’t want you to follow me. In fact, I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“No need to be snarky,” he says casually as he turns the page of his paper. “It’s unbecoming.”
I glare at him. “You know what’s unbecoming?” I whisper angrily. “Jerks who break girls’ hearts and think that they can snap their fingers and get her back at the drop of a hat.”
He smirks down at me. “Yes, I have to agree. Although if they are meant to be together, and he was under the impression that he was doing the right thing by her at the time . . .”
“Oh, please,” I huff. “Can you hear yourself?”
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
“No.”
The bus pulls up at my stop, and he stands and grabs my gym bag and puts it back over his shoulder. I watch him walk up the aisle of the bus to get off, and I smile to myself. Has he ever caught a bus before?
Idiot.
We walk up the road in silence, and I turn and catch sight of the limo parked across the street. Alan is leaning up against it, and he smiles and waves over at me.
“Alan knows you’re here?” I whisper in mortification.
“Everyone knows I’m here,” he says casually as he hands my bag over. “It’s no secret that I want you back. I have stated my intentions loud and clear.”
I stare at him.
“See you this afternoon.”
“Jameson,” I sigh.
“I’m not giving up on us, Em . . . ever.” He smiles softly. “We were made for each other.”
I scratch my head in frustration.
“Have a nice day.” He watches me with his hands in his pockets, keeping a safe distance.
“Bye.” I turn and walk into my building. My phone beeps a text. It’s from an unknown number.
Have a good day.
This is my burner phone
in case of an emergency.
Jameson. He’s got another phone, one that I haven’t blocked.
I get into the elevator and find myself smirking at the ground.
Stop it . . . he’s an asshole . . . never forget that.
It’s three o’clock, and I’m finishing a report for publication this week. I love this job. I mean, not as much as I loved Miles Media, but that ship has sailed—may as well make the most of it. The staff are all really friendly and nice and have welcomed me with open arms.
“Delivery for Emily Foster,” I hear.
I look up and see a man walking through the floor with a white box. What the hell?
“Oh, she’s in that office over there,” I hear someone say.
He knocks on my door. “Are you Emily Foster?”
“Yes.”
“I have a delivery for you.” He hands over the white box.
I take it from him. “Thank you.”
“Um.” He smirks, shuffling awkwardly in place. “It’s from the Kung Fu Panda.”
“What?”
“I was told to tell you that the Kung Fu Panda sent it.”
I try to hide my smile and fail miserably. “Thank you.” He leaves, and I open the box to find a huge caramel cheesecake and a small white card.
Cheesecake for my cheesecake.
xoxoxo
I close the box and smirk. He’s an idiot, and I’m not a cheesecake . . . if he thinks he can weasel his way back into my good book by being cute, he has another thing coming.
Kung Fu Panda . . . where the hell does he get this shit?
A girl from the office next door pops her head around the corner. “What’s that?”
“Cheesecake, want some?”
“Hell yeah, I’ll get the plates.” She disappears to the kitchen.
I stare at my phone for a moment. Should I text him and say thank you?
No, this is why he did it—to get a reaction. He knows I’ve got good manners and would never receive a gift without thanking him. He’ll be waiting for my call.
Well, too bad for the stupid Kung Fu Panda. More fool him.
He created this beast; he can live with my rudeness. He’s in the freezer.
At six o’clock in the evening, I make my way downstairs. I may have fixed my hair and applied some lipstick . . . not that I’ll ever admit to it.
I walk out of the building and out onto the street to see Jameson standing and leaning up against the wall. He’s wearing his gray suit, the one that I love. His dark hair hangs over his forehead, and his chiseled jaw does things to my insides. He smiles broadly and pushes off the wall when he sees me coming. How long has he been standing there? “Good afternoon, Ms. Foster.”
“I didn’t know that you knew kung fu,” I say as I walk past him.
“Oh, I do,” he says as he falls into step behind me. “There are a lot of things about me that you don’t know. Did I tell you that I’m becoming an extreme sportist?”
I keep silent as I walk. It’s hard to keep a straight face when he’s in this mood.
“Yes, I thought I might start hiking up mountains and camping there and stuff. Making fire with my bare hands and whatnot.”
I smirk as I walk in front of him, unable to help it. “Really?”
“Uh-huh. You see, I’m becoming one with nature.”
“You. One with nature. I’d like to see that,” I mutter dryly.
“Okay, we can hike up a mountain this weekend. How’s Mount Kosciuszko?”
“I’m busy,” I say as I keep walking.
“Oh, that’s right; we are going to your parents this weekend.”
“You’re not coming, Jameson.”
“Your mother said I could when I spoke to her earlier.”
I spin on the spot toward him. “You called my mother?”
“No, but I will if you don’t have dinner with me.” He smiles hopefully.
I stare at him. “Jameson, if you think the Kung Fu Panda sending me a cake and calling me a cheesecake can reverse the damage you have done, you are seriously deluded.”
He takes my two hands in his. “I don’t, Em, but please . . . just let me say what I need to say.”
I stare at him.
“And then if you don’t want to see me again, I’ll stop following you.” His eyes hold mine. “We need to talk about this; you know we do.”