Page 103 of Craving Paradise
“Yes, Dan. Her job is to fuck people. I don’t want the woman I love fucking other men.” How fucking hard is that to understand? I don’t want to share. I’ve shared her for months now, and I don’t want to anymore. Why am I the bad guy in this scenario wanting to be monogamous? Men usually want to be able to fuck other women, but I only want one. “She said loving me wasn’t enough.”
Daniel winces at the words. “There has to be a reason?”
“She chose her best friend’s happiness over ours. Even though I know there’s something going on between her and Ali.”
“There’s something going on between Lauren’s friend and Ali?” Daniel questions me.
“Yes. He met her at the club. He’s completely lost his mind over her too.”
Daniel stares at me as if he doesn’t believe what I’m saying. “What the hell is going on with you all? You know the rules.”
“No shit, Dan. It’s a little different when Lauren is one of your sister’s friends, and you constantly run into her outside of the club. I know I’m a fool for falling for someone I can’t have. Maybe that’s my karma … the Universe seeking revenge for all the times I did this to others and left them broken-hearted while I moved on.” If it is, the Universe has a fucked-up sense of humor.
“Give her time. Maybe you caught her off guard with your words. She may not have been expecting them, especially if the two of you have always kept it casual.”
“I called her friend a whore.”
“Jay, what the fuck?”
“I know. I was so hurt that she had loyalty to her friend over me.”
“I would hope you would show the same loyalty to your friends, not some new chick.”
Okay, he got me there. I would have loyalty to my boys, but this is Lauren. She’s different, or so I thought.
“I don’t want to think about it anymore. If you want to come get fucked up with me so I can wipe tonight from my mind, then you’re more than welcome to join me.”
“I think it might be for the best that I do. We need to talk,” Daniel states as we head toward my limousine.
* * *
My head hurts after drowning my sorrows with Daniel last night. My ears seem to be ringing. I shake my head trying to displace the sound, but it’s still there. Wait. I sit up, and the world turns—that’s not my ears, it’s my doorbell. I jump out of bed and rush down, hoping and praying that it’s Lauren telling me she’s changed her mind, and she’s going to give us a chance. I’m only dressed in my boxers. I open the door and am greeted by a courier guy. His eyes widen as he takes in my near-naked self.
“Jasper Fox?”
“Yes.”
He then shoves a large box in my hands and turns on his heel as quickly as he can. I shut the door behind me and stare down at the large box. What the hell is this? I open it up, and my stomach launches into my throat as I notice what’s inside.
It’s the bags I gave Lauren on our date. With a note that says,
Dear Jasper,
I’m sorry I broke your heart last night.
I know I may have made the biggest mistake of my life walking away from you last night, but I had to.
I understand you think I’m wasting my life following a friend’s dream, but I don’t think I am.
You were the right person at the wrong time for me, and it breaks my heart that I hurt you. You deserve better than what I can give you.
I wish you nothing but love and happiness with your life, Jasper.
I know you might not see it right now, and as hard as it was to walk away from you, I think it was the right thing to do for both of us.
We are not ready for this.
The woman who gets to wake up next to you for the rest of her life is going to be the happiest woman in the world.