Laura
I stormed into my room and slammed the door shut behind me, my heart pounding in my chest. What had just happened? Jake had yelled at me… yelled like I was some annoying child. I sank down on the bed, the weight of his rejection crashing over me like a wave.
I felt cheap. Stupid, even. Why had I chased after him like that? Why did I keep pushing when he clearly didn't want me? I wiped at the tears that were already spilling down my cheeks, hating myself for letting him get to me this way. It was one thing to have a connection with someone, to feel something unexpected, but it was another to shove myself in his face, desperate for answers I probably didn't want to hear.
He doesn't want you. He regrets that night. The words kept echoing in my head, louder and louder until they were all I could hear.
I curled up on the bed, burying my face in the pillow as the tears kept coming. I hadn't cried like this in years, not over a guy, not over anyone. It wasn't even this worst with Jackson. I never felt this heartbroken. But something about Jake had gotten under my skin, and I couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment, of regret, of… I don't even know what. It was all so confusing, and I hated myself for how much I cared.
I cried myself to sleep, the exhaustion from the day finally pulling me under.
When I woke up, it was dark outside. My room was quiet, and for a second, I felt disoriented, as if the day had been a weird dream. But the heaviness in my chest told me it was real. All of it.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. I didn't want to face Jake, not after everything that had happened. The thought of seeing him, of having to pretend like nothing was wrong, made my stomach twist. I was angry, but more than that, I was ashamed. I'd practically thrown myself at him, and he'd yelled at me for it.
He's your boss, Laura. What did you expect? - the thought came back again but was quickly interrupted by the ache of hunger that gnawed at my stomach.
I was too shy to face Jake now but I knew I couldn't stay locked in here forever. It was as if I hadn't eaten all day, and the last thing I wanted was to pass out from hunger. With a deep breath, I forced myself to stand up and head toward the door.
When I opened it, I didn't hear much, but as I stepped into the hallway, I could see the faint glow of light coming from the living room. Jake was still there, probably brooding, just like he had been when I left him. Part of me hoped he was feeling guilty, that he was regretting the way he'd treated me. But the bigger part of me didn't care. I wasn't about to let him walk all over me like that.
"You can't give him the satisfaction." I tried to prepare my mind as I took a deep breath and walked out into the living room. Sure enough, there he was, sitting on the couch, staring at the flickering light of the TV. He probably thought he could fix it after spoiling it the first time, or maybe he was also looking for something to distract him.
He looked up when I came in, his eyes meeting mine, and for a second, I thought he might say something. But I wasn't in the mood for any more of his nonsense.
"Hey, Laura…" I didn't wait.
I kept walking, straight to the kitchen, ignoring the way his eyes followed me. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I was still hurt.
I went to the groceries we'd brought earlier, rummaging through them for something to eat. I found some bread and cheese and started making a quick sandwich, my movements stiff and mechanical.
"Laura," I suddenly heard Jake's voice from behind me, his voice low and hesitant.
I ignored him, focusing on my sandwich.
"Laura, can we talk?"
I sighed, knowing he wasn't going to let this go. I turned around, arms crossed, leaning against the counter. "What is there to talk about, Jake? You made yourself pretty clear earlier… Sir."
"Can you not be like that, please?" He retorted while I rolled my eyes.
"Be like how? I'm only minding my business and making sure I don't cross my boundaries and have my all powerful boss yell or fire me." I let out.
He moved from the wall he was resting on, and walked slowly toward me. If I didn't know well, I would say he was afraid to get too close. But that's not Jake. He's scared of nobody, least of all me.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice strained. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I overreacted."
I was shocked to hear him apologize but I didn't want to show it just yet so I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "It's just… you didn't do anything wrong, okay? I'm your boss, and there are boundaries. I didn't want to make you feel like…"
"Like what?" I cut him off, my voice sharper than I intended. "Like you didn't want me? Don't worry, I got the message loud and clear. You're my boss, and I'm just some girl you slept with on a whim."
"That's not what I meant," he said quickly, taking a step closer. "Laura, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's just… I'm trying to do the right thing here."
"The right thing?" I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "Jake, why did you even hire me? If you knew you were going to punish me for that night, why bring me here in the first place?"
He looked taken aback, like he didn't expect me to turn the conversation in this direction. "I'm not punishing you."
"Really? Because that's sure what it feels like." My voice trembled with the emotion I was trying to keep in check. "You act like that night never happened, like it was some mistake that you're trying to sweep under the rug. But guess what? It wasn't a mistake for me, Jake. I don't do that kind of thing, okay? I don't just sleep with people I barely know. But I did with you, because I thought we had something. I thought you… I don't know, felt the same way."
His face softened, and for a second, I saw something flicker in his eyes, something that made my heart lurch in my chest.
"Laura…" he started, but I wasn't done.
"You made me regret that night," I said, my voice quieter now. "I've never felt such a connection with someone before, not like that. But you… you've made me feel like it was a mistake, like I was just some random girl you slept with because you were drunk and horny."
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes again, but I blinked them back. I wasn't going to cry in front of him again. I wasn't going to give him that power.
I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm and pulling me back toward him.
"Wait," he said, his voice low and rough.
I looked up at him, my heart racing, unsure of what he was going to say next. But instead of talking, he did something I didn't expect.
He kissed me.
His lips crashed into mine, urgent and desperate, like he'd been holding back for too long. For a split second, I froze, stunned by the intensity of it. But then the anger surged up inside me, and I pushed him away, shoving him back with all the strength I had left.
"What the hell, Jake?" I snapped, my voice shaking. "You can't just kiss me after everything that's happened! What do you want from me?"
He stood there, breathing heavily, his eyes burning into mine. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice raw. "But I can't keep pretending like I don't feel something for you, Laura. I tried. I really tried. But it's not working."
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. Part of me wanted to scream at him, to tell him he didn't get to play with my feelings like this. But the other part, the part that was still reeling from the kiss, couldn't ignore the way my body was reacting. I wanted him, even after everything, even after the hurt and the confusion.
I wanted him, and I hated myself for it.
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward me, my lips crashing into his for the second time. This time, I didn't push him away.
This time, I kissed him back…