The Heart Thief

the heart thief - |31|

           "I quit," he said, his lips curving into a smirk. "I quit the company, so now I'm unemployed."

           My eyes bulged. "You did what?" I wasn't aware that I had shouted the words out.

            "Why is everyone reacting like I killed someone?" he murmured, playing with the fruit bowl.

           "Wait—" I chuckled because I couldn't tell if he was honest or not. "You, the CEO of Harley quit the company and left them to fed for themselves?"

           His lips pinched together as he nodded in confirmation. "Pretty much."

           I huffed out a breath in disbelief, staring as he slipped out of the stool and started walking away. I trailed after him as he scooped up a box from the floor and spun around. I almost collided with him, and the small intimacy strangled my breath. I took a small step back while he smiled.

           He extended the box to me, and I hesitated before taking it, half-expecting a surprise to jump out and startle me. Roman leaned closer, his posture revealing a sense of anticipation. "Go ahead, open it."

           Gingerly, I unfolded the flaps of the box. Nestled within was a white t-shirt, and a perplexed expression crossed my features. He was one step ahead, snatching the shirt and hoisting it up for me to read the bold black letters printed on the front.

           "The unemployed," I recited aloud, my gaze lifting to meet his. "You can't be serious." Carefully, I set the box aside.

           Roman's mischievous grin widened as I shot him a playful glare. He shrugged, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Hey, I thought it's a perfect fit considering our recent job status changes," he quipped, his tone light.

           I rolled my eyes. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

           He chuckled, a warm sound that echoed through the room. "Just trying to lighten the mood a bit," he said, his voice sincere now. "It's not the end of the world. We'll bounce back from this. Plus, it's not every day you get to wear a shirt that's the envy of all those nine-to-fivers."

           I shook my head, still bemused by his antics. "Why'd you think I'd wear this?" I muttered, but the annoyance I pretended to feel was quickly melting away.

           Roman's eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned in closer, his playful demeanor unabated. "Oh, come on," he retorted with a grin. "It's the latest fashion trend for the jobless elite. You'd look great in it."

           "Right, because 'The Unemployed' is totally the fashion statement I've been waiting for." As he lowered the shirt and placed it back in the box, I reached out to gently nudge his shoulder. "Are you high? Should I call Isaac to pick you up?"

            His face suddenly turned sour and he wasn't smiling anymore. "Not even going to offer me a bed to spend the night on?" he asked. "Two weeks ago, I was all over your bed and house." He inched closer. My breath was caught somewhere between my heart and my throat. I couldn't seem to set it free. Before I could take another step back, his arm reached out to wound it around my waist, tugging me close. I fell into his chest, gasping.

           When he spoke, the words cracked like fragile glass. "Don't you miss it?" He leaned closer, his cheek brushing against mine as he whispered. Our chests brushed, shivering against one another. "Don't you miss us? Just, listen to me."

           As much as I wanted to close my eyes and press my lips against his, I was instantly reminded of why we couldn't, why I shouldn't fall into his arms like that. It was nothing about him. I was wounded, embarrassed, and humiliated because I fell in love with him. The way his people treated me stung. I was discarded like I was nothing. No matter how much I felt about Roman, I couldn't feel like that again.