The Deal

The Falling Leaf

I'm too careless, too cruel, too much like my dad.

It doesn't matter that we're not in a relationship, but we are intimate with each other and there is a certain vulnerability to that. One I totally just threw back in her face. It doesn't even matter that I got caught, the fact that I said those things at all has been keeping me from a restful night of sleep.

Even Hitchcock has been giving me some real attitude lately and if I didn't know any better, I would think that the Roux clan has some kind of control over cats.

I discreetly check my phone once again and try not to sigh when I see no new notifications. It's been a week now since the party. I haven't heard a single word from Nova, not that I'm surprised. She's also skipped our training session this week, but I wasn't expecting her anyway. It's been a week without seeing her or hearing her melodic voice. A full week of me groveling over voicemail and unanswered texts.

A week of no sleep, little food consumption and a lot of nausea, a week of shame, and a week of loneliness.

Not that I don't deserve it.

"What? Checking to see if your little cuckoo fuck-buddy wants a booty call?"

The pervy edge in Liam's voice is almost as bad as the vile words that actually come out of his mouth.

My knuckles go white around my phone and I fear that I may actually snap it in half, but better my phone than his leering grin. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to take a few deep breaths –no need to cause a scene in this pub right now.

I try to channel some of Nova's positive energy to calm down, but it only makes me head start to ache. It's time I start to backpedal on the rumor I started Halloween night.

"If you're referring to Nova, you're wrong. She's not... We're not... I was just being an asshole the other night. We don't have that type of relationship, I'm just her trainer."

His leer morphs into a mocking grin and a sudden bark of laughter jolts my already nervous stomach, "I knew it! There is no way you could land a bird like that! She might be crazy, but she's also crazy hot."

It takes every ounce of control within me not to punch the jeering smile off his face. If only he knew that I could and did land a bird like that. Multiple times, actually, and in many different positions...

But... that would be counter-productive.

"Fuck off, you twat," Liam laughs as if I was kidding and it only seems to goad me on, "Don't act like you're not with someone who's way out of your league."

There's that word vomit again.

But, as usual, Liam is oblivious to my growing animosity towards him and envy towards his relationship. He only laughs again, the gruff sound grating on my nerves, and grabs the remote to the telly hung above the bar.

"Zoe? Please, she got the jackpot when I asked her out. I'm hot, I'm smart, and I'm hot. She got the whole package."

And that's about all I can take for the day. I grab my keys and my phone and tell Liam I have errands to run. He only waves me off and flips the channel to a football game like he couldn't care less if I was there or not.

I'm starting to wonder why I'm even friends with this prick in the first place.

Slipping on my leather jacket over my white jumper, I step out into the biting autumn air and try not to check my phone again.

The sun is falling into the horizon, casting a warm glow on the emptying streets before me. The sidewalk has turned red with leaves that crunch under my feet and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks lulls me into a dreamy state as I make my trek home.