By the time it was Wednesday, Rogue and I have not spoken to each other, and neither had he bothered to text me.

It was what not I had expected. I thought he would continue to bother me and demand to know why I left his house without saying anything to him, but he had left me alone, and I found that I didn't like it. He should have followed me straight back home, should've bombarded me with phone calls and text messages, but his silence was more torturous than his persistence.

I breezed into Robert's office to bring him a proposal that he asked for, looking miserable without trying hard to compose myself.

Robert looked up from his computer and lowered his glasses to his nose. "Having a bad day?" he asked. I couldn't even muster up the energy to plaster on a fake smile. I just passed him the proposal and sighed. "Here, this might cheer you up." He opened his drawer and slid me a bar of chocolate with a wink.

With a small, husky chuckle, I picked it up and thanked him, pocketing it.

"Are you also having boy trouble?" He gave me a look of sympathy, and I cocked my head in confusion, waiting for him to add on, which he did. "It seemed to be a weekly thing in the office. Last week was Brenda, and three days ago, it was Georgia."

"Ah," was all I could say, then shook my head. "And no, it's not boy trouble. I'm just not having a good day." I found the strength to smile. Lying was fine. Lying was good. It would have been embarrassing to admit that I was the third woman at the office to mope over a man.

Robert looked like he didn't believe me. "How about I cheer you up again?"

"More chocolate?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, not really." He pressed on his phone, and his assistant's voice came through.

"Yes, Mr. Sinclair?"

"Call Eli into my office now." After his order, he looked back up at me. "Don't worry, I think you will like this."

Not three minutes later, my attention was turned to the knock on the door, and Robert permitted him to enter. Eli waltzed inside the office with a smile plastered on his face. He nodded at me first, then glanced at Robert.

"You called, sir?"

"Yes, Eli. Beth will be escorting you to meet Mr. Black later. You can fill her in on what's going on after you leave here."

"Me?" I asked puzzled. Eli and I shared a look before he nodded and gave me a tight smile that I was sure didn't come from his heart. Everyone in the office knew Eli worked alone and hated being partnered up and have someone shine alongside him.

I had never really spoken to him for more than ten words, but I heard working with him was tough. He was haughty, and he always seemed to think everyone else was wrong except him. When he makes mistakes, he finds a way to blame the other person. In short, Eli was not someone I wanted to spend an hour with, but Robert wanted me to work with him. Could my day get any worse?

"Of course. I'm counting on you two to do a great job."

Eli and I excused ourselves out of the office. I saw him heading in another direction instead of stopping to tell me exactly where we would be going and what we would be doing. Realizing that it was one of his behavior, I gritted my teeth and followed him to his cubicle, where he was already seated.

"Where are we going," I asked him, and I didn't make sure I was asking nicely.

Eli didn't answer me. I watched him scribbled something on a paper and passed it to me without looking at me. I took it because I was curious about what was inside, and not because he was an annoying dick right now. I wondered if the men in my life would ever be less dicks, except for my dad and brother.

I read what was on the paper

Meet at Four Bliss Hotel in an hour. We go separately. Don't be late.

I scrunched the paper into a ball, throwing it at him. It hit him square in the cheek and bounced onto his desk. Eli looked at me and glared at me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, hurrying to search for something, and finally finding it, he stared at his cheek in the mirror, inspecting if I had left any damage on him. I snorted. For someone with good lucks, he had a nasty attitude and a bad taste in fashion. Charcoal grey sweater vest and blue shirt with a tie. His hair was perfectly slicked back with a gel.

"If you won't use your mouth, then there's more where that came from. I will see you in an hour." I slapped a smile on my face and turned, walking away from him.

I couldn't believe the asshole couldn't tell me with words as if I wanted to go along with him. If Robert hadn't pressed for me to go, I wouldn't have bothered with it. My mind was already all over the place with a certain someone, and I was not about to let another asshole ruin my day. I went back to my desk and plopped on it.

"I heard you would be working with Eli today." I heard Erica before I saw her. She perched herself on her chair and laughed. "You have a piece of work in your hands, Beth."

I groaned and chewed on my pen. "I don't know, I might end up killing him," I responded. "Either it ends like that, or I walk straight into traffic."

"You will be doing one for the team." Erica swiveled her chair around, effectively turning her back on me.

My phone vibrated with an incoming text. I went for it too fast until I realized how embarrassing that was, especially when I saw it wasn't from Rogue but West.

Dinner tomorrow?

I started to text back an excuse because I didn't think I would still be in the mood tomorrow, but then I froze mid-type and slumped in my chair. I sat, drumming my nail on my desk, trying to work out how I could get around this. I didn't want to have dinner with West, but I also didn't feel like leading him on when it would not end with anything. I would just be wasting his time.

My conclusion? I texted him back.

Sure. Text me the details.

Because I had suddenly made up my mind to let him go. Well, it was only a matter of time before it happened, and I didn't want to prolong it anymore. Sure, it would be painful and awkward, but I would rather choose that over using him for nothing.

I sat in my chair, fiddling my hair in anxious as I struggled to decide if what I would do was for the best. West or Rogue. Which man to take and which man to let go? Would I be making a bad decision if I let West go? Would I be making a terrible mistake for choosing Rogue? The man who had not been in contact with me for days now. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip, twiddling my hair. My phone alerted me of a text. I snatched it up quickly, finding a reply from West.

Can't wait to see you x

I dropped my arms on my desk and buried my head in them, feeling like absolute shit. West had been nothing but nice to me, treated me gently, and what do I do? I was a complete bitch for choosing an asshole over him. I needed help. If Lauren found out, she would spend the whole day screaming my ears off. Even she would agree Rogue was more of an asshole than Mason had been. She would not be happy with my decision.

I busied myself with work, working my way through heaps of quotations and schedules. At the same time, I was thinking of all sorts of things I would say to West and where to start from. An email was sent from Eli. I scanned it, and it was detailed of what I would be expecting and who would be meeting, along with a spreadsheet. Most of it was done perfectly and in order, so much like Eli.

An hour later, I left ten minutes early to meet with him at the hotel, all set for our appointment with Mr. Black. I didn't have Eli's number, and it was my fault that I forgot to ask. No matter, I was going to wait for him. I was directed into a sitting area with plush sofas. Beautiful art swamped the walls, and a fireplace dominated the room. I was offered something to drink, which I politely declined. Mr. Black was running late and was so Eli. I called someone at work to give me Eli's number, and when I tried calling, he didn't pick up. I texted him. Nothing.

I walked out of the room and took the elevator down to the lobby. I planned to wait for him in the reception area. Just as I head out of the elevator, I heard a distinct short of laughter, and my gaze slide toward the three groups of men hovering around another elevator as they waited for it to come down.

My lips slightly parted as my gaze pinned on him in a navy blue tailored suit, looking serious and delicious. He looked a bit different, though. He seemed tensed and well guarded. I would say he felt more like a stranger at that moment, especially when he accidentally caught my eyes. The crowd thinned out until the only thing I could see was him.

Rogue held my gaze, but there was nothing in his eyes. My heart sank immediately. Was he angry at me? I wasn't given the opportunity to stare at him any longer because the elevator opened, and he walked inside, not even bothering to say hi. I guess I deserved it. I also left him without saying goodbye.

I was right, then. He really was angry, but I never anticipated that I would feel like shit until he gave me the cold shoulder and acted like he didn't know me. It hurt a lot, more than I thought it would. I managed to get my legs working, but all I could feel was my chest tightening. I quickened my pace, making it through the seating area, but no sooner have I got to sit, I saw Eli waving me over, and I went to him.

"Where have you been?" I snapped. He was out of the clothes I had seen him wearing earlier. Now, he was wearing a black suit, and he adjusted his tie when he saw me looking at his clothes.

"I had to stop by home and change. I can't be meeting Mr. Black underdressed," he explained as we began to walk to the elevator.

"Well, why didn't you tell me to change too?"

"Because it doesn't matter if you change or not. It's my show, and you will just be an audience."

I felt like hitting him. We entered the elevator and hit our floor. "That's now what Robert said," I told him with a glare. "He said we would work together. He didn't say anything about being your doll."

"Whatever," Eli replied, shutting down the conversation. He knew I was right, and the asshole didn't want to listen to it.

It didn't take long before Mr. Black arrived. He smiled brightly at us, revealing a perfect row of white teeth.

"Please, accept my apologies for being late."

We rose from our seats as he approached, putting his hand out to me first with a smile. He took my hand and shook it. I let Eli handled the meeting but added a few words in when it was necessary. I tried to act like I was fine, but I wasn't. Seeing Rogue earlier made me feel awful. I tried to smile my way through the meeting, but considering I wanted to crawl into bed and cry, I had to keep holding it in. I had to get used to this feeling.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to a text from Rogue, which had me jerking, but I composed myself. I thought about opening it, but I shouldn't. I wasn't going to. He couldn't act like a complete stranger and then have the audacity to text me as if I had no pride in me. I ended up deleting the text before I could bring myself to read it.

No sooner than I deleted it, his call came. I squeezed my phone so hard I probably almost broke it. I rejected the call and pocketed the phone, trying to pay more attention to the meeting than the phone buzzing in my pocket.

I was mad. I was hurt. And now, I wouldn't even get the peaceful day that I wanted. Another thing that pissed me off? I allowed myself to be treated that way. I gave him the right to hurt me. If I hadn't done that, then I wouldn't be in this situation right now.

*

It was just after six, and everyone at the office was gone, except for me, Robert, and another co-worker. I decided to stay past working hours so I wouldn't go home and push myself to the brink of insanity. At least, before I could do that, I needed to remember that I was a strong woman who could handle being tossed aside. I used to do that myself, but I never thought about how the men I tossed aside had felt. I used to ghost them or outright reject them without feeling anything. It was funny how the tables had turned now, and I was now the one who was getting tossed aside.

However, I made a conclusion that I slept with Rogue Slade more than once, and I owned up to it. I was also strong enough to accept rejection. Moving on was the only way for me now. I was going to hold on to my pride and dignity. Yeah, that's right. Fuck Rogue Slade.

When I checked the time, it was a little after seven now. The lights in the office had been turned off, and the only one remaining was the spotlights in the meeting room, where I was sitting on top of the long table with crossed legs, my hair tied in a messy bun and papers spread out in front of me. I probably looked chaotic from the outside, but thank god no one was here to see me like this.

Every few minutes, I would ease up and massage my shoulders or hands, then look down at my work again. For the next several minutes, I was lost in my work, but I was aware of the air in the room changing.

Someone walked in and stood beside the table. I didn't want to turn my head, I didn't want to look in his direction, because I knew exactly who it was, and while I was pretending to be lost in my work to be aware of my surroundings, I didn't have to pretend I didn't care. But then, he held out his hand and knocked on the table, and I just had to look at him.

I inhaled slowly. Because, damn, he looked wicked hot, even in a suit. Hotter than last time I had seen him, which was earlier, and I was forced to remember what exactly happened earlier. I grew cold, and yet, I couldn't deny that his nearness felt like a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel. I looked away from him.

"You weren't answering my texts or calls." His voice dripped with displeasure as he pulled out a chair and sat on it. I stole a glance to see him crossing his legs, his hands on his knees as he watched me.

"That should tell you something," I answered confidently and with an edge to my voice.

He reached for my hand. My fingers recoiled, just a slight clench and tension. He withdrew. "You're mad at me."

Every second of that moment played again, in fast forward, then slow motion, then fast again. It echoed through me and made me angrier. "That's a real question."

"I'm here to fix things," Rogue stated.

Here to fix things? Did I feel relieved? Angrier? I couldn't muster any emotion one way or another. Coming from him, guilt was highly unlikely and the last thing I saw coming. He had done worse, and he never apologized for it. I almost laughed. I would have if I didn't think I would end up yelling at him.

I turned my head. I stared at him and tried to look away, but he held my gaze steady, and if I stared any longer, I thought I might be pulled down. His words made no difference to me.

"There's nothing to fix," I told him, waving my hand to my papers. "As you can see, I have a lot of work to finish up, and I want to go home. If you can kindly leave, that would be great."

Silence settled in the meeting room for a few seconds.

"Are these assholes letting you work late while they're gone?"

I shut my eyes and gripped my pen, blocking out the concern I thought was fake. When I opened them, I avoided his gaze. "No, it is my choice," I replied tightly. "not that it's any of your business."

"Of course, it is," Rogue remarked instantly. "I said I would take care of you. That includes seeing that you don't get stressed out at work." A hint of a smile touched his lip, and for some reason, it cut through me.

I felt shaky all over again. "Wow, your concern is so touching, but I never asked you to. I don't want you to. Please, leave." I glanced at him, wondering if he would read what was on my face and finally let me be alone right now. I was terrified to find out the answer.

Rogue continued to look at me, his face a twisted mask of indecision. "It's not that so easy to get me to leave, you know that."

"How can you talk to me after what you did?" I paused, taking a moment to collect myself as much as my thoughts, letting the sparks of anger wrapped itself around me. "You made your point to me earlier, and I accepted it. I made peace with it."

Rogue reared back as if I had slapped him. He suddenly wasn't so playful; he looked angry and hurt. "You're not going to hear what I have to say?" he asked, his voice strained and tight.

"I'm not interested," I snapped harshly. The burning in my chest felt like it was spreading, and it was the anger and hurt that had been quietly roaring within me was now oozing to the surface to lash at him.

"That's too bad. I'm interested in explaining, and I don't have to listen to you." His tone was cold and final. When I didn't attempt to be listening to him, he found himself at my side, taking hold of my arm and pulling me to the edge of the table. He stood me in front of him now, leveling his eyes with mine as his arms caged me, his palms resting on the table. I leaned back, and he followed.

His eyes flashed me coolly. "When I saw you earlier, I wanted to walk up to you and kiss you," he confessed, his voice husky.

"Aw, that's so sweet. I could really see the intention in your eyes, Rogue. You definitely looked at me like you knew me. I even enjoyed the conversation we had, although it had to be cut short. Maybe next time, it will be different."

I felt his surprise, though he made no outward reaction. He didn't move even an inch. "You said you didn't want to make this public. I was only heeding to your words."

I rewarded him with a full glare that was filled with malice. "So, what? I never said you couldn't talk to me in public or act like you don't know me! For fucks sake, our companies worked together! No one is going to say something if you say hi to me."

He grinned, as though he could sense how deep it hurt and why it hurt me. "I apologize, Beth. I misunderstood you."

"Easy for you to say. I don't want your apology. I just want you gone."

"Bethany," he dragged my name out, and something about it made me pause and listen. "You would have freaked out if I had just walked up to talk to you. You know this. I agreed to be your little secret, but you can't act this way every time I grant your wishes. You didn't tell me how to act around you in public. I didn't want to make a mistake and jeopardize what we have."

He was right. I couldn't even deny it. I would have reacted exactly this way, or much worse than this, had he approached me earlier. My cheeks were painted a little red. I hated how right he was because it would mean I was doing all of this for nothing. I needed to switch it back on him, so I wouldn't admit that he had been right and owe him again because I knew he would demand to be owed.

"You say this and then don't contact me for three days. How am I supposed to believe you?" I asked after a beat.

Rogue moved closer, pressing right up against the table. He didn't hide the smirk that overtook his face. "You missed me, didn't you?" he concluded with a soft chuckle.

I wrapped my hands along the edge of the table, needing the support. "Answer my question."