Resist Me Not

32

As shocked as I was at my own decision to return my ring to Eric, I knew it was the right one. It also stunned Becca and Sasha when I returned to their apartment and told them what happened. Of course, they were supportive, and even Becca added that she was proud of me. She was proud that I did a selfless act so that Eric could now move on with his life, and I could move on with my own.

Now that I knew I wasn't going to be living with Eric anymore, that meant I had to start looking for a new place to live. I knew staying with Becca and Sasha was only temporary, and I did not intend to outstay my welcome.

I also knew that I had to break the news to my parents. I dreaded my dad's reaction most of all and figured I'd wait to tell them. At least until I contacted all the vendors to try to get some or all of the deposits refunded. Even though I knew the chances were slim, I had to at least try.

Sasha also thought it'd be a good idea to wait a little while before we started sending out letters to the guests that the wedding was canceled. She mainly suggested that because she was dreading the idea of stuffing more envelopes. I agreed with her and told her we could wait a week before we'd have to bite that bullet.

On Monday, while Adam was busy helping Peter with the preliminary designs for Dr. Nicholson's private school, I was busy getting the construction forms and permits together. Dr. Nicholson was hoping to break ground and complete the build before the start of the next fall semester. 

While working on the documents, I also managed to shoot a few emails back and forth with the florist and photographer, as well as squeeze in a moment to check out various apartment rental postings.

"What? No hello?" Ryan startled me as I was hyper-focused on sending a tour request for an apartment and didn't hear or see him approach my desk.

Plus, I didn't expect him to be back until later that afternoon. Per his email, I received that morning, he was delayed in leaving Connecticut.

I clapped my hand over my heart. "You scared me!" I turned to look up at him and saw that he had a swollen, black eye and a cut on his lower lip. I reactively gasped and moved my hand from my chest to cover my mouth. "What happened to you?"

Ryan touched his finger to his cut lip. "Oh, nothing. I tried breaking up a bar fight last night."

"Why would you do a stupid thing like that?"

"You weren't watching porn, were you?" There was the old Ryan I knew, changing the topic and making a highly inappropriate comment.

I looked at him unamused. "Do I look like the kind of girl who watches porn? Especially at work?"

I could see the pain it caused him as he smirked at me. "Where else would you have learned that crazy position we did in the cleaning supply closet not too long ago?"

If I was still as mad as I was last week, after what he did and what Adam had told me, I would have slapped him right on his bruised eye. But of course, I was raised better than that. I laced my fingers together and rested my arms on my desk. "Should you even be at work, looking like that? It doesn't look very professional."

"I wasn't planning on staying very long. I just stopped in to pick up some of the resumes to review for my new assistant." Ryan flashed me a stack of papers that he held in his hand. He cleared his throat, and I noticed him looking around with his one good eye to make sure no one was nearby or approaching. "Plus, I was wondering if maybe I could take you to lunch. I wanted to apologize for everything that I did to you and...you know... before I left."

"I can't."

"Oh? Adam's got you working on another project already? He mentioned to me how you helped get the private school project off the ground quickly." He sat on the edge of my desk, trying to appear casual.