I unlock my door and step in, closing it loudly behind me before locking it.

My heart . . . it hurts.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I go over all the reasons I should pack my bags and leave, but it all keeps coming back to the fact that I need this job. I didn’t tell Reign, but the other accounting firm I was working for decided they no longer needed me (I only got the call yesterday), which is fine because I took on all Reign’s work. However, now I’m likely to lose my job because of my big mouth and my stupid, needy heart.

I know to keep my job, but most of all, to keep my friendship with Reign, that I have to put my dress on and attend that dinner tonight. I have to smile, and be polite, and mingle, and make up for earlier. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, because I know he really doesn’t want me there; he made that very clear.

But I have to.

I spend the next two hours getting myself ready. I curl my hair softly, letting it fall in loose waves around my shoulders and down my back. I’ve put on a light layer of make-up, giving me a natural yet elegant look. The dress Reign got for me is all his taste—like he stared at it and just knew it would work. It’s long, sleek and black. It’s got tiny sequins all over it. The front dips low, exposing a good amount of cleavage, and the back drops right down to my hips.

I fight back my emotion as I pull out the gorgeous diamond necklace tucked in my shoebox. I pull it out and clip it on, swallowing as I get a final look at myself in the mirror. The dress hugs me in all the right places, making me long, lean and yet curvy. The black strappy heels give me that extra height I need. My hair looks stunning, falling around my shoulders. I just need to take a few calming breaths to get myself together.

When I’m ready, I take one last deep breath. I can do this—it’s only me holding myself back. I need to go and show Reign that I’m not a bitchy little child, but instead a woman who can behave exactly how she is supposed to, exactly how he wants me to. I clutch my purse to my side and step out of the room. As luck would have it, Reign and Selena are stepping out, too.

The moment he sees me, his face scrunches in shock, and then I see that breathtaking look a man gives a woman that just enters a ballroom wearing something stunning. The look you only see in movies. His eyes widen and his gaze travels down the length of my body, his lips parting slightly. He stares at me for what seems like hours before turning to look at Selena again.

Then his mask of anger is back, and my moment is gone.

He takes her arm and walks her to the elevator. I hurry along behind him and slip into the elevator before it closes. He doesn’t even try to stop it. The tension in that small space is so intense that my chest feels as though I’ve got a large brick sitting on it. I keep my eyes to the floor, not knowing if I should speak or just stay silent.

“Why are you coming?” Reign finally says.

I don’t move my gaze from the floor.

“Are you hearin’ me, Tia?”

I lift my eyes, meeting his. “I’m coming because it’s my job.”

The elevator dings and I step out, not giving him the chance to answer. The grand ballroom in the resort is filled with mingling people. I don’t know where to go; I don’t know who to speak to. Reign and Selena brush past me as if I don’t exist. I know he’s angry, but I’m trying, I’m trying to make it better. A man like Reign won’t accept just an apology. This is the best I can offer him.

The young man that was on the golf course earlier with us comes over, smiling at me as he places a kiss on my cheek. “Tiani, you look lovely.”

I immediately warm to him, simply because he’s easing the awkward tension I’m feeling in the room tonight. “It’s nice to see you again, ah, I didn’t catch your name earlier?”

“Josh,” he offers.

“It’s nice to meet you officially, Josh.”

Josh is nice looking. He’s not gorgeous, but he’s certainly not lacking. He’s tall, with a lean frame and messy brown hair that falls over his forehead. His eyes are a light blue and they match his pale skin perfectly.

“Would you like to dance?”

I let my eyes scan the room, and I see Reign glaring at me. Straightening my back, I turn back to Josh. “I’d love too.”

He takes my hand and leads me out onto the dance floor. We fall into a basic waltz, moving around the space with other dancers. I find myself smiling, grateful to Josh in this moment. We continue around the dance floor and I find myself loosening up, right up until the moment Reign pulls Selena out. Then his arms are around her and her head is buried into his shoulder and I just can’t take it.

I’m trying, trying to be everything he needs me to be, but I can’t.

I love him. I hate that I fucking love him, because it’s only going to end in disaster.

“I’m just going to the bathroom,” I whisper, smiling up at Josh. “Excuse me?”

He returns my smile. “Thank you for the dance.”

I quickly nod, pulling away from him and rushing off the dance floor before anyone sees how devastated I am. I rush out of the ballroom and down a few halls until I find a private room. I test the door handle and gasp with relief when it opens. I step inside, hesitant, hoping it’s empty.

It is.

I close the door behind me and walk over to the window, pressing my palms against it and leaning my forehead on the glass. Calm down, take a breath. You can do this. Just go back out with a smile, keep your cool, and then go back to the room. There’s no need for it to get to you like this.