Jaguar:

"It’s really a bummer. I was really looking forward to this date."

Aster had been upset ever since I told her we had to leave.

"At least let us eat the food I’ve already ordered," she complained again.

"Aster, I can’t delay this. I have to be somewhere in twenty minutes, and it’s really urgent," I replied, growing increasingly annoyed.

I was waiting for her to fucking get up.

Verity had told her date that she had to be somewhere in twenty minutes, and she had gotten up and left.

Her date paid the bill and left after her, but I made sure to crane my neck around and confirm that they went their separate ways.

Thankfully, they did.

That was because I had told her to meet me.

She had texted me that she was outside, so I told her to wait for me at the station.

Now I did not want her standing there waiting for me while I wasted time here.

I knew a woman like Verity was a target.

She was pretty.

She was very hard to ignore.

So I could not take that risk with her.

"Well, okay," she pouted, getting to her feet.

"You don’t have to come with me. Just pack the food, or maybe call your friends or do whatever you want, okay?" I said as I hurried out of my chair.

She had a look on her face as if she could not believe what had just happened while I practically sped away.

I quickly headed downstairs and reached my car when my phone buzzed.

Gigi.

Oh no.

I had completely forgotten about her.

I had only stopped here for fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

And in those fifteen minutes, my blood pressure had risen so high that it felt like it was boiling beneath my skin.

Seeing Verity with that man made me feel like I was going crazy.

I don’t know what I had been thinking.

Did I really believe I could ignore her and everything would be fine? That I would simply move on?

Did I really think her life would stop?

That she would stay single forever?

Of course not.

Women like her were desirable.

Everybody wanted to be with them.

"Hello?" I responded slowly as I got into the car.

"Where are you, Jaguar?" Gigi asked in a not-so-cheerful tone.

I paused, staring at the restaurant.

"I’m on a date with Aster. Is everything okay?" I asked.

There was silence on the other end.

"All right. You started dating her," she commented, and I could hear the sadness in her voice. "Okay. Have fun."

That was all she said before hanging up.

I stared at the phone in my hand while gripping the steering wheel with the other.

Then I grunted and dialed her number again.

"What?" she answered immediately. "Why are you calling me now? Go spend time with Aster."

"Gigi, I—"

Her tone was so sad that I could already picture her pouting, looking innocent and hurt.

"I was meaning to talk to you, actually–" I paused while catching my breath.

Before I could continue, she spoke again.

"Yeah, well, you didn’t have to. Now I get why she laughed at me."

The words made my frown deepen.

"Who laughed at you?" I asked, my jaw tightening.

She took a moment before responding.

"No one. Just ignore it."

But she had already said enough.

Of course, knowing Gigi, she would never want me clashing with my girlfriend.

Gigi always hid her pain from us, but sooner or later, we found out anyway because she was terrible at hiding it.

She was honest.

And eventually, that honesty always slipped out.

"Gigi, tell me. And I know you wouldn’t lie to me."

The moment I said it, I knew she would be forced to tell me.

"She met me at the building today, and she was kind of cocky about it. Like, you didn’t even tell me you were getting back together with her. So, yeah, it’s my fault. It’s your life. I shouldn’t be meddling in your relationships anyway. It’s just that you’ve given me so much comfort over the years that I thought I had a say in it. But I guess I was wrong. I’m just—"

She paused as her voice shook slightly.

I did not want to imagine her crying because of me.

"Gigi, I didn’t know she would do that. And no, I didn’t choose her. I was fucking calling another ex of mine for a rebound, for a one-night stand. I accidentally dialed her number, so no, she doesn’t mean anything to me," I spat out.

Part of me would have loved for Gigi to repeat those words to Aster just to get back at her, but I knew Gigi would never do that.

I would have to stand up for her myself.

Even if you handed Gigi enough information to completely destroy someone’s reputation, she would never use it.

That was just who she was.

So it was pointless.

At least it would comfort her to know that I had not chosen Aster over her.

"You did?" she asked.

"Of course I did. You know what? I didn’t even stay for dinner with her. I’m leaving her there. I’m literally standing her up. She’s alone in the restaurant."

Once again, I explained exactly how badly I had treated Aster.

What I did not tell her was that I had done it because of Verity, not because of Gigi.

"You don’t have to do so much, but every time you do little things like this, I can’t help remembering my dream."

A small laugh escaped her lips, and honestly, my mood improved immediately.

"No, say it again," I teased as I drove comfortably with one hand on the steering wheel.

"Remember that dream where I saw you as some Greek god who was helping me? You’re my hero."

She laughed, and I nodded to myself.

That gave me such a boost.

Gigi was always encouraging us, always patting us on the back, building our confidence, and reminding us of our worth.

She was the best thing that had ever happened to us.

"Okay, where are you headed right now?"

The moment she asked, I bit my bottom lip.

She sounded excited.

She was probably already looking forward to spending time with me, maybe playing a game of chess together.

But I had somewhere else to be.

Which meant I needed a lie.