I Stopped Chasing Him, and My New Boss Was His Brother novel · Chapter 3 of 32

Chapter 3: Meet Halfway

Hugh offers excuses and a compromise, and Joelle answers 'Okay, I understand.' His panic starts when she is not angry.

"Jo, I can explain."

Hugh crossed the room in his slippers and took my hand.

His palm was damp.

"Our apartment is too far from the institute."

"The commute eats two hours a day, so I crash here sometimes to finish work. That's all it is."

Tansy stood in the kitchen doorway with the kettle in her hand. She looked at the floor.

"There is nothing going on between Tansy and me," Hugh said. "Nothing."

"The matching pillows?" I asked.

"They were cheaper as a set. It didn't mean anything."

"The watch?"

"I leave it here so I don't lose it in the field."

He had an answer for everything. He always did.

I said nothing, and I watched him wait for me to cry.

When I didn't, his voice cooled.

"You see? This is what I mean. You get so clingy."

"You never give me any room to breathe. Tansy and I are colleagues. Believe it or not, that's up to you."

He let go of my hand.

"Every relationship needs space, Jo. We both made mistakes. Let's meet halfway. I'll move my things out of here by next week. Okay?"

The ringing in my ears faded slowly.

I looked at his face and noticed something new.

He was nervous.

Not about what I had seen. About what I would do.

For five years he had known exactly what I would do, and now he didn't.

I pulled my hand out of his and smiled. It was a small, polite smile.

"Okay," I said. "I understand."

Hugh stared at me. "What?"

"I believe there's nothing between you. She's your junior. Of course you look out for her."

Tansy's mouth opened and closed.

Hugh followed me out the door and down the stairs with his slippers still on.

He didn't notice until we reached the sidewalk.

He kept talking behind me. I kept walking.

"Jo, wait. You're being strange."

"I'm tired."

"You're not angry?" His voice cracked on the last word. "You just found out I've been staying with another woman, and you're not angry?"

"Didn't you just explain it?"

"Yes, but before, you would have..."

He trailed off.

I turned the corner and walked faster.

I had spent five years chasing Hugh. I had forgotten something simple.

I didn't need to discuss a breakup with him or argue for it or win it.

I only needed to tell him.

I would tell him, but not here on a sidewalk, with Tansy leaning out of the window above us.

I wanted my transfer to go through first.

I wanted no complications.

At the corner, I called a ride.

He stood there in his plaid slippers until the car pulled away.

That night I packed three more boxes.

My phone buzzed every few minutes.

The first said: "My parents are coming to Newford on Saturday. You've always wanted to meet them. Come to lunch and I'll introduce you."

The second said: "Why are you still at your friend's place?"

It went on: "If you act like this, why pretend to be so understanding in front of Tansy?"

The third said: "Jo, I'm warning you. My parents want a mature, well-mannered daughter-in-law."

It ended: "If you act childish, I can't promise they'll like you."

I read the first one and thought about the cropped photo on his desk.

Five years, and I had never met his parents.

Now they were coming to look at me.

I turned on Do Not Disturb and went back to wrapping my coffee cups in newspaper.

An hour later, one notification slid through anyway, from the HR director.

It said: "Joelle, a man named Hugh Pendry just called asking for your desk number."

It went on: "I didn't give it to him. Thought you'd want to know."

← Chapter 2 · All chapters · Chapter 4 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend