“It’s over.” Jane sounds surprised by her own admission and I sense relief in the way her shoulders relax like the weight of the world has been lifted off them.

But Zac doesn’t accept her break up. “You won’t leave me. I’m going to be famous and you’ll forever hate yourself for leaving me.”

Jesus, doesn’t he realize how cringy it is to tell a girl that she obviously doesn’t mean it because you might, maybe, perhaps be famous one day? No, you won’t, I want to tell him. But this isn’t my fight. As much as I hate this shitty excuse for a human being, it’s Jane who has to handle this.

Jane seems tired of it, as if she’s had this conversation before and it turned out exactly the same as this time will. The look in her eyes screams that she’s trapped in a relationship that’s going nowhere. And she’s tired of it.

“Zac, I wouldn’t love you even if you were famous.”

Damn. I’m proud of her for just spilling it like that.

Zac isn’t done being an idiot arguing his own points like some kind of stupid devil’s advocate. “No, you would have been the only one to love me before. But now you’ll forever be the girl who broke up with me and didn’t support my career.”

That’s what this guy thinks will work? Does he think Jane is so stupid she’ll fall for this pathetic manipulation?

“It’s not your career if you’ve never made money doing it,” Jane says. She’s got a point.

“Do you really want to tell the world you dumped the next Shia LaBeouf?” Zac says.

I’ve… got no words.

“It’s over. Good luck in your acting career. I’m sure the world will love you,” Jane says, her whole body saying she doesn’t believe this is the end of things.

“Did you hear her?” I ask, leaning toward him just a little bit.

Zac’s bitter expression turns my direction. “This is why I tracked her phone. She’s just a cheating whore. How long have you been fucking her?” He’s on his feet in a flash and I cross my arms, amused at his little show of temper. He’s like a little dog, he can bounce around and make as much noise as he wants, at the end of the day, he’s still a little dog.

“I’ll fight for her,” he says, lifting his fists while dancing on his feet a little, like a guy who’s watched too many Kung Fu movies without any real knowledge how fighting really works.

“Zac, don’t.” Jane sounds like she can’t believe how stupid her ex is being right now. I find it impressive that she doesn’t sound surprised, just upset she has to tell him again to stop being an idiot. It makes me wonder how many times she’s saved him from himself.

As I stare at him, I wonder what I should do. Knock him on his ass? Or stay put so he can have that feeling that I really don’t see him as any kind of threat.

I think that’s the winner.

“She said it’s over. Leave.” I say and he seems to deflate a little bit.

It’s a bit of a relief that he has no idea what’s really going on between Jane and I. If he was more in tune with her, he might be able to figure out that she’s not here willingly. That she’s here because I require it. But he’s so caught up in his narrative that I’m fucking her that he has never let the thought that it might be anything else cross his mind.

It’s sad, really. I bet he could fix everything if he’d save her from me.

“No,” he says, his fists and feet resuming their movements. “We’re going to fight for her.”

Jane continues being the voice of reason. “Zac, even if you won, I wouldn’t take you back.”

Again, he seems to feel the words like a blow. I’m wondering why the hell he’s not backing off. What is with this girl? Why is he fighting so hard to keep her? There’s more to this, I know it.

I glance at her and her whole body tenses as her hazel eyes meet mine. The way her lips part is an invitation, and I want nothing more than to see my cock slide past those pretty pink lips.

As if reading my thoughts, she swallows, the motion of her throat enough to knock every thought from my mind. Fuck.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Zac tense up and know what he’s going to do next. I sidestep as he lunges at me. He’s swinging wildly as if he’s just hoping to at least make contact once.

He doesn’t.

I grab his collar and hold him away from my body. I’ve got enough length I can keep him from landing any blows. Still, he twists as he continues swinging wildly. With him in tow, I walk toward the front door holding him like I’m taking out the trash. An apt description, I think.

Opening the door, I shove him out. I watch with more than a little satisfaction as he sails into the wall across the way. The thud of him hitting, and the surprise in his eyes as he bounces off and turns to me is worth it.

“I hope I don’t see you again,” I tell him, knowing by the way his eyes widen that he hears the threat loud and clear.

“You’re not getting her money,” he says, impatiently shifting his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes and straightening the lapel of his button down shirt.

“You’re shit if all you wanted was her money,” I say, everything suddenly making sense. Of course he doesn’t want to lose her. What a loser. “Get a job,” I tell him, closing the door.

On the other side I hear him shout at me. “I have a job! I’m an actor.”