Jared hadn’t really given me any answers. They were all excuses. I was growing pretty tired of them.

I glared at him, hoping he would say something. Anything that would make sense.

“The answer is very simple, Elsie. I don’t know why I never got in touch,” he finally replied.

I could feel the rage bubbling up inside me, making my skin crawl. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, before I emptied the second drink down my throat.

“You don’t know why. Is that all you have to say?” I hissed, and Jared sighed.

“I wish I knew the answer, Elsie. I just got caught up in my new life…I wasn’t thinking of Madison Green and what I left behind. I knew you were upset with me and I didn’t want a confrontation,” he replied.

I could have slapped him. That would be one way of getting the rage out of my system.

I didn’t do that, of course. No matter how badly I wanted to.

We weren’t teenagers anymore, and Jared was a rich and powerful man.

“I think I know why. You just didn’t think I was worth it. You had a new life and you didn’t want me to be a part of it,” I snapped at him.

I could see Jared’s gray eyes darkening. There was a storm brewing behind them. I’d seen that look before. I’d witnessed his temper and his rage many times when we were growing up.

The only thing that calmed him down back then, when he had these fits of rage, was me. I’d run away with him to the lake and we’d sit there and talk. I’d talk him through the anger, hold him back from breaking something. From getting into a fist fight with his dad.

But I hadn’t seen him in ten years. All of that had changed. I wasn’t his punching bag anymore.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Elsie,” Jared growled, and I rolled my eyes.

“Our town was never good enough for you. Neither was I.” I knew I was echoing Mona’s words, but it was all true.

“You’re being very dramatic right now, Elsie,” Jared scoffed, but as much as he tried to be civilized, I could see the rage brewing. I was getting under his skin. He was going to explode any minute now.

“I know I’m right. You ran away from Madison Green to get away from all of us. You have money now; you don’t need me. You can buy friends if you want, just like you bought that fancy fucking suit,” my voice was gravely in my throat. It hurt me to even say those words, but I felt he deserved them.

Jared banged the whisky glass down on the table. It made my empty cocktail glass shiver. A few gasps rang out around us from other tables. His bang had attracted attention. Jared leaned over the table, narrowing his eyes at me.

“You need to stop talking, right now!” he growled.

His reaction was satisfying. He was angry. Good.

Maybe now he might feel what I’d been feeling all these years. Pure rage.

I sat back in my chair and looked at him with a half-smile.

I’d forgotten how handsome he looked when his eyes had gone dark, when he was trying to control his anger. It made me feel victorious.

“Did I hit a nerve?” I asked.

He looked around at the people looking at us and settled back in his chair. I watched him pick up his glass again.

“I thought we could come here and catch up as friends. I guess I was wrong. All you’re interested in is making accusations and feeling sorry for yourself,” Jared said. I watched the way he gulped his whisky. It passed down his wide throat and he licked his lips.

How many nights had I stayed awake fantasizing about those lips? I gulped now, and the smile drooped on my face.

“I think I’ve earned the right to feel angry,” I snapped.

“Yes, you have. I apologized for my past actions. It was ten years ago, Elsie. Maybe we should move on.” He straightened the tie at his neck. I tracked his every movement. Nothing had changed. Jared always had the upper hand. He knew just what to say to make me fall under his spell.

“Move on to what? What exactly do you think will happen now? We become friends again?” I hissed.

Jared was watching me steadily, but he was breathing heavily too. I knew there was still some anger brimming under the surface.

“We can’t be friends anymore, can we?” He said that sentence, rather than asked.

I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. I knew we couldn’t be friends. I knew I couldn’t forgive him. I just hated hearing those words coming from him.

“As always, Jared, you know everything,” I remarked.

Picking up my purse from the table, I stood up. Jared stared at me, narrowing his eyes angrily at me.

“Where do you think you’re going? You just got here,” he growled. I pulled a few dollars out of my purse and slapped them down on the table.

“Away from you. You never should have come to my office. Didn’t you know I never wanted to see you again?” I hissed and whipped around, away from him.

I didn’t wait for a response. I had had enough. This time, I wasn’t going to let him break my heart. This time, I was going to be the one walking out on us.

He wasn’t following me as I weaved around the tables and headed for the doors. This was probably the last time I’d see him in person. Good for me.

I held my head high as I walked out. Just as long as I could hold back the tears till I got to the apartment, all would be okay.