How to Not Fall for My Boss ✔

22. Closure

Summer. When the days get longer, the stars shine brighter, skins get darker, the water gets warmer, the music gets louder, and life gets better. Cobie agreed and witnessed how true the quote was except for the last beat. Until today.

After being forced to deal with the darkest parts of her life in the past few weeks, she is now starting to see life on the other side; the side she'd shut off for almost a decade. Sitting at Ebirra's terrace with an iced coffee in hand, she's ready to get rid of the barrier that has been preventing her from moving forward.

Once the man is plopping down in front of her, she smiles at him. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me here, Peter."

Peter shrugs, resting his hands on the table, his eyes dull and the signature smirk on his lip gone. The evidence from the basement fight a month ago has left no trace, yet, something about him has changed. "You know I would do what you asked me for, Cobie."

Pushing all the crude remarks to the back of her mind, Cobie nods. "I appreciate that. You should order something for yourself, but it won't take too long, though. I know you still need to pack up for your flight tomorrow."

"It's okay. I'm good for now."

"Okay." Cobie plays with her straw, mindlessly stirring her beverage. "How's work? I can't believe it has been over a month since you started."

"It's alright. Not that great but I can live with it. I need the money," he replies. "And what about you? You look great by the way."

"Thank you. I'm doing..." Cobie is trying to find the correct word for that. Great? Good? Okay? "Better. Mom is in residential care now. So, it's just me and Rose, and soon, she will start her full-time job. Everything falls into place. Yeah."

"That's great to hear."

"And I'm seeing a therapist."

"Oh." Peter seems a bit off guard from her last line. "Cool."

"Well, my first appointment will be next month, and it's the very reason why I ask you to meet me here." Cobie clears her throat. "I've some questions to ask, and I would love to hear the answers directly from you, not from the lines you type on the chatbox."

Peter swallows, and his Adam's apple bobs. "Okay. Shoot."

Cobie sits back, unconsciously taking her distance from him. She rests her hands on her lap, palms down. "Did you ever love me?"

"I...guess so." Peter frowns as he stares at her glass. "I was kinda infatuated with you before everything went downhill."

"Infatuation is not love," she replies. "But you did like me back then when you asked me out, right?"

"Of course. I liked you a lot. You were so...different."

Cobie nods. "What happened after that? Did I bore you after the infatuation wore off?"

"Cobie..."

"It's alright, Peter. It won't hurt me anymore. I just need answers."

Shifting in his seat, Peter runs his fingers through his dark hair. "Sort of. But that's also what I felt with every other girl. Once I got them in my bed, the excitement was over."

"I thought I was not like the other girls."

"You were, trust me, but I was the Bratty Peter, remember? I couldn't stop with one girl or it would taint my reputation."

"You stopped with the girl you left me for."

"I..." He sighs, the growing discomfort showing on his face. "Things were different with her. It was just way more intense and crazy."