Taron Egerton moves into Isobel's apartment building and becomes her new neighbor, but he's pissing her off at every chance he gets despite his charms.
He doesn't tell her his real last name and who he really is and as the two begins a neighbor war...
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Chapter | Twenty Four
I had shifted partners at work, at the club. Torrance hadn't questioned why, but I got Thomas instead of Clara. I had returned to my apartment four days after the incident with Taron and Clara. I hadn't talked to any of them. I wasn't about to start now. I worked well with Thomas, I didn't mind the new change for once. It was different.
I had put on a short skirt and a top, a more daring outfit, believe it or not, it wasn't because of the situation, I just hadn't done my laundry all week seeing as I had been gone.
I did the tricks for people to watch as I fixed their drinks, even Thomas looked at me impressed by my skills. I couldn't say that I cared at this point, normally I acknowledged compliments but today I didn't give a single fuck.
"Hi Jamie" I called out as he approached the bar, I shot a wink at my old friend and he sat down and smiled. I immediately got started on his usual drink.
"Did you lose weight? You look different?" He asked and I shrugged. I hadn't been eating as much as I should the last couple of days. I forgot.
"A few pounds" I said and shrugged and he smiled and nodded his head to my words. "Where's that boyfriend of yours?" He asked and looked around, with a brow raised in confusion.
Taron was always around whenever I worked, everyone knew he would be close whenever he was home and I was working.
"What boyfriend?" I said and Jamie's jaw dropped in surprise. I chuckled dryly and placed his drink in front of him. "I'm so sorry, what happened?" He asked with a frown.
"Life just doesn't always give you the right ones" I said and shrugged, not knowing what else to say. If I started explaining I would be on the floor sobbing within seconds.
Jamie got the message that I wasn't talking about it. Thomas whistled and nodded his head, to switch, I nodded and took over. A bunch of young women were at his end of the bar.
"What can I do for you ladies?" I asked and got ready for their orders. "You can start by getting that hot piece of ass back here" One said and made a 'raw' sound as she looked at Thomas.
I cringed and mentally threw up in my mouth. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Can I take your orders?" I asked once again.
"Fine, strawberry daiquiri, a mojito, a vodka redbull and a sex on the beach" She listed, I mentally noted everything and got started on the drinks.
It didn't take long for me to finish their drinks and send them on their way, away from Thomas. "Thanks" He muttered to me when we switched back.
"Of course" I replied and served the customers. Everything was going smoothly until Taron stood in the crowd, looking at me. He looked heartbroken, a shell of the man he used to be.
Perhaps it was the lies about his identity? Who would know.
I clenched my jaw to remain strong as he just stood there. He looked like he was crying. The fact alone sent a jab to my heart.
"You good?" Thomas asked and put his hand on my waist to get my attention. I looked up at him and nodded before switching places, getting a new bottle of vodka for my own station.
I didn't want to look his way, I couldn't. I had a job to do. He was going to break me in the middle of my fucking work. Why would he come here? Why?
It didn't take long for Taron to take a seat in front of me. I froze as he did so. "Please, hear me out" Was the first thing he said. His voice cracked and I looked up at him.
Big fucking mistake.
He hadn't shaved for days, his beard was growing, his eyes were red and puffy. He had dark bags under his eyes, he practically looked like shit.
My throat tightened and I cleared it. "No" I said and stepped back, to create more distance between us, it seemed necessary. I don't know why.
"Izzy, please. I can explain everything" Taron begged. "No, I'm fully aware of the situation. It was all a lie, I was a hundred percent into this, you weren't at all" I scoffed.
"Isobel, no. I may not have told you everything, but it's real, what we have is real–I love you, please–let's just talk about it" Taron protested. His words only made it hurt even more.
He claims that he loves me, but if he truly did–then how could he go for seven months in our relationship without telling me who he really was? We knew each other for three months before we began dating, he had three months–then he got seven more. How could he do this?
"Lies" Was all I said, my face hardened as I worked up the courage to throw him out, to continue my night at work. When I responded so simply to Taron his face fell, I called him a liar. He was, he knew that as well.
"Leave, Taron. Don't come here again, otherwise I'll get Trev and Diego to throw you out" I warned him, I had made up my mind. "We're done" The words escaped my mouth in the heat of the moment. I didn't want to be the one to end it, I had hope.
I didn't anymore.
Taron's face turned into a painful expression, he shook his head in denial and ran around the bar, to corner me. I shook my head no as he approached me.
I could feel his body heat, he was furious and devastated at the same time. He tried to cup my face, but I stopped him. Grabbing his hands in my own, I looked down at them as tears escaped. I was no longer strong enough to keep it in.
"You need to leave" I said in between sobs, he looked down at me with shattered eyes, they were cold, broken. His lip trembled as he struggled with keeping his breakdown inside.
"I need you to leave" I corrected myself and looked up at him. He shook his head and squeezed my hands. "You promised you wouldn't leave me" He said with a crack to his voice.
"What?" I said and my own voice broke. "At New Years, you promised me you would never leave me, you promised–you gave me your word" Taron said. He knew it was a loose thread to attempt to use this against me, but he didn't know what else to do.
I was slipping through his fingers and he felt every finger slip from me. I pried his hand off of mine and put my hands on his chest to stop him from coming closer.
"I didn't know the truth, so it doesn't matter what I promised you" I half whispered. He shook his head desperately and his hands wrapped around my waist as I kept trying to push him back.
"Taron, don't make this harder than it has to be. I'm at work, please" I begged him. I knew Thomas was watching along with a few customers.
"Please, promise me you'll let me explain. When you're ready to hear it, let me explain everything, please" Taron begged me, his hold around my waist tightened and I knew he was getting desperate and he knew Diego was coming towards us.
"Fine, when I'm ready. We'll talk, but now please leave me alone. Just leave, please" I begged him. I could practically hear his heart breaking when I begged him to leave me alone.
"Okay" He whispered and let his hands slowly slide down to my hips, he then let them fall to his sides. Defeated, broken and helpless.
"Okay" I half whispered, I slowly put my hands down, removing them from the firm place on his chest. His breath hitched as I did so, the coldness from the lack of my hands on his skin.
I know, because I felt it too. Everything had changed. He reached his thumb up and wiped my tears away and before I could protest, he pressed a kiss to my temple and walked out from behind the bar.
My knees buckled at the sudden emptiness, I caught myself and steadied my body against the counter. "You okay?" Thomas asked and rubbed my back with a worried look. I shook my head no and bit my lip to stop myself from sobbing loudly in the middle of the bar.
