Devil on the Rooftop [Book 1]

Chapter 108 - Loyal

I felt numb. Like all the muscles in my body had suddenly stopped working, but that couldn't be the case, could it? That would mean my heart stopped beating and it hadn't. It was still doing its job, pumping blood, helping me breathe and exist. A little loudly in fact. I disregarded it on my way to the rooftop. I pretended it didn't exist when I reached the ramps and slid to the floor with my head in my lap. Regrets weren't something I liked to collect. The world was black and white and it was the reason I made cold and calculated decisions. This breakup with Arisa was nothing but a failed attempt. It was okay, I was allowed to have failed attempts, so as long I had a plan to move forward with. I couldn't do what she asked me to, and she couldn't do what I asked her to, which meant we were out to tune.

I could sit around and let the void take over or I could dive back into my work and focus on the task at hand. Clients. I needed more clients before the term ended so I could capitalize on finals. Once I had that in order then I could move forward with the lawsuit, and once that was out of the way, I could start worrying about attending Jackheights for another year. Until then, I had to hustle. I had to work hard for what I wanted, not what I thought I needed, but for what was sustainable. Relationships ended all the time. This one hurt more than others but I couldn't let it distract me from the path in front of me.

I logged into my private email account and accepted e-transfers from remaining clients through my phone. There wasn't a lot of resistance from the receiving party, Dobberman was an anomaly, and I was happy to be rid of him. Replying to the last invoice in my inbox, I switched my phone to 'do-not-disturb' and stuffed it back in my pocket. I didn't want to hear from anyone right now. Not a single soul. Not one.

Suddenly, I heard the rooftop door open. I sneered in response to it and peered over to see who was bothering me. Matilda Hawkins walked over to stand next to the ledge. I stared into her back, wondering what she was up to. Did she not see me or was she overlooking my presence on purpose? I quietly observed her.

"I always wondered why everyone made such a big fuss about this place," she said. Well, that answered my question. "It's not all that special, is it?"

"Can I help you with something?" I asked, getting up. "Because if not, I would really like you to get lost."

Matilda turned to face me, her brown eyes stone cold. "A couple of days ago, I wouldn't have had the ovaries to come up here and talk to you, but after what happened between Arisa and Khaleel--"

"What happened between Arisa and Khaleel?" I interjected standing up. "And why are you here talking to me about it? Do I somehow seem approachable all of a sudden? Are you people going to stop respecting the rules just because one girl broke them?"

"You people?" she looked indignant. "I'm here because your sister asked me to check up on you, asshole. Not because I want to trespass on your precious domain."

I exhaled. "Look, I'm not in the mood for small talk and I'm certainly not in the mood to explain myself to my sister's friend," I replied. "It's been a long fucking day and I need a break from everyone."

"I'll assume your short temper has something to do with Arisa and Khaleel," Matilda replied.

I glared at her. "Don't assume shit."

"Sorry to say, that doesn't surprise me in the least," she went on, ignoring my reply. "If you and Arisa are having problems then--"

"We broke up," I blurted. "Arisa and I broke up so could you take a fucking hint and leave me alone?"

Matilda looked shocked. "You broke up?"

"Yeah, now get lost," I said, pointing to the doorway. Matilda shook her head before making her exit. I shouldn't have yelled at her. I knew I shouldn't have. She didn't do anything except catch me at the wrong place and at the wrong time. It wasn't her fault I was raging. It was my own. I couldn't be mad at others for the outcome. Not Arisa and definitely not Khaleel, if he continued to pursue my ex-girlfriend.

Yeah. It was there, in the back of my head, the thought of those two together riled me up even though it shouldn't. Khaleel and I both liked Arisa around the same time, and I was happy to have him as my rival because I was confident about winning. Losing didn't give me the right to keep them apart. My failure was Khaleel's opportunity and if the roles were reversed, I would expect him to back down gracefully.

I had to back down gracefully.