Jaded 2: Broken Love Series by Renee Tyler Page B

wanted to wrap me in his arms, and it almost broke my resolve. He closed his eyes.
    “L’oriel. I missed you so much. Believe me, it hasn’t been easy to stay away from you these last two months. They’ve been the worst. Have brunch with me? So we can talk.” I began to shake my head.
    “No. Troy. No.” I heard my voice crack. I was just getting used to the idea of Troy not wanting to deal with my deception, and coming to terms with that. Now he wants to show up out of nowhere and what? I’m supposed to just magically fall back into his arms? What did he expect? I’m annoyed with him, and by my own reaction to him. In honesty, I shouldn’t have even been this affected by him. He left–he chose.
    “L’oriel…” he says as he finally wraps his arms around me, and my body immediately stiffens as he turns me in his arms so that we’re facing each other. “I miss you. Can we talk? Please” His eyes were pleading with me. I sigh and shake my head no again.
    “Troy. You can’t do this.” I place my hands on his hard chest to try and keep him from pulling me closer in his embrace, but touching him, feeling his warmth and rapid beating heart causes my heart rate to increase. I close my eyes to gather myself. I was so tempted to surrender. “You can’t show up at church and disrupt my life after you’ve been absent for almost two months. That’s a long time to go without someone you claim to have missed so much.” Despite what came out of my mouth, I allow my head to fall forward in his chest as he pulls me towards him tighter. I inhale deeply, taking in his scent. I want to say yes, but I put myself out there that day in his kitchen. I’m focused on my career and growing as a person. I don’t want anything or anyone to take that away from me. I don’t know if I know how to be in a relationship and focus on the goals that I’d set for myself. It hadn’t worked in the past. However, the warmth and comfort that I felt in his arms was forcing an internal struggle. 
    “Okay. I can respect that,” he says, and kisses the top of my head before releasing me. Before my brain can register what he’s just said, he’s already let me go, crossed the parking lot, and was getting into his black Escalade. My mouth flew open in shock. How’d he just given up that easily? I want to call after him – make him come back. However, my feet and mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Marcus pulls on the side of me with Charity on the passenger side as I watch Troy’s Escalade leave the parking lot.
    “So how’s team looking for a new boo feeling right now?” I immediately cut my eyes to the two of them as they chuckle. “Shut up and let’s go to brunch.”
    I was picking at my French toast when I receive a message. When I look down and see that it’s from Troy, I can’t stop the corners of my mouth from turning up. I ignore the knowing looks that Charity and Marcus share as I open the text message:
    Troy: I shouldn’t have left things the way I did between you and I. I stayed away without letting you know how I felt. L’oriel, I feel more for you than I’ve ever felt for anyone in my life. I didn’t want to let you go then, and I can’t let you go now. Can we start over?
    He used emojis. He used the heart emoji, the smiley face with the heart, and the one blowing a kiss. I smile so hard that my jaws hurt. I’d always tease him about texting all those words when he could use emoji’s. I told him he was such an old man. He’d respond saying he doesn’t have time to search through pictures of smiley faces. Besides, he was a grown ass man and he was not about to be texting smiley faces and shit. The jubilation that I felt almost had me bouncing in my seat. He really liked me and wanted to be more than friends. As excited as I was, I couldn’t let my emotions overcome my common sense. I wasn’t going to make it easy for him despite my omission. I want to set the course for a different type of relationship than the one