Chapter 72

I spun around. Jace stood there. He glanced at me, then asked Demi, "Where are you headed?"

"Keira has ulcers. I'm getting her some spray and medication," Demi replied smoothly.

Immediately, Jace approached me. "Haven't you been drinking enough water?" he asked.

He knew me too well. My body overheated easily if I wasn't hydrated, requiring plenty of water and easily digestible meals. Skip either, and I'd suffer nosebleeds or mouth ulcers. After ten years together, Jace knew all my quirks. But his question felt like a twisted echo of his words to Steve—that we "just know each other too well"—too well, implying I no longer intrigued him, not like Tanya did.

"Mr. Johnston, is there something you need?" I retorted, my voice icy and formal, ignoring his question.

Jace's face darkened. He started to speak, but then saw Hayden beside me. His expression tightened before he turned back to me. "Come over here. We need to talk."

I didn't know what he wanted, but with Hayden present, this wasn't the place. I followed Jace a few steps away.

We hadn't gone far when I stopped him. "I'm on a tight schedule. If you have something to say, spit it out."

Jace halted, his jaw clenched in frustration. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Trying to get back at me?"

"Huh?" His words surprised me.

He continued, "You don't want to get married, fine. You're angry and trying to find another guy to spite me, fine. But don't go after someone we both know. It'll mess up friendships."

His words were loaded with implications, particularly the last part—my mind immediately went to Steve. Someone must have told Jace about Steve's visit. But what shocked me was Jace's distorted interpretation. His flawed logic assumed everyone was as deceitful as he was. "Do you really think everyone is as low as you?" I asked.

His eyes narrowed, clearly missing the point. He let out a bitter laugh. "You'd even go after your friend's widow."

His face darkened. "I've told you before, Tanya and I aren't what you think."

I was done with this argument. "Whatever you two have going on, it has nothing to do with me."

"Is this just your excuse because you're done with me? Is that why you keep dragging this out?" Jace retorted, shifting the blame.

"If that's the story you want to tell yourself, fine. Didn't you say we just know each other too well? Too well that you're not interested anymore?" I countered, the wound still fresh.

Jace's hand clenched into a fist. "What do you want from me?"

"I want us to be done, Mr. Johnston. Stop playing games—sending messages and deleting them, showing up to interrogate me whenever I talk to someone else." I was blunt.

He wasn't used to this from me. For years, I'd been the perfect partner, always gentle, always agreeable. He probably didn't expect such directness. His expression darkened further. "You really think I can't live without you?"

"No, Mr. Johnston, you have wealth, looks—women are probably lining up for you. Why would you need anyone?" I scoffed.

But Jace took a step closer. "If you really believe that...then why do you keep holding on to a small mistake I made?"

A small mistake? The affair with Tanya wasn't even a blip on his moral compass.

Right then, I knew I'd made the right decision to end this. His words only confirmed his brazen behavior with Tanya stemmed from his belief that I couldn't live without him.