Justin's POV
The text popped up on my phone just when I was getting lost in my own thoughts.
You are making me cry you bastard.
For a long moment, I just stared at the screen, the glow of it stark against the dim light of my office. The corners of my mouth twitched despite myself, a low, dry chuckle slipping past my lips. I wasn't laughing because it was funny—no. I laughed because it was absurd. Because somehow, Elena had the audacity to throw words at me that pierced through my carefully constructed wall without even trying.
She was… making me feel.
And God, I hated that.
I didn't type back. My thumbs hovered over the screen, tapping in half-formed sentences before deleting them. What could I possibly say? I'm sorry? That would open a door I was determined to keep shut. Stop being dramatic? That would make me the heartless bastard she already thought I was. In the end, I locked my phone and shoved it face-down on my desk.
