Charlotte froze midb–/bbstep/b.

bShe /bturned toward bthe /bvoice and saw Zac standing beneath a tree, watching her intently. His gaze was sharp, almost menacing.

“bI /bbhave /bto go,” she said quickly into bthe /bphone before ending bthe /bbcall/b. Then she walked over, bstopping /bba /bfew feet away from him, her expression dark with annoyance.

“How did you even find this ce?”

Zac let out a low chuckleb, /bbeyes /bnarrowing. b“/bbSo /byou have been avoiding me.”

Charlotte bfrowned/b. “Why would I avoid you? I told you I was going home, didn’t I?”

He took a step forwardb, /bclosing the distance.

Charlotte instinctively stepped back.

That simple movement made Zac’s expression darken even more.

b“/bbYou /bsaid you were going home for a whileb,/b” he said, voice low. b“/bYou didn’t say you weren’ting back to Harbor City. How long are you going to keep this up?”

Charlotte let out a sharp sigh. “I’m not keeping anything up. Zac, we’re over. I’ve made that clear. Please stop showing up like this.” “Over?” He blet /bout a bitterugh. b“/bThe hell it is. This ends when I say it ends.b” /b

“God, Zac, are you seriously insane?” Charlotte snapped. “You’ve got Wendy now. Go bother her. Why are you here bothering me?”

Zac raised an eyebrowb, /bhis tone suddenly lighter. “You’re jealous?”

Charlotte rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. “God, could he be any more full of himself?” she thought.

Zac btook /banother step toward her. “There’s nothing between me and Wendy. She’s just a friend. You’re blowing this out bof /bproportion.”

“A friend byou /bsleep with?b” /bshe shot back, voice cold.

He flinched. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Charlotte’s smile was bitter. “After Wendy came back, you slept with her more than once, didn’t you?”

Her btone /bwas icy with sarcasm. “You think I didn’t know? I just didn’t bother saying anything. Because I don’t care anymore.”

I don’t care anymore.

Those four words hit bZac /blike a punch bto /bthe gut. His chest tightened, and his expression faltered with visible hurt. “You don’t care anymore? “But I do.” His voice dropped, bquiet /band bleak. b“/bbYou’ve /bbeen all bI /bcan think about these past few days. I miss you. bLet’s /bbget /bback together, Charlotteb./b”

She stared at him with open disdain.

“Is he bipr or what? One second he was yelling at herb, /bbthe /bnext bhe /bwas ying bthe /bheartbroken ex,” she wondered.

“Not a chance,” she said tly.

“Why not!” Zac exploded, his voice rising. A few people walking nearby nced their way.

Charlotte found it embarrassing and winced. “Can you not scream at the front gate of my building? If you don’t care about your bdignity/bb, /bbI’d /blike to keep mine.”

Zac suddenly grabbed Charlotte’s wrist, his voice rising in a panicked shout. “Charlotte,e back with me!”

“Let go of meb!/b” She struggled to break freeb, /bbut his bgrip /bwas too strong.

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. bHer /bvoice turned cold. b“/bLet gob, /bor I won’t be so nice.b” /b

bShe /bwas seconds away from showing him exactly what bshe /bcould bdo/b.

b“/bI’m not letting bgo/b!”

With one hand blocked /baround her wristb, /bZac reached up with the otherb, /bgrabbing bthe /bback of her bhead/bb, /btrying bto /bbforce /bba /bbkiss/b.

“Charlotte, I miss you so damn much—”

She braced bherself/bb, /bbready to /bfight bback/b.

b“/bLet. Her. bGo/b!”

A sharp bvoice /bcut through bthe /bair.

Zac turned around and bfroze /bwhen bhe /bsaw bthe /btallb, /bimposing man standing a few feet away, his aura cold andmanding.

Zac blinked. “Who bthe /bhell are you?”