❝Tell me that you love me 
even if it's fake
cause I Don't Fucking Care
at all.❞

Chapter Six:
Ex-Ventures
(cont'd)

I left that building as fast as I possibly could after fixing myself in the room, but no amount of make-up and concealer could hide my obviously puffy eyes and red cheeks. I tried to avoid the pitiable looks from the receptionist who must have thought I was some amateur at this job and it was my first failed assignment, but the last thing I wanted to do was hang around long enough for people to recognize the mighty Tris Henderson as a failure. Hans was right by my side the whole time, keeping watch over me like some sort of guardian angel. One sweeping glance at his curled fists had me wondering how affected he was by what just happened. He was obviously furious with me...he had to be. I just blew off a deal that meant a lot to his father's company; why wouldn't he be?

I fastened my pace, walking hurriedly toward the parking area. The first thing I was going to do when we got to the hotel was crawl into the covers of the bed, and cry. No, fuck that. I wasn't some wuss...I would take a hot shower, think things over and contact Mr. Warner from S'ConVenturas to make things right. No way was I going to let Jacob win at this. He was totally doing it out of spite. Well, I would show him.

Determined, I started walking faster but a hand shot out and yanked me back, nearly ripping my arm out of its socket.

"Ow!" I rubbed at my shoulder with my free hand, giving Hans a questioning glance. "What was that for?"

"Why don't I fetch you a cab?" His lips were set into a thin, firm line, voice cold. I didn't get a chance to answer as he started dragging me in the opposite direction of the parking spot, and toward the streams of cars and cabs behind us. "There's a park not far from here. You could use a walk, clear your head, calm yourself down."

I dug my heels into the ground and prevented him from dragging me along further. "I'm fine Hans. Let's just get back to the hotel." It was then that I realized the shaky nature of his voice wasn't because he was mad at me. I followed his steely gaze over my head and turned around to see what he was so pissed about. Jacob was leaning against our vehicle, arms crossed over his chest with that ungrateful smile, watching our exchange.

"I'll deal with that scumbag for you. Leave, Tris."

I blinked away the red spots of anger that clouded my vision and stared up at the man in front of me. Hans' face was set into lines of pure disgust and hatred. I hadn't ever imagined him reacting this way because of someone hurting me but he was, and it made my heart ache. But Jacob wasn't his problem. He was mine, and I was going to face him.

"I can do this Hans."

He broke his eyes from a hostile stare-off with Jacob to look down at me in concern, the worry knitting his brows.

"You weren't...okay back there. I don't want you breaking down again."

"I'm past the point of falling apart, trust me."

A shadow crossed Hans' face at my words. He nodded, clenching his jaw but let go of my hand. With a deep breath, I turned and started to walk toward our car, fixing a dead glower on Jacob.

"What do you want, Jacob?" I snarled, coming to a stop two feet in front of him. He blocked my entrance to the car and I wasn't appreciative of it one bit.

I couldn't believe he was the same man I had once thought him to be. Everything about him had changed from the way he sneered down at me with every intention of humiliating me to how he had gone to the extent of personally ensuring to screw this deal up. And he called himself a 'just' corporate lawyer.

"I want to know why you're still doing this." He was leaning back against the car, making me feel somewhat less intimidated by our height difference and easier for me to meet him head on. His words confused me but as he went on, I felt my tempers flare up again. "I heard mixed versions of the story of you leaving your job. I didn't care for what was true. All I knew is you'd left and maybe now, you'd regained your senses but," his eyes flickered to Hans, lips curling into a smirk, "I guess I was wrong."

Standing my ground in front of him was the hardest thing to do when I wanted to rip his fucking head off. Gritting my teeth together, I snapped, "You don't have the right to share your opinion on what I choose to do, or not do with my career anymore. You lost it the moment you ended us."

Jacob's eyes glinted dangerously, losing every last bit of humor. "I ended us? You're the one who ran out on us Tris! You threw it all away! Over money, over a job!"

"Over a job? I walked in on you fucking our neighbor's daughter, you dick! Did you expect me to stick around and pass out condoms for your big fucking finish?"

Jacob's eyes darkened as he straightened his posture against the back of the car. "Maybe if you'd spent a little more time in the bedroom than in the office, things wouldn't have turned out the way they did."

The bastard was blaming it on me? He not only cheated on me but was turning it around to be my fault for pursuing a career? I bit down on my lips, chest heaving as the livid blood within me rose to my cheeks, casting a violent shade of red over my face.

"It's not my fault for being better at my job that you ever were at yours, Jacob. Your misogynistic shit is what broke us because to you, a woman isn't allowed to have dreams of her own and be more successful at her job than a man who needs to keep his ego intact. So why don't you do me a favor and go fuck yourself?"

Jacob shot out off the back of the car so fast that I stumbled back. Fear trickled through me at the possibility that he would have actually hit me if not for Hans coming in the way, placing a firm hand on my ex's chest and shoving him back with enough force to keep him a safe distance away.

"Keep your fucking hands off her."

Chills ran down my spine at the way Hans had said that. Jacob took a quick step back, scowling between me and Hans who wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to his side, all the while, never taking his menacing eyes off from Jacob. Jacob jutted his chin out at Hans' direction and leered, "Is he your new lay?"

I shut my eyes, shut out the sound of blood whirring to my ears in rage. Jacob's words grew steadily louder, more derogatory, things I'd never pegged him capable of uttering out loud to me.

"Do you pretend it's me fucking you when he touches you?"

Hans stiffened beside me. I pressed a hand on top of his, opening my eyes and looking directly into his, shaking my head no. This wasn't worth it.

"It doesn't make a difference anyway," Jacob laughed harshly. "Nothing gets you off more than you fingering your fucking keyboard at some desk job. You've always been a dead fish in bed to start with."

He went too far.

I felt Hans let go of me, pushing me to the side to get out of the way as he stepped forward, wrenching Jacob by the collar. I had no doubt that his punch would have been the most effective in knocking Jacob's lights out but I beat him to it. Quick as lightning, I stepped in the way earning a shocked grunt from Hans who thought I was coming to Jacob's defense. The victorious sparkle in Jacob's blue eyes was short-lived when he saw the murder written in my glare. He didn't get enough time to react as I pulled my arm back, swinging my fist with full force into his face.

An audible crack permeated the air and I watched in deep satisfaction as Jacob bent over, howling in pain as he clutched his bleeding nose. I wasn't done. Grabbing him roughly by his shoulders, I brought my knee up, shattering his groin with enough force to render him childless. He crumpled to the floor, groaning like an animal. I ignored the throbbing of my hand, wiping my palm against my skirt as I stepped over him, to the door.

"Who's the dead fish now, dickwad?"

I slid in and slammed the door shut. Hans slid into the driver's seat in seconds, igniting the car to life and setting us on course to the hotel. Jacob's cries sliced through the air, echoing the now empty car park as we left. It was music to my ears. He had deserved that. I sunk low in my seat, cradling my reddened right hand.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Hans said, his voice a billion times lighter. His hands were set on the steering wheel, eyes on the road but a smile had lit his face where mere seconds ago, a death threat had been.

"I shouldn't have," I agreed, but then added, "I needed to."

"How do you feel?" Hans peeked at me, the smile giving way to concern.

Grinning, I joked, "I just broke my cheating ex's nose so I'm going to go with fan-fucking-tastic."

Hans returned his eyes to the road ahead but laughed, and soon I joined in too. It didn't cover all of the heaviness in my chest, or the pain of having reopened wounds at seeing Jacob again. But it was just enough to laugh in that moment and have Hans join in, showing me that I wasn't alone this time.

I had him.

_____

Song: idfc by Blackbear

Vote goal: 20

The vote goal I've set up there ^^ is just an incentive for myself to write, edit, and update faster. Due to some work in the real-world keeping me busy, my updates are bound to get slower and I'm sorry about that! If the votes come in and reach the number I've set for the chapter, I'll definitely pitch in some extra effort to update asap! That way I'll also know you guys are waiting and have caught up to the recent chapters! :P

Hands down, Tris is the best female protagonist I've ever written. She's just so fun to work with and I love how she doesn't need a man to stick up for herself, even though she very much appreciates Hans being her knight. Jacob totally deserved that hit to the balls, didn't he? *chuckles* This sure was a fun scene!

And with that, the sixth chapter comes to a close. Let me know what you thought! Vote, comment and share the story. 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! 

And in light of this chapter, remember that no matter what troubles come up in life, you don't need to wait for your knight-in-shining-armor to come rescue you. 

Be your own hero. 

- QueenBea