Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run novel Chapter 325

The next morning at six, his car cruised past her. Clara had been on her feet all night, and though exhaustion weighed heavily on her, her eyes sparkled when she saw him.

"Mr. Dylan..." she called out, but the car didn't even slow down.

With a sigh, she resumed her vigil. She waited until afternoon, standing in the biting cold of a New York winter. Her feet felt like blocks of ice as the temperature continued to drop. Snow began to fall again, and she sniffled, knowing she couldn’t leave until Dylan’s anger had melted away.

Somehow, Simon caught wind of her standing outside Dylan's place in Palm Bay and showed up in no time, his voice laced with irritation when he saw her.

"Clara! What on earth are you doing here? Why are you camped outside Dylan's house?"

Ever since his last run-in with Jacob, Simon was convinced Clara had feelings for him. But her silence left him unsure, leading to countless rants to his rowdy group of friends.

In the past, they all sneered at Clara, seeing Simon's devotion as a joke. They’d often egg him on. Lately, though, Simon's attitude shifted. Whenever he got drunk, Clara's name was the only thing on his lips, muttering about love and loss.

"How could she just stop loving me? Did she ever really love me at all?"

"Is Jacob just a placeholder? Am I? Are we both?"

"No way, I'm Simon! I'm decent-looking and loaded. Clara must be blind to treat me like a substitute."

He’d go on and on, sprawled over a club table, while his friends, always quick to back him up, joined in on the Clara-bashing.

"Why waste your time on her? There are plenty of better women in New York. If you're unhappy, let's move on."

At this, Simon would snap upright, "I won’t have anyone badmouth Clara. It’s my fault. I was foolish to fall for someone as toxic as Quinn, and sleeping with her tainted me in Clara’s eyes."

He’d keep lamenting until everyone ran out of words. He could criticize Clara, but no one else was allowed to.

Now, standing by Clara, Simon saw her cheeks flushed red from the cold and angrily started to shrug off his coat.

"What happened with you and Dylan?"

He was puzzled, trying to drape his coat over her shoulders, but she stepped aside.