Run, Girl (If You Can)

Chapter 487: I\'ve Made My Choice

Violet wasn\'t the liveliest person Jeremy had ever met—he wasn\'t terribly fond of lively people anyway—but he had never seen her like this. He had thought they were the same; she wasn\'t supposed to accept defeat so easily.

He hadn\'t thought he would fall for a weak, ordinary woman but that was how she was acting right now. She really needed to pull herself together. Knee surgery wasn\'t the end of the world! She would be able to dance again if she put her mind to it.

Everyone told him he would never make it out of his bad neighborhood back in D.C. but here he was on track to become the CEO of one of the most respected and well-known businesses in the world.

Jeremy hadn\'t given up even when no one believed in him. How could his girlfriend give up on herself so quickly when there was still hope?

"It\'ll be okay, Violet. Trust in your doctor; he went to a lot of school to be able to help people like you," he said in his most comforting tone.

Violet spoke up in a small voice, finally opening her eyes. "I know but I\'m scared. Dance means everything to me. If I can\'t dance I won\'t even be me anymore."

Ridiculous. Someone as smart as her could do anything she set her mind to. Sure, she was an excellent ballerina, but it wasn\'t like it would be the end of the world if she needed to change careers. She was still young. There was time.

Besides, hadn\'t she been the one to say she wanted to retire and have a family? Why not simply do that a little sooner than planned?

It was too early in their relationship for him to propose but it would be appropriate at some point within the next year. Jeremy could make her wish happen whenever she wanted.

It wasn\'t like Violet even needed to work; if she married him he could provide for her with his current salary perfectly fine. Aaron paid his employees quite generously. She could sit around and do nothing but crossword puzzles if that was what she wanted.

"If the doctor said you\'ll be able to dance in three to six months you\'ll be able to dance in three to six months. Working yourself up about something that probably won\'t even happen doesn\'t do you any good," Jeremy said rationally.

Violet cracked a small smile before looking even more miserable. "…you sound like Noah. He was always my voice of reason growing up."

Jeremy supposed she meant it as a compliment since she held that imbecile in such high regard but it was incredibly insulting to be compared to a love rival. Noah needed to be out of her life already.

He tried to keep things nonchalant despite his boiling anger. "Well you don\'t need him for that now, do you? Since you have me."

"I suppose not," she replied in an unfathomable tone.

What did that mean? Her statement made him uneasy. "You suppose not? You aren\'t sure?"

Sitting up, Violet turned to look at him. "He\'s my best friend. I\'ll always need him in a way."

The conversation was going in a direction Jeremy didn\'t like one bit. It was time to lay down the law. He would not share his woman with another man, even if she didn\'t think of Noah as one.

"A woman in a relationship doesn\'t need a male best friend," he said firmly. "It\'s highly inappropriate."

She gave him a wary look. "Jeremy, he\'s been my best friend for the past twenty-four years. I can\'t just drop him like a hot potato."

"Well you\'re going to have to if this relationship has any future!" Jeremy snapped, unable to control himself. "I won\'t share you with someone else who obviously has feelings for you!"

Violet\'s expression immediately went blank. She shook her head in disbelief. "You knew too?"

Hang on…the last time they had any sort of discussion about Noah she had firmly thought of them as siblings. When had that dunce confessed? He had seen her on Thursday and she didn\'t say anything! It must have been last night at the hospital. Oh, why had he turned off his phone?

"Well it is completely obvious," Jeremy said dryly. "I was honestly surprised you didn\'t. But know that you do know you can see that it\'s even more inappropriate to maintain a relationship with him."

Her eyes hardened. "So what you\'re saying is I have to choose between you."

No, that wasn\'t what he was saying. Jeremy wanted her to ditch a useless third wheel and grow up. That man was nothing more than a childhood crutch. He was obviously a better match for her since they had more in common.

But he didn\'t want to come across too overbearing so he simply nodded. Violet picked up the flowers from beside her and shoved them back at him.

"I\'ve made my choice," she said coolly. "Get out."

What? That wasn\'t how this was supposed to go at all! Jeremy had seen all the signs; she was definitely falling for him. Why on earth would she make the wrong choice? Had he pushed her too soon?

She did get bad news this morning. Her frame of mind might be affected. He immediately tried to backtrack.

"Hang on, Violet, why don\'t we talk about this when you\'re feeling a bit better? You\'ve had a rough day and—"

This time she let off a chill that might even put her father to shame. Jeremy was used to it by this point so he managed not to shudder. But he had never expected to see this from her; normally she was such a calm and unflappable person.

Her tone when she spoke again could freeze flames solid. Violet was absolutely Aaron Hale\'s daughter.

"Yes, I have. And you know who was there for me? My best friend, who has been there for me every time I needed him for my entire life. There\'s absolutely no question. Of course I would choose someone I\'ve loved for twenty-four years over someone I\'ve merely liked for a couple of months."

Her words stabbed him like a knife. Someone she has loved for twenty-four years? She couldn\'t be serious. There was no way she was in love with someone so beneath her. She was obviously interested in him!

What Jeremy didn\'t understand was that there were certain bonds that couldn\'t be broken. Romantic love wasn\'t the only kind. He had never experienced any other kind of love so he couldn\'t understand the power of a long-standing and unshakeable friendship.

He couldn\'t formulate a response, especially since Kaleb was listening in at the door and was glaring daggers at him. What was wrong with these siblings? They were out of their minds!

Jeremy ended up drawing himself up to his full height and walking out with the shattered remains of his dignity. Aaron was going to kill him.

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