ETHAN
*One Month Later*
What the fuck? What the hell was she doing with that asshole? My blood boiled, and anger bubbled inside me. Was she smiling? I watched the two of them walk into the building.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car, feeling jealousy consume me. She had to be kidding. I’d already lost count of how many times we’d argued about this over the past month. How could she think I’d be okay with her still living next door to him?
Was this what she did while I was working in London? Hanging out with her fucking ex? I crossed the street and entered the building. Shit. This couldn’t be happening again.
I took the elevator, and when the doors opened, she was still unlocking her apartment door. The asshole was no longer in sight.
Judging by her clothes, she must have been coming back from the gym, and it looked like she hadn’t come back alone. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool.
I approached her without her noticing, my eyes landing on her ass. A week in London and I was already dying to have her again.
No. None of that. Focus on the anger.
I cleared my throat, getting her attention just as she unlocked the door. She turned, and a smile appeared on her face. Beautiful. Beautiful and deceitful.
“You’re back early?” she asked, frowning slightly but still smiling.
As she got closer, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her body against mine. I stayed still.
“I missed you,” she smiled, trying to kiss me, but I stopped her, removing her arms.
I kept a serious expression and an austere posture, even though every part of me wanted nothing more than to take her inside and rip her clothes off.
Her eyes narrowed as she realized my cold demeanor.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Is it?”
“I’m not following.”
“No? I thought you might explain, since I just got back from my trip and found you coming home with your ex.”
She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest in an instant. Her expression made it clear that her mood had shifted. She was irritated.
“Are you serious? You spend a week away, and the first thing you want to do when you get back is argue?”
“Actually, I had other plans, but I scrapped them as soon as I saw you walking in with your asshole ex.”
She shook her head.
“No. Nope. Not right now,” she said, turning her back to me and walking into her apartment.
Was that it? Was she just going to walk away? I sighed in frustration, feeling my anger surge as I followed her.
“Are you going to give me an explanation, or should I just leave and assume this is over?” I asked, not even bothering to close the door.
“No. Just stop it!”
“Then tell me what the hell you were doing with him!”
“He lives next door. Do you really think I’m never going to run into him in the hallway or on the street?”
“That’s exactly the problem.”
“How many times have we talked about this?”
“Apparently, none of them worked,” I said, then turned to leave.
And just like that, my whole plan went down the drain. No breakfast, no welcome-home sex, just another day ahead of me. What the fuck.
***
ELLIE
What the hell was his problem? How could he not trust me after everything we’ve been through? If anything, I should be the one who doesn’t trust him after what he did after our trip to France.
What did he expect me to do? Move out because of Todd? No way. He needed to trust me and stop acting like a jealous lunatic.
I had only run into Todd by chance after leaving the gym, and since I hadn’t driven, I couldn’t exactly refuse to walk home with him, considering we lived in the same direction.
But Ethan acted like he’d caught him in my bed. He seriously needed some therapy.
The worst part was that today was Friday, which meant having to meet up with our friends.
Anna had also been at the University all day, so she hadn’t witnessed my awful mood at work. But as usual, she noticed it five minutes after sitting next to me at the bar.
“Are you going to tell me what happened? I thought you’d be all smiles with Ethan back, but judging by your face, something’s up,” she said, while Will chatted with Bennett at the table.
Zoe hadn’t arrived yet. Jack and Zara weren’t coming because Sophia was sick.
I sighed and took a sip of wine. I was irritated and frustrated.
“I’m not in the mood to talk about it.”
Just thinking about it was annoying enough.
“I’m still your best friend, and I need to know, so give me the summary.”
I exhaled forcefully.
“Ethan freaked out when he saw me coming home with Todd this morning.”
“Why were you with him?” she narrowed her eyes.
“I just ran into him by chance.”
“Hm. I guess that happens a lot since he lives next door. But I thought you and Ethan had worked that out.”
“I’m not going to move out just because he’s jealous.”
“Okay. Here’s the thing... First, you know this can’t be easy for him. Or have you forgotten about his ex-fiancée? So, try to put yourself in his shoes.”
“Are you seriously telling me I should move just because my ex lives next door?”
“I’m saying it might be harder for Ethan than we realize. And I know you don’t want to hurt him. Maybe giving in this time would be the healthiest choice for your relationship.”
“Or maybe he’s just being his usual jealous, crazy self.”
Speak of the devil. Ethan walked into the bar, heading straight for us as soon as he saw us.
“Just think about what I said,” she whispered before turning her attention back to her husband.
I didn’t take my eyes off Ethan as he approached. He must have come straight from work, dressed in a black suit.
His hair was slightly messy, with those damn rebellious strands falling over his forehead, making me want to run my hands through it.
I had noticed earlier that his beard was a bit longer than usual, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to feel it rubbing between my thighs.
The thought made me squeeze my thighs together under the table. I missed him so much, and as always, he looked so damn hot. Shit.
Stopping beside the table, he greeted Anna, who was to my left. Then, he glanced at the empty seat next to his brother. But he seemed to realize it was reserved for Zoe. That left him no option, so he walked over and sat in the empty seat to my right.
I avoided looking at him, but I couldn’t ignore how his scent got to me, reminding me that he was mine. This dinner was going to be torture. And I wasn’t sure how long I could hold out.
*
The conversation continued normally around the table as we ate, just like Ethan continued ignoring me. I did the same, lacking the energy to deal with our mess. I was tired, internally frustrated, and irritated.
The men were talking about work, and I was just about ready to leave when I thought I heard Bennett mention that Ethan had said he might take care of business in London.
That meant he would have to spend more time there. He hadn’t told me anything about that. Was he thinking about moving back there?
I automatically looked at him. He was already staring at me. He had told me they had an issue with the manager of the London branch, which was why he had been going there so often, but that was it until now.
I waited for an explanation as we stared at each other, but he stayed silent, while the tension between us grew. Was that it? Was he really not going to say anything?
If I didn’t even deserve an explanation, then all of this was a waste of time. I stood up, grabbing my purse.
"Good night," I said to everyone before walking away.
"Ellie?" Anna called after me, but I kept walking without looking back.
I heard Bennett apologize to Ethan, probably because he thought I already knew.
How could this be happening? I thought we were doing fine. I thought we really loved each other. So why was he considering leaving?
I left the restaurant behind, crossing the street, and heading toward my car.
I thought we were okay, despite the argument about Todd. But it seems it wasn’t enough for him. And once again, I was being replaced by work.
Why did I ever think it would be different?