Chapter 16

Alexander’s POV.

I rolled over on the bed, my head pounding like someone was drilling directly into my skull.

I groaned, dragging a hand across my face. Why the fuck did I drink so much last night?

Muffled voices filtered in from somewhere outside the bedroom. I could barely make out the words, but they weren’t enough to ignore completely.

“He’s not up right now. Is it important, do you want me to wake him?”.

A pause.

“Oh sure, I’ll let him know.”

I frowned, blinking at the ceiling. That wasn’t Brandon’s voice.

The room came into slow focus— unfamiliar sheets, the smell of someone else’s cologne lingering in the air. My heart started to thump a little faster, not because of the hangover but because of the sinking weight in my stomach.

I sat up slowly, head spinning. I was in someone else’s apartment.

Memories started to flicker behind my eyes — the party, the bathroom, Brandon standing in the doorway… and then disappearing.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Shit.

Did I leave with that guy?

What was his name again?

Elliot? No. That wasn’t it. Eli. His name was Eli.

I groaned and dragged a hand through my hair.

Jesus, Alex. What the hell are you doing.

The bedroom door creaked open again, and Eli stepped inside — his face soft, a little unsure.

“Hey,” he said, offering a weak smile. “You’re awake.”

I forced a breath and nodded. “Yeah. Barely.”

He set a glass of water on the nightstand. “You might want to drink that too.”

“Thanks.” I reached for it, my hand slightly unsteady.

There was a brief, heavy silence between us. Eli’s eyes studied me carefully, like he was trying to read something he couldn’t quite say out loud.

I cleared my throat. “Uh… did we—?”

“No,” he said quickly, his cheeks flushing slightly. “Not after… you know. You kind of passed out once we got here.”

Relief. Guilt. Embarrassment. They all hit at once, crashing into each other like waves in my chest.

“Oh.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Right.”

Eli sat on the edge of the bed, watching me. “I wasn’t gonna take advantage of you, Alex. I just… didn’t want to leave you alone like that.”

I finally looked at him — really looked at him.

To be honest, he was fucking gorgeous. Blond hair still messy from sleep, soft lips, those wide blue eyes that still held a trace of nervous energy. His lean body was half-draped in one of his own oversized t-shirts, his toned thighs exposed as he shifted slightly on the edge of the mattress.

He would’ve made a perfect omega for me, I thought, not for the first time. If I wasn’t hopelessly obsessed with my goddamn boss.

And there it was again — that anchor, dragging me back under. Brandon.

I tore my gaze away from Eli, feeling my stomach twist with guilt.

How unfair was this? To him. To me.

“You okay?” Eli asked softly, his voice careful like he was tiptoeing around something fragile.

“Yeah,” I lied, rubbing my temples. “Just trying to piece last night together.”

“By the way,” Eli said casually, though I could hear the edge in his voice, “someone named Brandon Cole called your phone earlier.”

My eyes shot wide open, heart slamming against my ribs.

Jesus Christ.

I was here on a fucking business trip with him.

With Brandon.

I didn’t even respond. My body moved before my brain could catch up — throwing the sheets off and scrambling to find my clothes scattered across the floor.

Shirt. Jeans. Shoes. Where the hell was my jacket?

Eli watched me, his expression shifting from concerned to something tighter — hurt, maybe. But he stayed quiet.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled under my breath, yanking my pants up, nearly stumbling in the process. “I wasn’t supposed to—” I cut myself off, too afraid to even finish the sentence.

“You weren’t supposed to what?” Eli asked quietly.

I avoided his gaze, forcing myself to stay focused on the immediate problem.

“How do I get to this place?” I blurted, shoving my phone in his face and pointing to the hotel name flashing across the screen.

Eli stared at me for a moment, like he was deciding whether to answer or not.

Judging me, honestly.

Finally, he exhaled and pointed toward the window. “Two blocks east. Then take a left at the coffee shop. You’ll see the hotel from there.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, already grabbing my shoes.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, barely hearing him when he said, “Can I at least get your number?”

I froze.

Slowly, I turned back to face him. His expression was hopeful, but guarded — like he was bracing himself for my answer.

“Look,” I started, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. “You’re fine. Fucking gorgeous, honestly. And if things were different…” I trailed off for a second, forcing myself to keep going before I lost my nerve. “But I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”

His eyes dimmed just slightly, though he didn’t look surprised.

“Giving you my number would mean giving you hope for something I know I can’t physically do.” My throat tightened, my words almost choking on the truth.

“Not when I’m helplessly…” I paused, unable to say it — not when I’m helplessly in love with someone else.

I swallowed. “I’m sorry. But if we meet again, I’d love to give you a chance.”

That was a lie.

A kind lie, but a lie all the same.

I mean, I couldn’t even afford to come here if it wasn’t for Brandon. Our chances of ever crossing paths again were maybe 10%, if that.

Eli smiled softly, clearly seeing through it, but letting me have it anyway.

“I’ll take your word for it,” he said gently.

I gave him a weak smile and nodded. Then, before I let myself hesitate any longer, I turned and walked out of his apartment.

“Did you have fun?”. Was the first word that greeted me immediately as I stepped out.