CHAPTER 90
CHAPTER 90
DIANA’S POV
“Coming…” I called out, hurrying to the door with my robe tied loosely around me. Beneath it, I wore the silk lingerie I’d chosen just for him.
Ethan had said he’d stop by for only a brief visit, but I was determined to make him stay the night. The last time he’d been here, he hadn’t left until morning, and I wasn’t planning to change that routine.
“You’re the impatient kind,” I teased, opening the door to find him already smiling. My voice softened as I stepped into his arms. “Just the kind I like.”
He pulled me close without a word, his scent mixing with the faint perfume on my neck. It had been only a few days since I last saw him, yet it felt like weeks. I could tell by the way he held me that he’d missed me too.
“I wasn’t sure you’d make it tonight,” I said quietly. “You’ve been swamped with work.”
He brushed his lips against my cheek, his tone calm but weighted with emotion. “You’re a part of my life now, Diana. I always find time for you.”
His words hit a nerve in my chest, warming me in a way I didn’t expect.
“Enough talk. Let’s go inside,” he said, his voice dipping low.
“Bossy as ever,” I teased, taking his hand and leading him inside.
The moment I closed the door, he pulled me back against him, his breath hot against my skin. His lips trailed up my neck, slow and deliberate, as though he’d been thinking about this all day.
“Easy,” I murmured, gently turning to face him. “Dinner first, then you get your reward.”
He groaned softly. “My dinner’s right here in front of me.”
I laughed and gave him a playful push on the chest. “You’re impossible. Sit down, eat what I made, and then you can have dessert—if you behave.”
He shook his head, grinning like a spoiled child. “You know I hate waiting.”
“Then this is a good exercise in patience,” I said, walking toward the dining room. “Now, go sit. I made risotto. You’ll like it.”
Ethan followed reluctantly, muttering something about “torture disguised as love” as he pulled out a chair.
“Are you trying to bribe me?” he asked, lifting his brow as I set the plate before him.
“Maybe,” I said with a sly smile.
We both sat down, and for a few moments, there was nothing but the soft clinking of forks against china. I watched him eat, trying to read his expressions. He seemed relaxed, lighter than I’d seen him in weeks.
But my mind wouldn’t stop racing. I kept wondering if this ease between us was temporary. My past had made me wary of moments like this. Every good thing had once turned sour. I hated that fear still lived somewhere inside me.
“This is really good,” Ethan said mid-bite. “You made this yourself?”
“Of course,” I said with a small laugh. “You sound surprised.”
“Maybe I am,” he replied with a smirk. “You don’t look like someone who spends time in the kitchen.”
“Oh, I do more than you think,” I said, leaning back. “But if you’re offering to cook next time, I might let you show off.”
He chuckled. “How about this Saturday? We’ll make it a challenge. You and me, cooking battle.”
I raised a brow. “A challenge? Confident, are we?”
“Always,” he said, his grin widening. “And we’ll need judges. Maybe Ariana and Dolph. They seem like the honest type.”
Ariana. Her name brought a faint unease to my chest, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe because Dolph had been acting strange around her lately, and Ethan had noticed. I pushed the thought aside. Tonight wasn’t about them.
“Alright, deal,” I said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I don’t lose.”
Ethan leaned closer, lowering his voice. “We’ll see about that.”
He took a long sip of wine, his eyes not leaving mine. I could feel the tension between us growing again, this time softer, quieter, but charged with meaning.
“You look distracted,” he said. “Everything okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just… thinking.”
“About what?”
I shook my head. “Nothing important. Eat your food.”
Ethan didn’t push further. He finished his meal in silence, then stood, stretching his arms. “Alright, I’m done. Time for the next phase of the night.”
I smiled, though my heart felt heavy. “The shower’s waiting for you.”
He leaned down, kissed my forehead, and walked off toward the hallway. “Don’t disappear before I get back.”
As soon as he was out of sight, I exhaled. The quiet of the room pressed on me. For a moment, I stared at the half-empty glasses of wine, wondering if I was living in another illusion I’d later regret.
Then my phone buzzed.
The sound made me jump. Unknown number. My pulse quickened as I picked it up.
“Hello?”
There was a pause, then a deep voice I hadn’t heard in months.
“Hello, my wildflower… been a while.”
My grip on the phone tightened. “Phil?” I whispered, disbelief flooding me.
His tone was calm, smooth, and almost affectionate. “You sound surprised. Didn’t expect me to remember you?”
I froze, my stomach tightening. “What do you want?”
“To talk,” he said simply. “To remind you that not everything fades as easily as you think.”
The confidence in his voice was exactly as I remembered. Manipulative. Cold. Dangerous.
“You shouldn’t be calling me,” I said, my voice trembling. “That part of my life is over.”
“Over?” He chuckled softly. “You think walking away erases what we had?”
I swallowed hard. “We had nothing.”
“Then why do you still sound like you’re trying to convince yourself?”
My heart raced. Ethan’s footsteps echoed faintly from down the hall, the sound of running water following soon after. I couldn’t let him find out about this call.
“Phil, don’t contact me again,” I said firmly. “Whatever this is, it ends here.”
“You’ll come around,” he said. “You always do.”
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone for a long time, my chest tight and my mind spinning. The calm I’d felt earlier was gone. Every word Phil said replayed in my head like a curse.
When Ethan returned from the shower, towel draped over his shoulders, I forced a smile. “Everything alright?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I lied quickly. “Just a call from work.”
He kissed my cheek, unaware of the storm that had already begun inside me.
Because deep down, I knew what Phil’s call meant. The past I had buried wasn’t done with me yet.