Chapter twenty eight

Chapter twenty eight

Ethan

I needed to reconsider the type of favors I granted so they don't come back to bite me in the ass, like agreeing to keep Kira's secret, for example.

It was the second time this week that something had stopped Millie and I from kissing, this time it wasn't my brain. I wanted to tell her that Kira and I weren't a couple, but the way she'd seem horrified earlier stopped me.

I didn't know why the thought of kissing me bothered her so much, but I intended on finding out.

For some reasons, the headache wasn't as intense when I got close to her today. I was able to block out the pain. Maybe because since I found her at the club, the only thing I've been feeling was insane jealousy.

And the heated look she gave when she stepped out of the bathroom was enough to make me lose all sense of reasoning. I wanted nothing more than to claim her right there, to remind her just how perfectly we fit together, but then as usual, something had gotten in the way.

I carried the two bowls spicy noodles I made to the living room, a glass of warm milk and some hangover pills on the side. Millie was perched on the couch, her eyes fixed on the TV screen even though it wasn't on.

“You can turn it on, you know.” I said and set the tray on the coffee table.

“No, it's fine. I won't be staying long, no need to get comfortable.” she said, but the way she sat implied otherwise.

I glanced at her, just for a second, but the image was imprinted on my mind. The sight of her in my clothes awoke a primal need inside me. It was almost like everything was eight years ago when she used to hang out in my apartment back in Moscow.

The tiny slice of pain at the back of my head was enough proof that things were different now. Nothing could go back to the way it was no matter how much I wanted it to.

“I made you spicy noodles to help with the nausea. You don't have to worry about getting too comfortable, the apartment maintenance would be here first thing in the morning.” I said pointedly.

She blinked in surprise. “Tomorrow morning?”

I nodded. “It's 2 am. They can't come here now.”

She nodded, agreeing with me. Her eyes widened with different kind of panic. I immediately knew what she was worried about.

And there's that sting of jealousy again.

“You can sleep in the guest room tonight. You don't have to worry about me bothering you. The rooms are on opposite ends of the apartment.” I answered before she even asked.

“Oh! Thank you.” she said weakly and tucked her hair behind her ears. My eyes immediately went to her messy bun and how absolutely gorgeous it looked on her.

She looked gorgeous earlier in that little dress and make up, but this side of her has always been my favorite. Make-up free face, messy hair, and cozy fit, this was the Millie that most people don't get to see.

I averted my gaze and hoped she didn't notice I was staring too much. I didn't want her to withdraw more into herself like she did earlier.

I wordlessly handed her the bowl of noodles and chopsticks. She accepted it, muttering her appreciation. I watched as she adjusted her sitting position, folded her legs and began slurping the noodles.

I didn't realize I'd ended up staring at her the entire time without touching my own food. She raised her head from her food, her brows furrowed.

“You're not eating.” she pointed out.

“That's because you're making the loudest sloppy sounds. I can't even focus on my food.” I chuckled. “Probably shouldn't have made the noodles so spicy.”

She paused mid-bite and glared at me.
“Oh yeah?” she licked a bit of sauce off her lip, I tried not to stare too much.

“Remind me again who nearly cried over a single bite of that adzhika-loaded chuberek in Moscow? What was it you said? ‘it’s not the heat, it's the flavor’?” she scoffed.

This was the first time in almost two years that she'd willingly talked about Moscow. She must have realized it too as her eyes widened slightly, but I wasn't going to let her withdraw again.

“Hey! I wasn't lying! It was the flavor. You can't accuse me of not knowing how to handle my spice. I lived in Korea, you know.” I scoffed.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

“Koreans have a high level of spice tolerance.” I insisted.

“Not as high as Russians.” she shrugged.

“You know that's not true. You couldn't even keep the ramyeon and kimchi down the first time I made them.”

“Oh my God! That's because it was so bad. I keep telling you it wasn't because of the spice.”

“That wasn't what you said back then.” I smiled as the memory of that day flashed over my mind.

It was the first time she visited my apartment in Moscow. I had been trying to impress her but ended up creating a mess. That night had led to something memorable.

“I was being nice. And you got better at it so there was no use bringing it up again.”

I sighed. “You're right. It's the only meal I can cook properly to this day.”

“Well, you have a professional chef living next door. Since you just treated me to a nice meal, I might drop off some home cooked meals once in a while.” she smiled.

“You would be a life saver.” I placed a hand on my chest and pouted.

She let out a small laugh. We continued chatting about other things, but we were both careful not to mention anything closely related to our relationship again.

We talked about how campus life used to be, our lives in New York, our friends, she even informed me about her plans for the restaurant. Not that I didn't already know most of them. I had recommended Taylor to Xavier based on everything Millie told me when we were together.

We've always discussed how it would be like when she finally open her restaurant. She would describe it with so much enthusiasm, just like she was doing right now.

I loved seeing this side of her too. How her face lit up when she talked about her passion. I was happy she was finally getting everything she wished for. She deserved to be happy, even if I probably won't be alive to witness it.

“So I'm curious though. if you didn't release the picture, then who did? And how the hell did it turn to such a big trend among ladies? A gross trend, but still.” She asked, her eyes seeking answers.

I sighed. I had no idea how our conversation stirred towards my viral ‘t-shirt’ moment. It's been almost five years since the scandal, but sadly, the internet never forgets.

It wasn't really something I should be discussing with the woman I used to love, but Millie and I have always been free with each other. Even with extremely awkward things like this. And it's not like I've ever shared the real story with anyone before.

“There was this actress I used to see. I stopped calling her when she got too…attached. Then I attended a fancy gala shortly after with a model. She saw the pictures on the internet and decided to release ai-generated pictures of my dick as a revenge.” I said.

I had sued the actress for a hefty sum after the incident and had the pictures removed, but the damage had already been done. Within few weeks, there were t-shirts with “Ethan Hart's dick” sold online. It'd taken a while to shut down those businesses.

The scandal had increased my reputation among the ladies who fell for the fake pictures. While I enjoyed the attention then, it was becoming tiring now.

“So the pictures weren't even real?” she said thoughtfully. “I should know. I mean, I've–”

“--firsthand experience with the real thing?” I smirked.

But the joke fell flat. She turned her face away, but not before I caught a flicker of guilt in her eyes. I immediately knew what she was thinking about. It was the same thing that stopped her from kissing me earlier.

“I'm not dating Kira.” I muttered.

“Hm.” she said. I was certain she didn't believe me.

“I'm serious.” I adjusted my sitting position so I was fully facing her.

“But you earlier that you were–”

“She said it, not me.” I cut in.

“Well, you didn't deny it.”

“I was caught off-guard.” I wanted to just tell her the truth, but I didn't want to say anything about Kira, not because I don't trust Millie, but it wasn't my truth to tell. But I also didn't want Millie to think I was dating someone.

“Kira was supposed to go with me to this charity gala in a few months as an acquaintance. She came over so we could iron out a few details. We have a date set, we're not dating. And I wasn't with her last night. I really had work.”

It felt weird explaining myself like this. Millie wasn't my girlfriend anymore. I convinced myself I was just trying to clear up a misunderstanding.

“Okay.” she said simply.

I didn't know why but I kept talking.
“I'm just saying, I'm not a cheater. I have dated people since…uhm…us, but I've never cheated on them even though they weren't serious. I don't want you to think I've become a cheat, the media are just spinning bullshit–”

I didn't get to finish my sentence because Millie did something that I never thought she would do.

She leaned in and kissed me.