EllaThe room was bathed in the soft glow of my bedside lamp, casting gentle shadows on the walls. My eyes flickered from the ceiling to my digital clock. 2:37 AM.Sleep was elusive tonight. No matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn’t catch it. I had been laying here for what felt like an eternity, hoping that exhaustion would finally take over me, but it didn’t. The comforter felt too heavy, almost suffocating, and I tossed it aside with a frustrated sigh.
EllaLogan’s husky voice filled my ears, its gravelly tone instantly making me feel guilty. He had been sleeping.“Ella? Why are you calling me?”I swallowed, hesitating. I was supposed to be asleep now, too, but I hadn’t slept a wink. I was sitting in my kitchen now, a cup of steaming chamomil
LoganMy phone buzzed on the nightstand, its screen lighting up the dark bedroom. Squinting, I saw Ella’s name flashing across the screen for the first time in two weeks. It was barely past five in the morning. The sun wasn’t even up yet. My first thought was that something terrible must have happened.I picked up the phone, and my voice came across a little harsher than I intended. “Ella? Why are you calling me?”
EllaThe air was thick with tension as Logan stood in my doorway, his eyes wide as if he were seeing me for the first time even.Even though I never wanted to admit it, I had taken extra care with my appearance today, veering away from my usual casual off-work attire.My long black velvet skirt seemed to capture his a
Ella“Aren’t you going to try it on?”Logan cocked his head as he looked back and forth between me and the dress. He was right; normally, I would try something like this on before I bought it. But right now, I just wanted to leave. His statement about his vacation in the tropics had left me reeling and disgusted, and I didn’t want to spend any more time with him than what was absolutely necessary right now.
EllaMy eyes widened at the attendant’s comment. “What do you mean by ‘he really likes me’?”She hesitated, as if she was unsure how much to reveal. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop earlier, but you guys aren’t exactly quiet,” she finally said, her eyes darting to the curtain behind which I had hidden from Logan—and my own reflections—just minutes before.
EllaLogan’s words had me feeling as though the fire that the sales attendant had started had just been stoked.“All done?” he asked, pushing himself off of the wall.“Not even close,” I growled.
EllaLogan pulled up in his sleek, black car, and the moment I opened, I could feel his eyes on me.“You look... wow,” he said, clearly searching for the right word. “Would you mind doing a little spin?”Feeling my cheeks flush, I spun around, the fabric of my blue dress swishing around me. I h