ELLIE Todd brought back all the feelings of abandonment, and seeing him was enough to make my chest ache. It was as if he had ripped a piece of my heart out. Why did it still hurt so much? All the questions resurfaced whenever I saw him, consuming my mind. Why did he leave me? Did he at least like me a little bit? Why was I so stupid not to realize that he was just a jerk? Why wasn't I enough for him? Why did a part of me still like him despite everything? I didn't want him back, I hated him, but why did my foolish heart still hold onto some hope? Calm down, Ellie, it's just neurotransmitters at work. Damn it! Todd Lockhart was my new neighbor, and I would have to deal with it. It meant pretending he doesn't exist and ignoring the fact that we share a wall. Wasn't going on a date with idiot Morgan enough? My energy was conflicting with the energy of the universe, triggering these events. Flow with it, Ellie, don't fight against it. I took a deep breath. Everything will be fine. I'll
ELLIEI spent two hours in front of my closet trying to decide what to wear. I decided to follow Anna's advice. She was right about needing something extra to give me confidence. I started looking for the lingerie Zoe had given me as a gift. It would make me feel powerful underneath my clothes. And maybe a black dress since I didn't know where we were going. A black dress always worked for any occasion.I found the lingerie in the drawer and grabbed the hanger with a black dress, that reached my thighs, long sleeves, and a square neckline. It was tight but still elegant. I stared at the black overcoat and took it as well. Mr. Morgan didn't need to see anything; it was enough for me to feel sexy and beautiful enough to get past him. I chuckled to myself.At eight o'clock, I received a message from him, letting me know he was waiting for me in front of my building. Mr. Morgan was extremely punctual. I felt a little nervous as I headed downstairs. I wasn't exactly sure why. It was just M
ELLIE I tried to avoid arguing until we reached the restaurant to avoid causing an accident. It seemed like we were always in a battle where the weapons were pure sarcasm, irony, and some sexually suggestive puns from his side. We exchanged a few jabs until he parked in front of the restaurant. At least, no accident happened. A blonde woman with big blue eyes, who must have been the hostess, greeted us as soon as we entered the restaurant. The place was elegant, and I had heard about it before. Was he trying to impress me, or was he just accustomed to this kind of place? I would bet on the latter. "Good evening! Do you have a reservation, sir?" The blonde asked with a smile on her face. I looked around while Ethan spoke to her. The blonde asked with a smile on her face. I looked around while Ethan spoke to her. Huge chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, tables with white tablecloths, dramatic mirrors, paintings, and some plants decorated the walls. The luxurious decoration har
ETHAN My jaw dropped, imagining how she must look in that lingerie. I had imagined it before, on the day Zoe insisted that she open the box in front of me. But my imagination couldn't compare to the experience of seeing her wearing it in person. From that moment on, I knew I would do anything to make her let me see what was beneath that dress. "Are you really wearing that underneath this dress?" She lowered the menu on the table, staring at me. I couldn't focus on anything else now, and keeping my cock under control required a lot of concentration, the exact opposite of imagining how she would look in that black lace. "That's what I just said," She replied before the waiter approached our table, asking if we had chosen what to order. I needed something strong to drink. It had already been difficult enough to see her in the dress she was wearing and maintain control. Her long, toned legs looked incredible in those black heels. I almost begged her to turn around, just so I could cat
ETHAN "Who are you? My therapist?" she asked, smiling, but before that, I could see the pain in her eyes. Whoever the jerk was, she had loved him and he didn't appreciate it. Damn. I knew exactly what she had been through. It made me feel like a jerk. Not that I intended to make her fall in love with me or pursue it dishonestly. I could never do that to someone. I knew firsthand the hell it was to go through something like that. Contrary to what Miss Brown thought, I always tried to be honest with the women I got involved with. "Did you just make a joke without trying to offend me?" I asked, trying to make the trace of sadness disappear from her face. "Yeah, and I almost believed that you care about what I'm saying," she said, shaking her head. "I do care." "Of course," she rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "I don't like to waste my time on things that don't interest me," I was being honest with her. "You know there are plenty of women who would be interested in devoting the
ETHAN The tension inside the car became almost unbearable during the ride to her apartment. I had to use all my self-control not to stop the car and put my hands on her. I was simultaneously furious, excited, and frustrated, and I knew she must have felt the same way. What a stubborn woman! Before we stopped in front of her building, I locked the car doors to prevent her from running away. That's exactly what she tried to do after unbuckling her seatbelt. Her shoulders slumped when she couldn't. Leaning back against the seat, she took a deep breath. "Can you open the damn door?" she said, staring at the ceiling as her chest rose and fell. "Not until you tell me what happened.”"Nothing happened!" "We were doing fine until you got sulky and became unbearable again." "Damn it! I did what you wanted, didn't I? I agreed to this nonsense, now let me go." "You're being completely incoherent." "What do you want?" She sighed deeply. "For me to say that maybe you're not as much of a ba
ELLIE When I locked the door, my heart was pounding in my chest. What had just happened? Why did I do that? I sat on the couch and stared at the door while trying to calm my breathing. I was begging the heavens for him to leave because I didn't know what I would do if he knocked on the door. My legs were still weak. That was a mistake. Damn, Todd. Because of him, I acted like a jerk. The bastard had the audacity to send me a message in the middle of the night, making me so angry that I took it all out on Ethan like an idiot. First getting mad at him and now using him to try to push Todd away. That was the worst idea I've ever had in my life. And now I knew what I was missing. I knew what it felt like to have his lips and his massive body pressing against mine. And just a little bit of that was enough to make me lose my mind. I had no idea what would happen now. I sat on the couch for an eternity, trying to process everything that had happened. Then I dragged myself to my room, wear
ELLIEMy heart raced. The hand he would use to knock on the door fell by his side. His eyes moved between me and Todd, investigating. Mr. Morgan was completely drenched. Did he come here walking in the rain? Todd walked past me in frustration, and Ethan stepped aside for him to pass. His eyes followed Todd down the hallway until he closed the door, entering his apartment—or at least that's what I thought I heard. Then his attention returned to me."You're quick," he said sarcastically, looking me up and down before turning his back to me and shaking his head. What was he thinking? Did he think I had slept with Todd? That's probably what it looked like. I took a step out of my apartment, following him."Hey! I know what it looks like, but it's not what you think," I said, making him stop. "And why the hell are you all wet?" I let out a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand."You find this funny?" He turned around. "At least someone here is having a good time at my expense.""Don't be d