Ethan glanced at the closing door, a smirk twisting his lips. “Three days, tops. She’ll be back, begging.”
“It’s always the same. She’s so predictable.”
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“Yeah, Chloe can’t live without him. Everyone knows she’s crazy about him…”
I laughed bitterly, clutching my purse tighter as I walked towards the elevator.
Back at the apartment, I found the wedding dress. I’d waited six months for it. I grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting. It was custom–made, non–refundable, and a painful reminder. I left the ring on the coffee table, a small, glittering punctuation mark on our ending. I packed light, taking only the essentials. I left Ethan a note, telling him he could do whatever he wanted with the
apartment and its contents. Then I booked a
flight to New York. My best friend, Olivia, had
<
moved there after getting married, and I needed
a change of scenery.
Olivia dragged me to shopping and brunch.
That night, we met up with some old college
friends. Midway through the evening, the door
opened, and a few of the girls squealed. “Liam?
What are you doing here?”
“Yeah, Mr. Big Shot, to what do we owe the
pleasure?”
“Had a meeting next door. Heard about the
reunion, thought I’d drop in.” Liam’s eyes
scanned the room, lingering on me for a beat
before moving on.
Olivia nudged me. “Chloe, I think he’s here for
you.”
I looked at him, tall, handsome, in a black
overcoat over a dark suit. He had a strong
jawline and incredibly long legs. “Doubtful. We
11
<
12:08
3 76
Olivia ignored me and called out to him, “Liam! Could you possibly do me a huge favor and give Chloe a ride home later? We’ve all been
drinking, and I don’t want her taking an Uber alone.”
I looked up, startled. Liam met my gaze. After a moment, he nodded. “Sure.”
“Thanks so much!” Olivia grinned and leaned in, whispering, “Seven years with one guy? Bad
math, Chloe. Ethan can play the field, why can’t
you? Besides, Liam is fine. Don’t waste this
opportunity.”
“How do you know he’ll sleep with me?”
“The way he’s looking at you, honey, he’s
already undressed you. Trust me, I’ve dated
eighteen guys. I have experience.”
Liam drove me back to my hotel. As I unbuckled
my seatbelt, I thanked him. “Thanks for the
<
12:08
He turned to me. “No problem.”
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I reached for the door handle, but then, Ethan’s
words from the party echoed in my mind. On
impulse, I blurted out, “Want to come up for a
drink?”
He kissed me in the elevator, hard and fast,
leaving me breathless. “The cameras…”
gasped, my face flushed, my legs weak against
his. He glanced at the security camera, shifted
his position, and kissed me again.
As he swiped my keycard, he paused. “Chloe,
you can still back out. I can stop.”
“Back out of what?” I looked up at him,
wrapping my fingers around his tie, pulling him.
closer. “You’ve practically bruised my lips. Now
you’re talking about stopping?”
He chuckled, his thumb brushing over my
swollen bottom lip. “Then don’t come crying to
12:09
<
76
0000
Our first time, Liam dian t even make it to the
bedroom. My back ached from the wall, and I
playfully bit his shoulder. “Liam, you animal.
Ever heard of being gentle?”
His warm hand pressed against my lower back.
He groaned, kissing my neck. “Chloe, I’m losing
control…”
Five minutes later, I understood exactly what he
ant. He carried me to the bedroom. I buried
face in the pillow, giggling. “Liam, how long
nas it been?”
He looked at me, his expression serious. “A
while. Been busy with work.”
I stared at him, surprised, my laughter fading.
Then, tears welled up. “I’m sorry, Liam. I…” |
trailed off, wanting to say that I’d tainted him
somehow.
“Chloe, don’t,” he said, his voice laced with
concern He clumsily wined away my tears but
<
“I shouldn’t have started this.”
“But you did.” He cupped my face, his gaze
intense. “Chloe, you started this, so you better finish it.”
A week later, my friend Jake texted me, “Chloe, when are you coming back to LA?”
“No plans yet.”
“We miss you. Mark’s birthday is next week.
Come back for the party.”
“Can’t. Tell him I’ll send a gift.”
“Okay. Take care.”
Jake showed Ethan the text. “Ethan, maybe you
should call her? She’ll listen to you.”
Ethan stared at the screen, then stubbed out
<
his cigarette and stood up. “Let her rot. Good
riddance.”
“Ethan…don’t be mad. She’s just hurting.”
“Yeah, she even took off her ring. She’s really
upset this time. It’s all because of you and that
girl…”
“We’re broken up! What more does she want?”
Ethan exploded. “And nobody, I mean nobody,
is to contact her. Not even if she’s dying!”
“Okay, okay, we won’t. Calm down. You just got
out of the hospital with a bleeding ulcer.”
“You never had stomach problems when Chloe
was around. She’s only been gone a week, and
look at you…” Ethan’s face darkened with each
comment. He grabbed his jacket and stormed
out.
