Chapter 9

• .Ethan's POV
• I felt tied knots in my stomach as the words came out of my mouth. It was an unexpected move, but I had to protect myself. I couldn't keep her around, especially after what had happened out of the blue the last time. I needed to show her that I was not a victim to be played with. I watched her through the rainy window when she turned away. Her shoulders shrugged, her body language showing her guilt.
• But deep down I knew it wasn't enough. I wanted her to feel the weight of it all, to understand the disappointment she had caused. The rain on the windshield reflected the pounding in my chest. But despite all that, I had a strange feeling. It was a mixture of anger and desire, a cocktail that both excited and worried me. I couldn't shake her image off when I drove back to my secluded home, away from the Coleman mansion. Her beauty, her betrayal, her fragility. It was a dangerous combination that left me both intoxicated and frustrated. At the end of the night, I knew I had to stay strong.
• I couldn't let her beat me to whatever this kind of game was. The taste of her lips lingered in my mouth, as did the ghostly touch of our lips that still haunted me days after we kissed the first time. To make matters worse, I saw her face every time I closed my eyes. I saw her smile and heard her laugh. I remember her gentle touch on me as she pulled me closer. I could almost smell her sweet scent, so intoxicating that I would give anything to feel her touch again. I wanted more than just to forget her, I wanted to do my part and let the seed fall where it may.
• As I pulled up to the driveway, the rain began to fall softly unlike how it did when I had just left Adeline. My private house was a hidden gem, nestled in a secluded part of town, that I had purchased a couple of years ago. The house was the perfect size for just me and had an air of sophistication that I found comforting. I couldn't help but think about Adeline, and how she must have been freezing when I made her walk outside in the rain. Suddenly, a bold idea popped into my head - I was going to take her out on a dinner date, the next night. I headed inside to plan the perfect evening for Adeline. Yes, her name was Adeline.
• Adeline's POV
• The harsh sound of the alarm clock broke the morning silence, forcing me to wake from my slumber and tumble to the ground. The after-effects of last night's drinking left my head pounding and I couldn't help but sneeze as I struggled to get up off the cold, hard floor. My head was still spinning as I stumbled towards the kitchen to be met with a shocking sight. Right at the kitchen counter, Marilyn was hugging a shirtless stranger. They were so entangled in their moment that they didn't even notice me wandering into the room, sending them gasping in surprise. He grabbed his shirt as he pecked Marilyn on the cheek before leaving the house drastically after noticing my intrusion.
• "Know him?" I asked as I tried to position myself on the kitchen stool. Marilyn smiled at me, "Of course, we met last night at the club, he's one of Michael's friends... but I can't say that he is my type." She looked at me with judgmental eyes, waiting for my side of the story. I didn't entertain them, instead, I grabbed a mug to pour myself some coffee. She cut the silence between us by mentioning that she found me sleeping uncomfortably on the edge of the bed with nothing but a shirt and underwear on. She had tucked me in properly and I hadn't even felt her. My mind wandered off to the events that happened before that moment.
• "Nothing interesting happened, he took me home and I walked into the house. Evidently, I had too much to drink. Is that story good enough for you?" I said to her with a smirk on my face. She shook her head to disagree. She handed me a plate with scrambled eggs and bacon on it, "Eat, you'll need the energy and I have to get back to work. I'll meet you at the coffee shop during my break to talk more about last night," she put her coat on and waved me goodbye. I knew that I had to get ready to leave the house too, Mr. Alex Ford left me a tone of morning messages asking to meet me in the next two hours.
• I stood in front of my closet, thinking of what to wear for the day, something to make me feel comfortable and confident through this hangover. I selected a pair of fitted jeans and a flowy blouse, both in my favourite colour- black. I wore a pair of wedge ankle boots, finishing the dressing ritual by accessorizing with a simple necklace and bracelet. I grabbed my handbag in haste after I looked at my watch to see how much time I had left. I knew that I had to take my car instead of the bike this time. As I opened the front door, my heart sank at the sight of the last person I wanted to see. There he stood, humbling the expression on his face, knowing he had wronged me. My emotions were rumbling and I couldn't decide how to react. With a deep sigh, I asked him what he was doing there.
• He took a step closer, and he spoke softly, his words heavy with guilt. "I want to apologize for what happened last night," he said. Though I was still upset, his sincerity began to soften my heart. I listened as he explained his side of the story, how he wished so badly that things didn't go the way they did. He looked into my eyes as I tried to look away, trying to deny the fact that nothing happened last night that had bothered me enough to want an apology. I fully stepped out of the door, locking it behind me and trying so hard to ignore myself. He followed me to my driveway as I opened the garage gate to get into my car. "Adeline, I'm sorry, let me make it up to you." I laughed hysterically, hoping he would believe the act I was about to put up. "I assure you, Mr Coleman, I don't need your apology, you are nothing to me..."
• With a heavy heart, he uttered the words that pierced me deeply, unexpectedly. "I hate having to see you go," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I want to do things the right way, the way deserving of a lady like you, let me take you out to dinner, I'll pick you up at 6pm?"
• I could feel my heart racing, the intensity of his words making it impossible for me to resist. I yearned to dive deeper into those captivating blue eyes and uncover the secrets they held.
• After a moment of hesitation, I finally gave in to the overwhelming desire that was consuming me. "Okay," I said softly, agreeing to the proposal of his date. As he walked away, his parting words echoed in my mind. "You may call me Ethan, no need to be formal after all we've been through..." His casual tone was almost so enchanting that I couldn't help but stare after him, my mind reeling with a flurry of conflicting emotions. The air was getting thicker as I watched him disappear into his car.