next chapter without finding out.
It was four a.m. by the time I parked outside Eve’s townhouse. I literally sat there for a full fifteen minutes before I built enough nerve to walk to the front door. It wasn’t like another fifteen minutes would make a fuck’s worth of difference at that late hour. I didn’t want to scare her, but I needed to talk to her. The sound of my solid knocks on the paneled wood reverberated through the deserted snowy night much louder than I would’ve liked. The last thing I needed was the neighbors stopping my efforts to see her at that point.
“Are you okay?” Her question sounded pained through the intercom. Mounted above on the brick elevation was a small camera pointed right at me. Of course Eve’s place had a state-of-the-art security system.
“No. Angela, I want to talk to you.”
After a few long seconds, she pulled open the heavy wood door. I couldn’t tell if I suddenly felt warmth from the heat pouring out the door, or from seeing her before me in nothing but an oversized T-shirt. My eyes drank in every inch of her from the curve of her neck to the toned smooth skin of her legs. My impetus to show up in the middle of the night had little to do with my sexual urges toward her. But seeing her standing a few feet away looking so stunning felt like some kind of cruel joke.
“Nick, why are you here?” She shivered while waiting for me to either speak or move.
“Can I come in?”
Surprisingly, she nodded and moved aside to let me in. The snow that clung to my head and shoulders fell to the marble floor, instantly melting into tiny puddles. I looked down and apologized for the mess.
“Don’t worry about it,” she responded while leading me into a large living room. The décor screamed luxury, from the soft leather couches to the massive flat screen on the far wall. A velour blanket lay on the floor before the couch, a cup of tea sat on the table beside it, and a fire roared in the fireplace.
“I’m sorry it’s so late. Did I wake you?” I asked, wondering if she was here when I knocked, or up in her warm bed.
“Um…no, I couldn’t sleep. Can I get you something to drink?”
I shook my head, waiting for her to sit before I sat beside her. When she did, she tucked her bare legs beneath her.
Now that I was there, I had no idea where to begin. As thoughts fought their way to my mouth, she spared me by saying, “Nick, I wish things could be different, but I can’t start something when I’m leaving soon.”
“Leaving? Where are you going?”
“New York City. I have to be gone by the time—” She stopped abruptly while looking down at her fingers as they tugged on the hem of her T-shirt. I wasn’t sure if the motion was from her nerves or her modesty.
“By the time what?” I prompted.
She looked up at my face, waiting a pause before saying, “I just need to leave before my ex gets back to Chicago. He’s been away in Italy for the holidays, and I want to be gone by the time he returns.”
“This Ronnie guy, right?”
She nodded without making eye contact.
“Ronnie what?”
“Delton.”
“So you’re running away? Did he hurt you?” My question caused strong emotions to swell in her eyes where I could see tears glisten even in the dimly lit room.
“He won’t anymore.” She shrugged, breaking eye contact to stare at the hem of her shirt once again.
Rage slowly crept through my veins into my chest, making my breathing labored and obvious. “Angela, who is he?”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s part of my past, and I’m ready to find my future. I just have some things to wrap up before I leave.” The minute I left her, I’d be looking into this Delton prick.
“How does Eve feel about you leaving?”
“She agrees I need to. She’s like a sister to me. We grew up together before her family moved here when we were twelve. She said maybe she’d follow me back East. Eve gets bored quickly.”
I looked around the palatial townhouse.
It was four a.m. by the time I parked outside Eve’s townhouse. I literally sat there for a full fifteen minutes before I built enough nerve to walk to the front door. It wasn’t like another fifteen minutes would make a fuck’s worth of difference at that late hour. I didn’t want to scare her, but I needed to talk to her. The sound of my solid knocks on the paneled wood reverberated through the deserted snowy night much louder than I would’ve liked. The last thing I needed was the neighbors stopping my efforts to see her at that point.
“Are you okay?” Her question sounded pained through the intercom. Mounted above on the brick elevation was a small camera pointed right at me. Of course Eve’s place had a state-of-the-art security system.
“No. Angela, I want to talk to you.”
After a few long seconds, she pulled open the heavy wood door. I couldn’t tell if I suddenly felt warmth from the heat pouring out the door, or from seeing her before me in nothing but an oversized T-shirt. My eyes drank in every inch of her from the curve of her neck to the toned smooth skin of her legs. My impetus to show up in the middle of the night had little to do with my sexual urges toward her. But seeing her standing a few feet away looking so stunning felt like some kind of cruel joke.
“Nick, why are you here?” She shivered while waiting for me to either speak or move.
“Can I come in?”
Surprisingly, she nodded and moved aside to let me in. The snow that clung to my head and shoulders fell to the marble floor, instantly melting into tiny puddles. I looked down and apologized for the mess.
“Don’t worry about it,” she responded while leading me into a large living room. The décor screamed luxury, from the soft leather couches to the massive flat screen on the far wall. A velour blanket lay on the floor before the couch, a cup of tea sat on the table beside it, and a fire roared in the fireplace.
“I’m sorry it’s so late. Did I wake you?” I asked, wondering if she was here when I knocked, or up in her warm bed.
“Um…no, I couldn’t sleep. Can I get you something to drink?”
I shook my head, waiting for her to sit before I sat beside her. When she did, she tucked her bare legs beneath her.
Now that I was there, I had no idea where to begin. As thoughts fought their way to my mouth, she spared me by saying, “Nick, I wish things could be different, but I can’t start something when I’m leaving soon.”
“Leaving? Where are you going?”
“New York City. I have to be gone by the time—” She stopped abruptly while looking down at her fingers as they tugged on the hem of her T-shirt. I wasn’t sure if the motion was from her nerves or her modesty.
“By the time what?” I prompted.
She looked up at my face, waiting a pause before saying, “I just need to leave before my ex gets back to Chicago. He’s been away in Italy for the holidays, and I want to be gone by the time he returns.”
“This Ronnie guy, right?”
She nodded without making eye contact.
“Ronnie what?”
“Delton.”
“So you’re running away? Did he hurt you?” My question caused strong emotions to swell in her eyes where I could see tears glisten even in the dimly lit room.
“He won’t anymore.” She shrugged, breaking eye contact to stare at the hem of her shirt once again.
Rage slowly crept through my veins into my chest, making my breathing labored and obvious. “Angela, who is he?”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s part of my past, and I’m ready to find my future. I just have some things to wrap up before I leave.” The minute I left her, I’d be looking into this Delton prick.
“How does Eve feel about you leaving?”
“She agrees I need to. She’s like a sister to me. We grew up together before her family moved here when we were twelve. She said maybe she’d follow me back East. Eve gets bored quickly.”
I looked around the palatial townhouse.
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