ELLIE I needed to remind myself why I hated him, why I shouldn't get close, and not dwell on how he made me feel. I had to remember what I went through last time, that would bring back my reason. At twenty-seven, I had already had my share of detestable men. And my ex, if I could even call him that, that dishonest bastard managed to shatter my heart. I promised myself that would be the last time. I'd rather spend the rest of my life alone than go through that again. I often wondered if I was too dumb not to see the signs, but with so many mixed signals, the blame couldn't be solely on me. Men had this problem. Jerks couldn't be honest. They preferred to toy with a woman's feelings to get what they wanted, and they continued doing it to keep the sex. As if we were some kind of backup plan, to be used when they needed. Thinking about it made me want to cut off that bastard's dick, and it still made my chest ache. Todd Lockhart got exactly what he wanted, to use me and discard me as i

ELLIE I drove to work after stopping by home to take a shower. The apartment next to mine was being vacated, which delayed my departure. Why did everything in my life seem to be falling apart? Don't exaggerate, Ellie. It's just my damn ex who's back, bringing along all the memories. Good and bad. It was easy to look at Todd and understand why I fell in love. He was extremely attractive, the type that makes you wet just by looking at him. He could be sexy doing the most basic things, like changing a lightbulb. That memory was still fresh in my mind. The sex was really good. He was also intelligent, caring, and had that Italian charm. Our relationship was good, even though it wasn't official. For seven months, he had never asked me to be his girlfriend, even though things between us worked exactly like that, and we had an exclusivity agreement. He knew he could only have me in that way, so he accepted it. I couldn't wrap my head around liking someone and being willing to share them

ETHAN Despite not knowing exactly what I was doing, it seemed like a start, and I needed to get her out of my system urgently, especially after last night. And no matter how much she tried to appear indifferent, I knew she wasn't immune to me. Being alone with her would allow me to show her what she was missing. "Why are you smiling?" she narrowed her eyes. "I'll get rid of you without any effort, apart from having to put up with you for a few hours." "We have a date." "You call it a date, and I call it a way to get rid of you," she smiled. A breathtakingly pretentious smile. The combination of her grayish-blue eyes, dark hair, and fair skin sprinkled with freckles tormented me. It made me want to pull her against my body, kiss her urgently, and then undress her. This was bad. Really bad. Because it was exactly this face that I imagined last night while I was on top of the blonde at the bar. It didn't go as planned at all. My intention was to have sex with a beautiful woman to re

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

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