Page 57 of King of Deception

“Ella—”

“It’s not my first rodeo, as you already know by now. So I’m gonna be okay. I just hope that you learn from Jude’s mistakes and understand that I never wanna see your face again.”

“Can you at least—”

“No, I can’t. At least have the decency to let me recover from this on my own terms, Mr. Drakos.”

Biting my lip, I forced myself to watch her open the door and get out, gently closing it behind her as if nothing had happened. I then held my breath as my eyes followed her walking away, disappearing into the building.

How long did I wait there in my car, wishing that she would come back down? I couldn’t tell you. All I knew was that I was in no state to drive.

When I finally managed to move, I drove as quickly as I could, suddenly unable to remain seen on the streets. I wanted to go home. I needed to be somewhere familiar.

Stepping into my living room, I was greeted by Dylan’s kind eyes, happy to see me. He wagged his tail for a moment as I patted him on the neck. As soon as I sat down in my chair, he came to me, lifting up his nose and sniffing my hand. His tail slowed down as he settled at my feet, staring up at me.

“Yeah, buddy,” I rested back my head. “I fucked up.”

I was no better than Jude. In fact, Ella had all the right to believe that what I’d done was much worse.

Just like that, everything I’d tried so hard not to ruin had fallen apart right before my eyes. Naked whispers upon soft pillows. Intimate conversations under the moonlight. Ice cream dates in the warm sun. Feelings I was too prudent to admit to.

Everything came crashing down in flames, raining on me.

And I deserved every last burning drop of it.

Chapter 17: The Things They Broke

Ella Rose

The moment I stepped into my apartment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

There was the couch where Jude had tossed his phone on earlier. Here was where I threw my bag. That table was what I’d bumped into when he started intimidating me.

And there was the bedroom door.

A single tear dripped down as I slowly walked toward the door, hesitant as if I would find him waiting for me there. After turning on the lights, my eyes slowly moved over every detail.

In his frenzy, Jude must have knocked over my night light because there it was, shattered on the floor. The messy curves and burrows of the covers on the bed stood as a testament to my pathetic attempts at resistance. Looking farther, I saw the spot where he and Abel had brawled. The rug was twisted sideways, and a single bloodstain soiled its sky blue fabric.

Letting the tears rain down my face, I angrily opened the closet, stretching up my arms to reach the duffel bag on the top shelf. Pulling it down, I quickly unzipped it and tossed it on the bed.

Without thinking, I scooped up some clothes in heaps. A stack of tops, a couple of pairs of jeans, and a bunch of cardigans. I stuffed them carelessly into the bag before rushing over to the drawers, pulling the top one open, grabbing as many panties and bras as I could. Frantically, I scooted over and opened the sock drawer, cupping my hands and carrying as many pairs as I could.

Without looking back, I stepped over the broken glass, turning off the lights and slamming the door behind me. As I roughly wiped the tears, I grabbed my purse and left the apartment.

*

Unannounced, I stood outside Alex’s door, pondering my stupidity for not calling first. I could hear music inside and thought that he might have company. But I came all the way here now, and there was nothing left to do but ring the doorbell.

“Ella!” he sounded out of breath as his eyes widened at the sight of me. I could see James sitting on the couch behind him, sipping wine. “What happened to you?”

“I’m—I’m sorry,” I froze in place. “I can come back.”

“Ella, hi!” James approached with a smile that soon faded. His eyes went down to my bag. “Come on in.”

“Yeah, come inside,” Alex quickly leaned over, grabbing the bag. “What happened?”

“Are you alright?” James asked, stepping backward as he studied me from head to toe.

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