Page 1 of Runaway Girl
Chapter 1
ALICIA
“What are we?” I asked.
Ethan froze beneath me; I could feel his muscles seize up from the dreaded commitment question as we lay naked together. I was half on top of him, our chests colliding with shortened breaths, and a fine sheen of sweat coated our skin after finishing round two.
Ethan didn’t waste time in his escape, detangling himself from our position as he slipped to the end of the bed and collected his clothes.
“Why are you asking me this? You know what we are,” he replied with an exasperated tone.
I followed his lead, redressing into casual clothes as if applying armour. “It’s been four years since we started… whatever this is—”
“You said you agreed to this arrangement. We kept it secret for our careers. We’re exclusive and don’t hook up with other people, but we’re not in any type of committed relationship. You said that worked for both of us,” he snapped accusingly.
“And that did work for me. At first. I was invested in my career and had no time to spare for anything else. Our agreement worked well and still does.”
“So what’s the problem?” he asked, his blue eyes shifted to mine, a fire stirring within.
“Things have changed, Ethan. I’m twenty-eight, and I’m only getting older. I wantmore.” I didn’t know why he was surprised; this particular conversation was well overdue.
“More? I don’t do well with ultimatums, love.”
“And I don’t do well with burying my head in the sand and not voicing what I want.”
“And what do you want, Alicia?”
“I want to be in a committed relationship. I want a loyal partner. I want to introduce them to my family. I want to get married. I want to have kids one day. I want a life filled with happiness. That’s what I feel will make me happy.”
“Wow, you really did bide your time well, didn't you?” he said with a cocky, condescending grin. Then, the asshole began a slow, dramatic clap. “Well done, Alicia. You really had me fooled. Played the long game and thought you could hook yourself a rich, big-time athlete, huh?”
“Get over yourself.” I scoffed. “You may be the highest paid running back in the league, butI’mthe one who’s made you rich.” I was one of the top-performing financial advisors at Stella Financial Management, and Ethan was my client. He wasn’t about to undermine my role and the effort I put into my job.
Ethan sneered with an elitist air as he turned for the exit. “Oh, so now I owe you? This is brilliant. Next, you’re going to tell me how much you’ve fallen in love with me, right? How you can’t live without me? How I will never find another woman like you?”
Each word came out more scathing than the last, almost mocking in its deliverance. What made it worse was that he didn’t even look at me while making those statements. Ethan merely strolled down the hallway towards my front door like we were discussing the weather.
I was struck dumb. Standing behind him, literally lost for words. It wasn’t how I envisioned our “talk” to go down. Sure, we had a mutual agreement which was beneficial for both of us, but that wasfour fucking years ago.
I thought he would at least hear me out, and we could discuss our future like adults. Even if that meant we would move on separately, as individuals. I knew that was a strong possibility with Ethan’s abysmal communication skills and commitment issues, but I wasn’t afraid.
Heat raised beneath my skin as red filtered into my vision, alongside those pesky tears that always threatened to make an appearance when I was overcome with emotion.
Ihatedthatfucking cryingwas my body’s natural response, like my faculties were being overloaded with too much stimulus that it had no choice but to leak from my eyes. Even when all I felt was frustration and anger.
And right then, I had that in abundance.
Ethan wrenched the door open and spared a glance over his shoulder. “Oh, come on, don’t start with the waterworks.”
I aggressively swiped the traitorous tears from my cheeks, rage sweeping through me like a tsunami. I was Alicia motherfucking Thorne, and I would not wallow beneath the heels of an insecure, emotionally stunted twenty-nine-year-old man-child.
So, when I opened my mouth, I let all that built-up frustration sore forth to hit him square in the chest as his words played on repeat inside my head.
Next, you’re going to tell me how much you’ve fallen in love with me, right? How you can’t live without me? How I will never find another woman like you?
“Yes, Ethan. Over the past four years, I have fallen in love with you, and congratulations, you’ve successfully spat on that in the timespan of a few minutes. But let me clarify a few things for you,famous football player, since you’ve seemed to get a few things twisted. First, Icanandwilllive without you.”
When I mentioned that pesky four-letter L word, I thought he was having a coronary from the way his eyes were bulging. But I didn’t let him get a word in. Grabbing his shoulders, I pushed him fully out the door and out of my apartment.
