Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Nine

I stood there, dumbfounded, my mouth slightly agape as I watched Ella walk out of the restaurant. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time—one that left me paralyzed, unable to put words to the surge of emotions that ran through me.

There was something about her intensity tonight that caught me off guard, something about the sharpness in her words. It was unlike anything I had ever encountered. Even though Dylan was my closest friend, we had never really gotten into the depths of our personal lives. But now, everything felt different.

Dylan's voice cut through my daze. "Luke," he said, his tone carrying a mix of irritation and disbelief. "Are you really just going to sit there?"

I raised an eyebrow, trying to play off my unease. "Why would I go after her?"

He scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a disapproving look. "Have you heard yourself tonight? Do you even realize how you’ve been talking to her?"

I frowned, caught off guard by his serious tone. "I wasn’t trying to offend her. I was just being honest."

Dylan’s eyes narrowed. "There’s being honest, and then there’s being an a**hole, Luke."

I blinked, thrown off. Dylan rarely used harsh language, and hearing him talk like this only made me realize how much I had missed. Was I really that oblivious to my own behavior?

The truth settled uncomfortably in my gut. I replayed some of the things I had said to Ella over the course of the evening—the casual jabs about her financial situation, the dismissive tone when she tried to contribute to the conversation. In hindsight, it all seemed so much worse.

"She didn’t seem that upset," I muttered, though even I didn’t believe my own words.

Dylan shook his head, his expression stern. "She’s not the type to show it. But you and I both know that didn’t sit well with her. She was polite, but she was fuming underneath."

A wave of embarrassment washed over me as I realized how out of touch I had been. I had thought I was just being straightforward, but now it was clear that I had crossed the line.

I glanced toward the door where Ella had disappeared, my napkin crumpled in my fist. The memory of her walking away, looking so put together despite everything, gnawed at me. She had every right to be angry.

"I didn’t mean to upset her," I said, my voice quieter now.

"Well, you did." Dylan stood up, tossing his own napkin onto the table. "If you want my advice, go after her and apologize. Before this night gets worse."

I stayed seated, feeling conflicted. Chasing after her felt desperate, but letting her go without a word felt even worse.

"I don’t know, man," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Maybe I should just leave it alone. She probably hates me by now."

Dylan sighed heavily, shaking his head in exasperation. "Look, Luke, I get it. You’re not used to being in situations like this. But you need to understand something—Ella’s not like the other women you’ve dated. You can’t treat her like you treated them."

I bristled at his words, but I knew he was right. Ella was different. She wasn’t impressed by the money, the fancy dinners, or any of the things that usually worked with other women. And that scared me because I had no idea how to navigate this.

"Fine," I said, finally standing up and grabbing my coat. "I’ll go find her."

Dylan shot me a look that was both relieved and amused. "About time."

I threw some cash on the table to cover the bill and followed Dylan out of the restaurant. The cool night air hit me as soon as I stepped onto the street, the bustling noise of the city a sharp contrast to the quiet tension that had settled over me.

"She couldn’t have gone far," Dylan said, glancing down the street. "Especially not in those heels."

I nodded, scanning the road in both directions. Part of me wondered if she would even let me catch up to her. She had looked so determined when she left, like she wanted to put as much distance between us as possible.

"Split up?" I suggested, rolling up my sleeves as if preparing for the hunt.

Dylan nodded, heading off in one direction while I jogged in the other, hoping that I hadn’t ruined everything beyond repair.

The streets were busy with people moving in and out of bars, their laughter and voices echoing through the night. It was still warm, but the city had that underlying chill that reminded me how much time had passed since we first arrived. I regretted not offering Ella my jacket before she left.

I walked for a while, my mind racing with thoughts of what I would say when I found her. Would she even want to hear me out? And more importantly, could I make things right?

A few blocks later, I spotted her. She was walking with quick, determined steps, her heels clicking against the pavement. I quickened my pace, calling out her name.

"Ella!"

She didn’t stop, but I saw her shoulders stiffen. I ran to catch up, falling into step beside her. She glanced at me briefly before looking straight ahead, her expression hard.

"What do you want, Luke?" she asked, her voice cold.

"I just… I wanted to apologize," I said, stumbling over my words. "I didn’t mean to upset you tonight. I was just—"

"Being yourself?" she interrupted, her tone biting.

I winced. "I guess I deserve that."

She stopped walking, turning to face me with fire in her eyes. "Look, Luke, I get it. You’re used to people treating you a certain way because of who you are. But that’s not me. I don’t care about your money or your fancy lifestyle. What I care about is respect, and tonight, you didn’t give me that."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She was right. I had been arrogant, assuming that she would be impressed by all the things that usually worked. But Ella wasn’t interested in any of that, and I had completely missed the mark.

"I’m sorry," I said, meaning it this time. "I didn’t realize how much of a jerk I was being."

Ella crossed her arms, studying me for a moment. I could see the conflict in her eyes—the part of her that wanted to forgive me warring with the part that didn’t trust me.

"Just… don’t do it again," she finally said, her voice softening slightly. "I’m not like those other women, Luke. And if you want to keep spending time with me, you need to realize that."

I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "I do. I get it now."

For a moment, we stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, the city bustling around us. It was strange—despite everything that had happened tonight, I felt closer to Ella than I had before. Maybe because, for the first time, I had been forced to confront my own flaws.

"Can I walk you home?" I asked, hesitating.

She looked at me for a long moment, and then, to my surprise, she nodded.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I think I’d like that."

As we walked together through the busy streets, side by side, I knew this was only the beginning. There was so much more I needed to learn about Ella, and maybe—just maybe—about myself too.