Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Fourteen.

As I listened to the soft patter of raindrops falling against the window in my living room, I made a concerted effort to stop my thoughts from wandering upstairs. Ella was soaking in the Jacuzzi tub in the guest bathroom, and even though I tried not to think about it, the thought kept intruding. I shifted on the couch, crossing my right leg over my left, my fingers drumming nervously on my knee. It had been so long since I had shared my space with someone else. The presence of another person was both unfamiliar and strangely comforting.

Ella had stayed the night—an unexpected turn of events. I wasn’t used to having company for more than a few hours, let alone an entire night. Dylan would come over sometimes, but he never stayed long, always leaving before things got too comfortable. With Ella, the house felt different. Quiet, yet filled with a subtle energy. I couldn't stop thinking about her, even though I knew I should. She was just a few feet above me, and yet, my thoughts were racing.

I leaned my elbow on the armrest of the sofa, resting my head in my hand as I replayed the events of the day. The break-in, the chaos, and Ella’s reaction. I could still see the look on her face when she realized her clothes were gone, her frustration barely masked by that calm demeanor she tried so hard to maintain. There was something about her that made me want to reach out, to help, even though she didn’t seem to want it. I could tell she was struggling to keep it together, but she didn’t ask for help. She never asked for help.

Was it pride? Or was she just not used to someone being there for her? Either way, it made me wonder if I was doing the right thing by keeping my distance. Should I have offered more? Maybe I should have insisted that she stay in my room instead of the guest room. She could sleep in my bed, and I could take the couch. It would’ve been the gentlemanly thing to do, right?

My fingers tapped harder on my knee as I scolded myself for even thinking about sharing a bed with her. It wasn’t about that. I knew she was going through a rough time, and the last thing she needed was me complicating things by making her uncomfortable. But the truth was, I couldn’t ignore the fact that having her here was… different. Being alone had never bothered me before, but now that Ella was here, the silence felt heavier. Almost suffocating.

I groaned softly and rubbed my forehead, feeling a dull ache forming behind my eyes. Of all nights to get a headache, why tonight? I hadn't had one in weeks, and now it was creeping up on me just when I needed to keep my thoughts clear. I sighed, dragging myself off the couch and heading toward the bathroom to grab some aspirin.

As I pushed open the door, I froze, my hand still resting on my forehead. The sound of water splashing caught my attention, followed by a sharp gasp. Ella.

I looked up and saw her standing in the tub, her eyes wide with surprise. She had just gotten out of the water, and the steam from the bath rose around her, clinging to her skin. For a split second, we were both frozen, locked in an awkward moment.

"Uh... um..." I stammered, feeling the heat rise to my face. "Sorry. I just—"

"W-what?" she squeaked, her voice a little higher than normal. Her hands shot up to cover herself, though she was already wrapped in a towel.

I quickly averted my eyes, my heart pounding in my chest. "I didn’t mean to... I just need to grab something from the medicine cabinet."

"Oh," she breathed, her face still flushed. "Of course, no problem."

I grabbed the bottle of Excedrin from the cabinet as fast as I could and muttered another apology before practically running out of the bathroom. I heard her stifled laugh as the door clicked shut behind me, and I couldn’t help but feel like an idiot. Great. Just great.

Back in the kitchen, I took two pills and leaned against the counter, trying to calm myself down. She must’ve thought I was some kind of creep, barging in like that. I closed my eyes, feeling the headache pounding harder now. Why did this feel so awkward? She’s a guest, and I needed to act like it, not like some awkward teenager.

Once the pills started kicking in, I returned to the couch, sinking into the cushions with a long sigh. I needed to stop overthinking everything, but it was impossible when she was upstairs, probably thinking about how ridiculous I had been. The sound of my phone buzzing in my pocket pulled me out of my thoughts. I fished it out and glanced at the screen—Channing.

“What?” I asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice.

“Mr. Connor!” His voice was loud, frantic, and it instantly made my headache worse.

I winced. "What’s wrong now?"

“There’s a problem with the Hawaii contract,” he blurted out, his words tumbling over each other. “They’re threatening to pull out if we don’t renegotiate by the end of the week!”

I sat up straighter, my heart sinking. "What? Why wasn’t I informed about this sooner?"

“I... I tried to reach you, but—"

"Fix it, Channing," I cut him off, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I’m not coming into the office tomorrow. Just fix it."

"But, Mr. Connor, you’ll need to sign off on the new terms personally."

I thought about Ella upstairs, the disaster she was dealing with. Leaving her alone tomorrow didn’t feel right. "Send me the documents. I’ll sign them, but I’m not leaving her here by herself."

"Her?" Channing asked, confusion clear in his voice.

"Just handle it, Channing." I hung up before he could ask any more questions. I wasn’t going to let business get in the way of making sure Ella was okay. Not this time.

I sank back into the couch, closing my eyes and trying to block out the stress of the day. Another few minutes passed, and I heard soft footsteps approaching. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ella standing at the doorway, her wet hair draped over her shoulders, a soft towel wrapped around her. She looked at me hesitantly, her eyes searching mine.

"I’m sorry about today," she said quietly, her voice barely audible.

I waved her off. "You don’t have to apologize. It wasn’t your fault."

She shifted on her feet, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I still feel bad. I’ve caused you so much trouble."

"It’s no trouble." I stood up, moving toward her. "But I don’t think you should go back to that apartment. Not yet."

Ella looked up, her eyes wide with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it’s not safe. I’ll help you find somewhere new if you want. You can’t stay there knowing someone can break in so easily."

She blinked, clearly caught off guard by my offer. "You don’t have to do that, Luke. I’ll figure it out. I don’t need—"

"I know you don’t need me to," I interrupted, taking a step closer. "But I want to. I can help."

Her lips parted as if she wanted to argue, but she stopped herself. She looked up at me, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, and for a moment, we just stood there, neither of us knowing what to say.

"Are we friends?" I asked suddenly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Ella blinked again, clearly surprised by the question. After a long pause, she nodded slowly. "Yeah... I guess we are."

I smiled, a real smile this time. "Then let me help. That’s what friends do."

She laughed softly, her shoulders relaxing as she looked at me with a grateful expression. "Okay, Luke. Thank you. I... I really appreciate it."

The tension between us seemed to melt away in that moment, and for the first time since she had walked into my home, I felt like things were going to be okay. She was going to be okay. And maybe, just maybe, I would be too.