𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐃

06: dubai

Elle's PoV:

The day went by pretty fast. We arrived in the afternoon and even stayed at the same hotel. I tried to talk a little to Grace, she was passively answering and showed me she wasn't interested in interacting with me at all. Luckily, the only person I like is Joe, who talked to me whenever Ethan wasn't.

Justin wasn't near us, I wasn't sure why though I shouldn't even care. Sure, his apology was totally charming but I didn't know what to think about him at all nor did I know if I should believe his apology after his asshole-ish behaviour.

I waited for Ethan in the lobby, watched Grace and Joe leaving to their room hand in hand. Justin was at the reception, talking with someone.

Closing my eyes, ignoring how tired I am and praying Ethan will be back from the restroom within the next two seconds.

Suddenly, I feel something thrown at me.

"What-"

"Your keys. Tenth floor, room 42," Justin informs me and I just nod as I stand up. I wanted to take our luggage but Justin surprisingly helped me.

"If you think I'll forgive you like that, you're wrong," I tell him.

He looks up, showing me his intense grey eyes, "who said I want your forgiveness?"

"Didn't you wake me last night to apologize for your shitty behaviour?" I smile but bite the inside of my cheek when I realize that I just flirted with him.

He rolled my luggage toward the elevator, "you probably dreamed about me."

I hiss a fake laugh and rolled my eyes as I followed him.  We didn't talk during our way up to the tenth floor. He was standing behind me all the time, I felt him staring holes into my back and I tried my best to ignore his presence.

"So what are we doing today?"

I sharply turn to him, "We?"

"Our meeting with Ethan isn't anytime soon. We decided to get to know each other before becoming business partners."

"Whose idea was that?" Ethan's not for sure.

"Joe's." He bluntly responds but I caught him smirking before. He's lying to me.

"I'm not going to spend time with you. I'll be with Joe and his damn wife," I accidentally say out loud and slapped my hand on my mouth, "I mean-"

"Damn wife?" He chuckles and I check out at which floor we currently are. Fifth. Why the hell does this take a lifetime, suddenly?

"I accidentally said it, I swear-" I swear, I didn't but I can't keep my mouth shut.

"Don't worry, I'm not telling Joe." He ensures and I just weirdly nod at him. Sixth floor. I turn to him and wanted to show a kind of thankfulness but ended up just fisting his shoulder and turning back to the closed doors as my cheeks toned deep red.

Stop acting like an idiot, Elle.

I mean, I'm good. He didn't say anything to my cringe move-

"What the hell was that?"

"Shhhh!!" I panic and slammed my hand against the door, "Oh my god, this shit takes so long."

"You curse a lot," Justin remarks and I really couldn't hold my urge back to slap him.

"And you talk a lot! Why are you even with me?"

He rolled his eyes finally and didn't look at me no more, "because my suite is next to yours."