Dangerously Devoted

9

I couldn't help but leave the house feeling a bit relieved; Ethan had let me go without a fuss. Usually, if I'd cancel out on our plans, Ethan would give me the silent treatment, and he'd take it to extreme levels. If I'd cancel on him, he would ignore me all day, every day, no matter what's happening.

Yes, I could be dying, and he'd still act as I abandoned him.

As I was about to call Arden and ask him where I was heading, I noticed he had already sent me directions to the restaurant. I ended up making it there within 5 minutes—entering the restaurant; I was immediately greeted by the refreshing aroma of the many dishes that were being served.

My stomach clenches with hunger as a guy swings past me with a tray of many steaks; the smell lingers its way inside my nose and rests on my tongue, causing me to shiver in my shoes.

I vaguely searched the restaurant for Arden as I was starting to feel a bit uneasy from standing here too long until I noticed Arden sitting at a booth not too far from the entrance.

He seemed not to have noticed me as I made my way towards him. Sitting across from him, he suddenly stops his eyes from wondering and places them on me as if he found what he was looking for.

He slides his phone out of his hand and into his pocket as a boyish grin form on his lips, flashing his wholehearted dimples.

A burn begins to grow just from the nape of my neck to my cheekbones as he mouths a 'you look amazing.'

I mouth back a 'thank you,' gaining a soft chuckle from him.

He smiles at me once more before finally speaking, "Thanks for coming"

I shrug my shoulders, "it's no problem at all," I wave off, sending him a smile back.

He nods, straightening out his form against the seat before he goes to speaking again. As he continues to eye me ever so softly and send out little flirtatious laughs and compliments, he completely disregards why he brought me here.

I narrow my eyebrows as I suddenly became aware of Arden's attire. He came well dressed, almost the same as the night at the club, except he doesn't have small strands of hair hovering over his forehead and his skin appears polished since his bruises are nearly gone. Without those minor changes, he looks the same, smiling and flirting the same as if he was purposely trying to play me out to be a fool. Like he's playing some sick game.

As if he's been planning this the entire week since we had coffee together. After so, we went back to work and back to our same routines like nothing happened, me running errands while he orders me around, but since then, his whole demeanor had changed.

He'd smile at me more; he'd have me in his office doing more and more things in there that I usually didn't do, he'd fetch me himself as if it was more important than usual, he'd even give me soft smirks and lean close to me intentionally making it noticeable that he was coming onto me.

Don't get me wrong; old me wouldn't be complaining since it could be a sign I was about to get laid, but that was like one of the phases of me grieving, which only lasted up to that night.

A sudden personality change.

His similar looks in attire.

The same smooth smirk.

What did he think he'd accomplish here? Another quick fuck to satisfy his needs and then back to the same routine?

Feeling suddenly eager and annoyed by his stalling, I instantly cut him off, "Why did you want to meet me? What precisely did you want to talk about?"