Painful Pleasures

Chapter 7

Penthouse.
He lives in a penthouse.

Wiping my tears, I watch as Ethan parks outside a huge, black building over 50 stories high.
I was going to protest, tell him to take me home so I could scream and trash everything but he looked tense already and there was another guy in the passenger seat, plus the grocery bags here.
Not wanting to intrude I keep quiet as he shuts off the engine and climbs out, opening the back door immediately and stretching out his hand for me.
Once I'm outside, he holds me close as we walk towards the elevator and I try to pretend that his warmth and that aftershave scent is not pulling me close like a magnet.
His friend follows behind us, carrying a load of grocery bags as we get in and everyone is quiet for the entire ride up to the 20th floor.

When we get to the door, his friend unlocks it while he turns to me, gently grasping my face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" He says, eyes searching mine.

"Yes." I lie.

He frowns at me.
"You're lying."

"I just need a moment, okay. Can I use your bathroom?" I ask honestly.
I just need to let this entire charade sink in. I still couldn't believe this had happened....three years of my life had been an entire lie.

Ethan hesitates a moment before saying, "Yeah, sure. Just follow me."
And he walks in with me following right behind, clutching my arms around me.
He leads me up a short staircase and down a hallway into a room that I am positive is his.

It's white and black here. A black lush rug on the floor with white bedsheets and pillows, black silk curtains, and two white cushion chairs.

"Here." He says and gestures to a door.

"Thanks." I say and he looks like he is about to say something but just nods instead and leaves.

Ethan's POV

I contemplate standing outside and waiting for her and decide to just go downstairs where Trevor is putting away the groceries.

"How is she?" He asks, piling jars into the fridge.

"Quiet, shut out. She won't even look at me."

"Well, she just got harassed by a weirdo, you can't blame her."

"Not just a weirdo," I say as I run my hands through my hair,

"Her ex-boyfriend." And Trevor turns to look at me with his jaw dropped.

"What? That's a sickening bastard."

"Yeah, you don't know half of the terrible thing he did to her." I say, staring at my knuckles that were slightly bruised.

"I knew that punch had a history." Trevor says as he keeps loading the fridge.

"I'm going to check on her." I say, already heading up the stairs.
When I get to the front of the room, I hesitate.
Was she going to chase me again?
What had he been demanding?

Taking a deep breath, I open the door and walk-in. Sure enough, she is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down with her hair all over her face.

I'm beginning to suspect it's a habit she does when she's sad.

"Hey." She says when I walk in, looking up at me.

"You're not gonna throw a tennis ratchet at me, right?" I say as I linger at the door, waiting to see her reaction to my lame attempt of easing her up.

Laughter.
She was laughing, surprising me. I had never heard her laugh. It was like her name...short and sweet.
Taking the opportunity, I sit next to her.