Beautifully Broken – by Leesa Bow #2
“Maybe it’s my mood.” She grins at me, tucking tight black ringlets behind her ear. “This guy I’m meeting up with . . .” her smile grows, “. . . there’s something about the way he talks that warms me. We have a connection, and I can’t help feeling happy in his presence.”
“Maybe he’s your perfect match.”
She shrugs, and it surprises me. “Maybe. It feels right for now. I have plans to travel, so I don’t want to be tied down in a relationship.”
“You can travel if your relationship is solid,” I state.
She tilts her head. “Would you travel the world for months at a time and leave Ethan home?”
I hesitate.
“You’d want to travel with him, right?”
“I guess. We’ve been together so long it would be weird to leave him for months at a time.”
“It’s not, if your relationship is as solid as you believe.
” She raises her eyebrows. “It’s a mind trap we fall into, and I don’t want to harbor any emotions of guilt or pity if I leave a boyfriend home.
I know the places I want to see and explore, and if he doesn’t have the same aspirations as me, I don’t want him ruining the experience. ”
I nod. “You’ve never told me about the places you want to visit.”
“Are you interested?”
“Of course, I am. If you’re inspired, then I’m sure I’ll want to go.”
“It would be a girls-only trip. I’ve already mentioned it to Bree.” This surprises me, as Bree is in Sydney studying medicine and assumed her studies wouldn’t allow her to take extensive time off. “But I can share my ideas with you another time, as I need to get ready for this date.”
“Sure. Have a fun night.”
Yasmine hugs me, resting her chin on my shoulder. “Thanks, Edes. Enjoy your night.”
A half hour later, I arrive at Amy’s. “Are we foolish heading out when it’s freezing?” I joke as she climbs into the car in a strappy dress clinging to her perfect body. “Could we just stay in and chat over a bottle of wine?”
“Noo,” she wails. Amy thrives in clubs where she can dance the night away. Since Ethan and I stay in more Friday nights than not, I don’t want to let my friend down, as it’s been a while since it was just Amy and me.
A short time later, we enter the Shores nightclub.
The loud music thumps an annoying rhythm against my ribs.
Is it lame that I feel too old for this?
Give me a quiet bar anytime. Amy is single and most single guys our age hang out in nightclubs, but some of these guys are not boyfriend material.
After a few drinks, it’s all about living in the moment, the rush of adrenaline when the lust sets in.
One night and bang, it’s over. I’m not judging—I only want to help my friend find a guy that will be kind to her.
“I’ll buy the first round of drinks. See if you can get us a table,” Amy yells over the music.
Her blonde hair is curled and falls over her bare shoulders in waves.
She is beautiful, and I think every guy here is out of her league.
I should have listened to her and wore something without sleeves because the intense heating has me sweating in a dull formal sweater dress that hugs my body.
At the bar, a group of guys surround Amy.
She points in my direction, and I sigh, assuming Amy will tell them she is with a friend.
Tonight, I want it to be about just us so we can talk before guys invade our space.
I weave through the crowd toward the back and spy an unoccupied table away from all the action.
Random guys lift their chin in a weird nod. Others wink.
Ew.
I focus on the window behind the table even though I can’t see anything outside. The reflection in the glass plays out what’s happening around me. This way, I don’t have to make eye contact with strangers looking for a hookup.
A few minutes later Amy drops into the chair opposite me and slides a wine across the table. “I just ran into Cleo.” Cleo is Yasmine’s younger sister. She’s studying physiotherapy and rarely goes out on weekends. Especially since her best friend moved interstate.
“She’s here?”
“Yeah, we were talking about Yasmine. She said she approves of her date.”
“That’s a positive sign.”
“Yeah, and Cleo mentioned a brief vacation to the east coast to see Ava.”
“I can only imagine how much they miss each other. I would hate for you to move away.”
“Yeah, but Ava went into hiding. That’s the tough part. I couldn’t imagine not being on social media except for a few close friends. And no one knowing where you are.”
I stare at Amy. “Yeah. If I had a baby, I’d want my friends to be part of my child’s life. Ava must feel lost without Cleo.”
Amy takes a sip of her wine slowly, like she is pondering something.
“I may have to move to the country to secure a teaching position, but I’m not moving interstate.
A few hours by car is my limit.” She downs the rest of her drink.
It’s Amy’s last year at university and she is nervous about the future.
“I don’t want to think about it tonight. Can I get you another wine?”
“No thanks. I’m driving,” I remind her. “Let me buy you another.” I slide off my seat and attempt to snake around the crowd, squeezing between hot bodies as I make my way to the bar.
A group of suited men stand along the wall, and I spy one of Ethan’s work colleagues.
I wave at him, and I hope that Ethan is also here.
His brow furrows, and then he turns away.
I exhale heavily. Rude prick. An uncomfortable feeling settles in my gut, the same feeling when I see the corporate staff Ethan works with.
I hate that I allow myself to feel insignificant around them, especially when they know we have been together for years.
I’m not a part-time girlfriend and have attended some of their corporate functions before so why be rude.
After ordering Amy’s wine, I head back with a bottle of water for myself and tell her what went down.
“Ugh, what a dick.” She pulls a face.
“Yeah, but I feel off as though I’m missing something.”
“You’ve missed nothing,” she emphasizes. “Those guys are dicks.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Yeah, they are. He’s the type of guy I don’t want you to end up with.”
She gives me a confused look. “I’ve never been interested in those guys.”
“I know, but you date guys that are not interested in anything more than one night. You need someone who is one hundred percent in it for you. A guy who brings you flowers for no reason at all. A guy who cuddles you on the couch and watches your favorite shows. A guy who you can be comfortable around.”
Her eyes widen. “Comfortable? Is that what you are?”
Before I can answer, a guy drags a chair over and sits at our table. “Ladies,” he says in a smooth voice. His good looks match his tone. “How’s your night going?”
Amy’s face lights up. “Eden, this is Ford. The guy I told you about.”
My mind is blank before I recall Amy talking about a guy she met on a dating app—she’s been out with him twice.
She likes him, though he wasn’t looking for a relationship so I thought she wasn’t interested.
By her expression she’s happy he’s here, and for the next half hour, they talk and laugh, trying to include me in the conversation wherever possible.
It’s clear I’m third wheeling right now, and it’s the perfect opening for me to leave.
“I’m going to go,” I say to Amy. “Let me know if you need anything. I can give you a ride home if you need one later. Text me.”
The way Amy and Ford stare at each other, she has no intention of calling me.
On the drive home I think about messaging Ethan, only I don’t want to sound clingy when he’s out with his work colleagues. I’ll contact him later to see if he needs a lift home. The forecast predicts rain, and the last thing he wants is to wait for an Uber in that weather.
As I unlock the door to my apartment I mentally plan to change into my PJ’s and sit on the couch under a cosy blanket to watch a movie. I throw the keys on the kitchen counter, freezing when I hear a bang.
The door was locked. I checked it before opening it with the key.
Bang.
A groan comes from the bedroom.
Get the hell out of here .
I will my feet to move. If someone has broken in, they can have everything. I need to tiptoe back outside and run. Only the groans cause my thoughts to misfire.
My heart pounds in my chest and yet I ignore the warning and pick up a ceramic vase and slowly creep around the corner toward our bedroom.
The moans become a sequence of heavy breathing. My gut instinct prepares me for the worst. The bedroom door is slightly ajar. The voices get louder as a female cries out, “Ethan!”
I push the door open . . . and my world tilts.
Ethan’s white ass is on show, his trousers at his knees. A female is on all fours on my bed, moaning as he thrusts into her.
I. Stop. Breathing.
She is completely naked.
Long red hair falls around her like a curtain, stopping me from seeing her face. Her ass jiggles as he pounds into her, and I can’t look away.
A thousand thoughts smash through my brain.
The shock fills my head with white noise.
I feel faint.
I gasp in a breath.
A cocktail of emotions hit me, then a wave of anger boils up in my chest.
Before it registers, the vase in my hand hurtles toward them. It smashes on the wall above her head. Ethan dives onto the bed, pulling her into a ball beside him.
“Eden!” Ethan yells, his eyes popping out of his head. “You’re home?”
Now that they are lying side by side, I get a good look at the face of the woman who my boyfriend has obliterated our future with all in a matter of seconds. Or has this been going on for some time?
“What the hell,” she whines as she wriggles out of his arms, reaching for the sheet.
Ethan springs to his feet, shoving his pathetic semi-hard cock into his boxers before yanking up his trousers and zipping his fly. He takes a step toward me. “It’s not what it looks like.”