Chapter 11
Ellie
I don’t know what I am doing. Why did I invite him to my place?
This was not part of my game plan. I thought I would be fine walking away from Cole, but it turns out I can’t.
I could have just come home alone and spent the rest of the weekend reminding myself why I should push him away.
Instead, we walk into my apartment, and we’re both quiet for a moment.
I glance up at Cole and give him a shy smile, and he smiles back, then looks around the apartment.
One of the pictures on the wall catches his eye, and he walks toward it.
It was a picture of Bri, Jason, and me. But I’ve recently cut off as much of Jason from the picture as I could.
You can still see his arm that is wrapped around me and part of his shoulder.
I get nervous as Cole continues to stare at the photo.
“Who was in this picture with you?” he finally asks.
“My ex-fiancé.”
“I remember you saying you recently broke up. Can I ask what happened?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it right now.” I can see I hurt his feelings by not opening up to him, but the wound of Jason cheating on me is still too fresh. I know now that we did not really have that great of a relationship, but it still hurts to be betrayed like that.
“Can you just tell me one thing, Ellie Girl?”
I look up at him again and see anger in his eyes.
“Did he hurt you?”
“He did, but not in the way you are asking,” I reply. Relief washes over him for just a moment. Then a look of what seems to be concern.
“You know I’d never hurt you, right?” he says, searching my eyes.
I just nod. Because how would I really know? I was with Jason for so long and never expected what he did to me. Cole does not look convinced with that answer, but that’s all I can give him right now.
I finally finish getting ready and walk back into my living room, where Cole is still wandering around, looking at the pictures I have everywhere.
He stops on the picture of my parents and brother.
I smile because I sure do miss them. They wanted to come see me when I told them about everything that happened with Jason, but I told them to wait until I got settled in New York.
They seemed shocked that I was taking the breakup so easily, but they didn’t seem to be upset about it either.
Cole turns his head when he hears me walk into the room.
I finally break the silence. “Would you want to go to dinner?”
He fully turns to me, and you can see the shock on his face, and it makes me smile. He then smiles and says, “I’d love to, Ellie.”
We hang out around my apartment until it is time for dinner.
We talk about anything and everything. It is so easy to talk to him, and I realize at that moment how bad my relationship with Jason was.
We never sat and talked like this, even when we first started dating.
Then, when we moved in together, we turned into roommates who occasionally saw each other, more than a couple building a life together.
For dinner we decide on the Italian restaurant that is down the street from my apartment. Dinner is fun, and our conversations continue with ease.
It was a really good time with Cole, and now he is taking me home. I kind of wish this night didn’t have to end, but Monday we will have to go back to work.
That thought halts any ideas I had of this going anywhere.
What was I thinking? He is still my boss.
What are people going to think of me when they find out I am dating my boss?
I should be focusing on myself and my new job, not a new relationship.
I cannot let this continue. This is the last time we spend any time together like this.
Cole
Ellie and I went to dinner together. To say I was shocked that she was opening up to me would be an understatement.
We had an amazing day together, and now I’m taking her home.
I wish she would ask me to stay the night with her, but I’m suddenly getting the feeling she isn’t going to.
The ease of conversation we were having is gone, and she is only responding with one or two words at a time now that we are nearly back to her apartment.
I’m trying to think back to something I could have said to upset her, but I don’t remember saying anything wrong.
We make it back to her apartment, and I walk her to the door. I lean in to kiss her, and she plants her palms on my chest, stopping me. I search her face, and she has a worried expression.
“I had a great day. Thank you. I’ll see you at work Monday,” she says with a fake-looking smile. She then turns, unlocks the door, and goes inside. I hear the lock click when she relocks it on the other side. I’m still standing here, staring at the door. What. The. Fuck?
I stand at her door for another ten minutes debating whether I should knock and figure out what the fuck happened.
At this point I am getting tired of the back-and-forth with her.
I felt like we were finally starting to take this relationship somewhere, and now she shuts me out.
I give up. I finally walk away and decide I am done chasing her.
I go home and open a new bottle of bourbon.
I might as well get drunk. Apparently, I have nothing better to do.