Chapter 84
Uncontrollably, Alex leaned in closer. Ellie felt a rush of warmth as his breath neared her, and her mind raced to keep up.
Then, just when the tension was peaking, Alex’s phone rang. Ellie gasped and quickly shoved him away. His chest rose and fell rapidly, betraying the desire brewing beneath his cool facade.
“Blushing like that, Ellie… You’re not thinking I was going to kiss you, are you?” Alex joked, trying to brush off the moment.
He watched for her reaction, but as soon as she looked up at him, he quickly turned his gaze away, answered the call, and left.
Once the door clicked shut behind him, Ellie finally felt her body relax. She sank to the floor, closing her eyes as Alex’s unique scent still lingered in her nose. Her heart raced just thinking about their almost-kiss.
Deep down, she knew it was just one of Alex’s childish jokes when he was bored—he had pulled similar stunts before. Even though she knew he was teasing, she couldn’t help but feel tense, her heart pounding faster.
Taking a deep breath, Ellie felt frustration wash over her. In the adult world, all those ambiguous moments seemed to carry hidden meanings.
Every time Alex touched her, it went beyond normal friendly interaction. She knew he wasn’t interested in her romantically—it was just a habit he’d had since they were kids—but she still didn’t stop it in time.
In the past, she had entertained fantasies about him, holding onto hope with every accidental touch. But things were different now; they were adults, and he already had someone he liked. She couldn’t let it happen again.
At the same time, in the most luxurious club in Jaslands, Layton slid a bucket of ice across the coffee table toward Alex.
“Maybe you should see a doctor. Why are you throwing ice in everything you drink lately?”
Alex shot Layton a glare and filled his glass with ice.
Layton sighed. “Seriously, cut Trevor some slack. You’ve already tackled him three times, and just as he woke up, you stormed into the hospital and beat him up again.”
“This incident is causing quite a stir in our circle. Trevor’s parents came to my house yesterday, asking my dad to mediate between you and your parents. Didn’t your folks scold you?”
Alex let out a cold laugh. “Yeah, my mom yelled at me—for not finishing off that jerk the first time.”
Layton was left speechless.
After downing three glasses of ice-filled red wine, Alex fixed an intense stare on Layton.
Layton looked around the private room—it was just him and Alex. The way Alex was staring made Layton uneasy.
“Quit looking at me like that! You’re giving me nightmares.”
Alex didn’t move. “If a guy suddenly starts having those feelings for a girl… does it mean he likes her?”
Layton raised an eyebrow. “Hey, you and Haley have been getting pretty close lately. Don’t tell me you two haven’t hooked up yet?”
Alex hesitated. “Not Haley.”
Layton frowned. He locked eyes with Alex for a moment, and then it hit him. He gave Alex a light punch on the shoulder.
“That’s what you call liking someone? If I see a pretty girl I don’t even know and feel something, I’d want to kiss her, hug her, and take her to bed. It’s just a guy’s instinct, man. You must really be out of touch with women,” Layton smirked.
Alex leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers digging into his short hair. He couldn’t shake off the memory of almost kissing Ellie tonight, and his breath caught at the thought.
I must have been single for too long. I really need a woman. I can’t believe I’m having thoughts about a young girl like Ellie.
The person I like is Haley. The one I really want is Haley.
I need to suppress these dangerous thoughts and propose to Haley as soon as possible. It’s time to move in with her and start living like a normal guy.
