Nearly seven years later and I could still remember everything; the tears, the heartache, the pain. The pain. It enveloped me for weeks. For weeks, I kept looking back, calling and texting every single day. He never answered. God, I was so stupid then. But after the pain, finally came the moving on. I picked myself up and never looked back again, until now.

The car stopped.

William cleared his throat. "The meeting's by 10 am tomorrow."

"I know, I'm your personal assistant remember?" I opened the door and stepped out. I admired the tall apartment complex for a few seconds before the bitterness crept in and overwhelmed me. I turned my gaze back to William who was getting the boxes out of the trunk.

"How did you achieve Illston tech anyway? Did you sell your soul to devil? Oh no, nevermind I remember. I was the one holding you back from your success and glory. I guess that's why we are on opposite ends of the spectrum now." I laughed loudly and took my box from him.

"That's not-" he was saying but the rest of his words fell away as I swiftly entered the building.

"Where do I stay?" I asked once we were in his luxury penthouse apartment.

"Third door to the left." He pointed and I started moving.

"Ophelia," he stopped me. "You weren't holding me back or weighing me down."

"You know, I thought I was for a while," I chuckled, "I thought everything was really my fault but finally realized it wasn't. It was all your fault, just you." I headed towards the door he pointed at and the sweet fragrance of apple blossoms immediately hit my nose as the door opened. I rolled my box to edge of the bed and sat down.

It was Thursday, barely five o'clock, my first time in Chicago and I was angry. I needed to cool off. I thought of my sister and pulled my phone out to text her.

To:

In Chicago

From:

Awesome! Have fun

To: Cec

Pray your sister doesn't commit a felony before she leaves

From:

What???

To:

Just kidding. Call me if you need anything

From:

Okay -_- and I'll still keep you in my prayers

To: Cec

:)

I stood up and gazed around the room for a bit before entering the bathroom to take a shower and change out of my clothes. Running a hand through my slightly damp hair nearly fourty minutes later, I was now clad in a short summer dress and sandals. I left the room and found William sitting on an island barstool dressed in sweatpants and a round neck shirt. I was instantly annoyed all over again. Why did he have to look that good?

"Hey," he sat up as he saw me.

"Hey." I mumbled.

"I just ordered some food." He raised his phone up.

"Eat it alone. I'm going out."

"To where?"

"Anywhere."

"You could get lost." He said and I scowled at him.

"I'll find my way back just fine." I completed my steps to the elevator and entered. I glared at the doors in frustration after they closed. I still felt so angry and him sitting there, looking like I just kicked his puppy wasn't helping my internal conflict at all.

I shook the image of his face out of my head and patted my dress down then brought my phone out of my strap bag.

"Where to go to first?" I pondered as the elevators opened into the lobby, "food." I decided with a smile.

"And he, just sitting there, looking sad and sexy at the same time annoys me so much! I mean he broke up with me, not the other way around! He doesn't get act like I'm the one hurting him! And he shouldn't look that good either!" I complained to the handsome ginger haired stranger I met at the bar.

"I notice a bit of sexual frustration." He mused.

"Of course I'm sexually frustrated, I'm everything frustrated at this point. He's so frustrating. I can't take it anymore." I groaned, "I've had three beers and I don't even feel buzzed."

"I don't think three beers can really give you the 'buzz'." He laughed.

"I don't want to get too drunk and get lost. You know he told me I could get lost? He shouldn't act so caring when he ended things, not me." I huffed.

"You should go back to him then, talk things out."

I scoffed again.

"Or, just have sex. One of your problems is bound to be solved. The lady in green over there has been smiling my way for two minutes now. I shouldn't keep her waiting. Goodluck, with your endeavours." The handsome stranger smirked and patted my shoulder. He placed some money on the counter, nodded at the bartender and left.

"I agree, talk it out face to face like adults or in the bedroom, something's going to get solved either way. You get that closure or relieve your sexual frustration." The bartender chipped in with a smirk.

"I don't want to have sex with him." I grumbled half heartedly, "hey, how long have I been here for?"

He checked his watch, "nearly two hours."

"Two hours? Shit. It must be dark outside now. Where's my phone?" I fumbled in my bag for my phone and found it. I grimaced seeing the time and number of calls and texts I had missed. All from William.

"He's going to be so mad." I could already imagine his expression.

"Angry makeup sex." The bartender winked and I blushed.

"Thank you for enduring me tonight." I placed a bill on the counter.

"Davis already got you covered."

"Davis? Oh the hot stranger," I clapped.

"The one." He chuckled.

"Oh well, thank you to him then. I didn't even get to thank him properly for listening to me rant all night." I laughed and returned the bill to my purse.

"I'll pass the message on. Now you have a very good night."

I left the bar and hailed a taxi. It took a whole of thirty minutes to reach the apartment. When the elevator doors opened, William was there, in front of the long couch, pacing back and forth while squeezing his phone in one hand. He looked up and the look he gave me could have melted the tundra. A shiver ran down my spine, not in fear but anticipation.

"Where the hell have you been Ophelia?" He asked hotly.

"Here and there," I shrugged, walking towards him.

Talk it out or just have sex?

"Here and there? It's half past eleven and I've been calling you for hours. I know you're mad at me but this is-"

Shit, here comes another one of those impulsive decisions...

"Just shut up," I sighed, "shut up and kiss me." Closing the distance between us, I wrapped my arms around his neck and let our lips meet.

"Are you drunk?" He pulled away.

"No," I sensed the faint taste of wine on his lips and stared at the glass of wine on the table, "are you?"

"No,"

"Good." I smiled and kissed him again.

"What are you doing?" He asked pulling away again and holding my arms at bay.

"Trying to kiss you but that clearly isn't even working out well either." I breathed out.

"I want to kiss you Ophelia, hell, more than kiss you but you were angry just hours ago and now you want to kiss me?" He stared at me like I'd sprouted another head. I really may have.

"Me too. I want to do a lot more than kiss you." I ignored the rest of his words and placed my hands against his chest. With a little push, he fell to the couch. I straddled him wearing a coy smile.

"You're driving me up against a wall here." He whispered. His hands moved; one into my hair, the other curved around my waist.

"I think it's more of a couch in this case."

He chuckled then his eyes held mine in a long open stare. He could have said something, I could have said something but we didn't. It was a silent understanding.

His hand in my hair urged me forward. I was quick to oblige, once again closing the distance between us with a kiss. The faint taste of the wine was still on his lips and I greedily savored it. The tempo we moved at was so intoxicating, I sighed into his mouth. His hand on my waist moved lower while the other in my hair fisted and pulled. I moaned again.

With an expertise that could have rivaled even that of acrobats, our positions changed and he was hovering over me on the couch.

"There's still too much between us." I pulled my bag off throwing it wherever then went for his shirt next. He grinned.

"Still too much babe," he whispered next to my ear sending a shiver down to my toes. In one languid motion with a bit of help from me, my dress was gone.

My hands delved into his hair, pulling him down, nearer and closer. Skin to skin. He trailed kisses from my jaw down to the valley between my breasts.

"This needs to go too," he raised his head and toyed with the strap of my lace bra.

"Be my guest."

Soon we were both butt naked and about to have sex on a probably very expensive leather couch.

"Shit." He suddenly cursed.

"What?" I sat up on my elbows.

"I don't have condoms-"

"Check my bag," I pointed and his eyes widened.

"Got them on my way here." I smiled.

***

Light slowly filled my eyes and my hand moved to ward off the incoming brightness. I turned, taking the sheets with me. What time was it? I let my hand drop and my vision became clearer. So did everything else.

"Oh God." I shot up. Underneath the sheets, I was as naked as the day I was born confirming it all. William and I really had sex. Not once either. Shit. There was a mirror opposite the bed and from it, I could see my current state. I had after sex hair, after sex eyes-was that a hickey?

"Of all the poorly thought out things I've ever done," I groaned. I stood up with the sheets carefully wrapped around me. Looking round, I remembered exactly how we ended up in the room and what had followed after. My body had the indecency to flush.

I could handle this. I brought it upon myself anyway (my persistence was still clear as day in my head). I'd take a shower, dress up, face him and be totally cool. I could handle this.

I started wondering where William was. Kitchen? Living room? The goal was to sneak back to my room unnoticed. I reached the door, opened it and warily looked out.

"Are you trying to be James Bond right now?"

"Huh? No." I smoothly ran a hand through my notted hair and held unto the sheets with the other pretending my heart wasn't beating two times faster as William appeared.

He smiled and walked down the passage. I followed him into the kitchen. I couldn't bolt anymore. That'd be showing cowardice and I wasn't a coward. Most times.

"Are you making something?" I asked.

"Hm, eggs."

"Cool." I nodded.

"Do you regret last night?" He suddenly asked, staring at me intently.

"I initiated it. Regret would be moot now." I cleared my throat.

"Good." He grinned.

"Good?" I repeated, now feeling unsure.

"Yes, good." He pulled me against his chest and I held on tighter to the sheets. "I like your little wrap up. But I'm very tempted to remove it." His fingers traced my right arm and every nerve ending on my body seemed to come alight. He dipped his head, slowly taking my lips between his. I closed my eyes and responded letting that sweetness encompass me momentarily. I could feel my hands loosening their hold on the sheets and almost didn't care. Almost.

"Your eggs are going to burn." I whispered.

"I can get breakfast through other means." He smirked against my lips. I was tempted to smile.

"You'll be late for the meeting too." I hit his chest and pulled back.

"Alright ma'am," he smiled. "You should leave then, before I really do pull it off."

Finally returning to my room, I leaned against the door and released a loud sigh.

What had I gotten myself into now?

***

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