Chapter 24
1487words
"I don't know why you still give her the time of your day to be honest. You have Kate. That woman loses herself daily just to please you. A bit crazy about that one, but still. And if you don't want Kate, then you can have any other woman. You're an Alpha for God's sake."
But no other woman was Ember, and so wasn’t that the problem though?
However, this was not a conversation that I wanted to have with Leo of all people.
"Leo, for all your madness, I still consider you a friend. But please, for the love of God, stop advising me about women." I grumbled. Women were the cause of all of life's problems, and I didn’t really feel like talking about this particular problem.
"She's really got you bad, hasn't she?" He asked after a moment's silence.
"Who has?" I asked, closing my eyes, knowing fully well whom he spoke of
"Ember Macgregor, who else ? She's under your skin apparently."
"she isn't." I lied.
"isn't she? You're here, stewing over her after whatever fight you both had. And something tells me the fight is about that fine gentleman she brought with her. You care for her still. You're just too stubborn to admit it."
"I care for no one, Leo. Kindly leave me alone." I said, my voice way too mild for a man who was lying to himself.
EMBER's POV
Rowan and I left the party, at quarter to midnight. At that time, I was a bit buzzed, but I was still standing on my two feet without support. So there was that.
But I still thought my eyes deceived me as Rowan and I made our way to the parking lot and I saw two men who resembled Paris, and his annoying friend, Leo sitting on a bench.
But as we got closer, and Paris turned to look at us, I discovered it wasn't alcohol. It really was those two.
I watched as Paris stood and froze where I was.
"A word, Ember?" Paris asked when he reached me and I began shaking my head, but Rowan tapped my hand,
"You go ahead, I'll wait for you," Rowan said, smiling at me reassuringly. I wanted to grab his hand and beg him not to leave me with Paris, because nothing good was bound to come from being left alone with Paris .
But instead, I heaved out a breath and turned to Paris, as Rowan walked away,
"What the hell do you want? I thought you left."
" I couldn't leave, Em. I couldn't leave you." I simply rolled my eyes at him.
"you're lucky Rowan is very understanding. You are the last person I want to be talking to right now."
"Rowan this. Rowan that." he drawled, "what's so special about the bloke anyway?" he asked, pressing his hands to the bridge of his nose,
I drew my brows together, and dragged in a whiff,
"Paris, are you drunk?" I asked,
“I might have had a few bottles.” He said and I looked toward the bench where his friend was still sitting and saw the bottles.
I blinked in shock. Paris never got drunk.
"That’s more than your usual though,” I said and looked at him,
“The night called for it I guess," he said and shrugged.
"I'm not talking to you right now. You're already annoying enough when you're sober." I said and began turning away,
"Wait a second," he said, and grabbed me by hand, turned me around, and pressed his lips against mine.
I was too stunned at first to do anything, but after seconds, I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him away,
"what the hell has gotten into you? Rowan could have seen that!"
"Then let him! Let him know that you are already taken and that he is wasting his time."
"No, Paris. You're wasting yours!"
"why can't you just put your stupid pride and stubbornness away?" he yelled,
"and then do what?! " I yelled back, "Run to you. Let you kiss me again and again?"
"So you'd rather stay with him? Are you really capable of living without me?"
"What do you think? Did you really think you could come here and kiss me in a drunken state, and then all of a sudden I'd be yours? " I asked, and my voice cracked.
He didn't reply though, he just kept staring at me and I shook my head and brought a hand to my chest, "You think I'd fall for this manly show you're putting up? You really think I'm not aware that you are doing this simply because of your ego?"
"Ember, don't say that."
"it's the truth though. You kissing me tonight, isn't about love. You don't love me. You just care that something you consider yours isn't taken from you. I'm nothing more than an acquisition to you. It's all a game for you, and I'm not interested in playing. I'm tired, Paris."
"This isn't a game. It's never been." he barked, and I bit my lower lip. I couldn't trust him. I couldn't be a fool for the second time.
"Then what is it?"
"It's better. Certainly much better than what that painter could ever give you, I assure you."
"I don't think so."
"What is even so good about him though?"
"everything. Everything is good about him. And you know what? I think I'm going to marry him, and what else? He makes good love, Paris. The very best." I said, and thumped my chest, "And there's no one else, Paris, that I'd rather spend the rest of my life with at this point."
"You should be very careful about saying such things like that to me, Ember," he said quietly, and got closer to me,
"I'll say whatever I want."
"Then you should know that a jealous man is irrational one," he said and drew me close by the waist,
"Get off me," I said and tried resisting, but he only kissed me for the second time. I didn't push him away from me as quickly as before, and let the devil play me this time around.
He kissed me and for a moment and for a moment, we were somewhere in the past. Somewhere five years ago, when we were lost in love, I could never have imagined us separating.
“Don’t do that.” I said quietly when we came apart.
He placed his palm on my cheek and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Do what, Em?”
“Kiss me and make me forget that we are no longer together.”
“Perhaps it is because, somewhere within, you know that we aren’t meant to be separated. That we are meant to be together.” He said adamantly and I sighed.
“You’re just so stubborn.” He said and I shrugged before pulling out of his hold.
“I’m being sensible.” I said weakly, “I’m keeping reality in perspective.”
But he wasn’t having any of it,
“Reality be damned.” He swore and I shook my head,
“I have a boyfriend that I need to be loyal to.” I said when he held on to me again
"Do you think he is still going to marry you after kissing me so passionately?" I drew my brows in irritation and pushed away his hands that still held on to me.
“You’re doing one making me look bad.” I hissed and he merely smirked,
“Am I?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed, wanting nothing more that to wipe that bloody smirk of his face,
“What if I told you I could make you forget that you were trying to replace me with that painter?”
“I’m not interested.” I whispered as he drew close to me. But I knew I was only trying to lie to myself.
I said one thing, but my body betrayed me, because , instead of pushing him away firmly, I let him take hold of me and draw me closer.
And when he pressed his lips against mine, I didn’t fight him, instead I allowed him to kiss me and I kissed him back.
When we came apart and he looked into my eyes, I was ready to admit one important thing to myself.
I was a damned and doomed woman, because I was going to love Paris till the end of all time.
It was there Rowan found us. He found me, locked in Paris’s arms and the hurt in his eyes was palpable.
“What is the meaning of this?” He asked and I jumped away from Paris.
But it was a futile move, to be honest, seeing as he had already caught us in the act.
“I can explain.” I said weakly,
“Explain what?” He asked and I pressed my lips together.
For indeed, what really could I have explained.
Sure Paris had kissed me first on all accounts, but I had kissed him back.
