Chapter two

Heather

It took me a minute to snap out of my surprise. Unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed by Ethan, but he didn't point it out either.

One tiny bit of information that my best friend forgot to mention, was that my new landlord was my ex boyfriend.

Well played, Dallas.

It didn't matter because I wasn't going to let it happen. I'd much rather choose living with college frat boys than Ethan Hart.

I averted my gaze from Ethan and faced the agent. I tried to keep my head high and my voice from wavering.

“I think I'll pass on the offer. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Ms Grace.” I said.

The woman stared at me like I had lost my mind, and maybe she wasn't wrong. I left my high paying job, moved out of a luxurious mansion, and was now walking away from the best and most affordable accommodation I've seen in New York.

I have been making a lot of bad decisions lately. I don't even know what decisions to make anymore.

“But why? You haven't seen the inside yet. I assure you we are giving you a huge discount that we don't normally give our clients. You can't find this kind of package anywhere in this city, Ms Wheeler.” Grace said in an attempt to convince me while barely restraining her annoyance.

But I didn't need to be convinced, nor did I care for how she felt. I knew I was crazy for walking away from this offer just because of a man, but it was the only thing I could do.

After all, I was great at running when things got difficult. He'd said so himself.

Ethan was suspiciously quiet the entire time. He didn't say anything, not even when his employee glanced at him for help. I felt the heat of his gaze on me but I didn't dare look.

“You have a very nice apartment here, but I can't take it just yet. I have other agents I need to meet up with. I'll make sure to give you a call if I end up choosing this one.”

Grace pinned me with a stern look and a polite-ish smile she was trying not to let falter. She was clearly frustrated with me.

“Ma'am–” Ethan cut in before she could finish.

“Gracie dear, why don't you go wait in the car and let me have a word with our client?”

He gave her a flirtatious smile while she batted her eyelashes seductively. She bit down on her lower lip and walked away, swaying her hips hard.

I scoffed in disgust and averted my gaze from them. They didn't have to make it obvious that they were going to fuck. Not that it was any of my business.

“Hello, Miss. Would you like a tour of the apartment now?” He said with a sickenly sweet smile.

“There's no need for that, ‘sir’.” I said, my tone laced with sarcasm. “I won't be taking the apartment.” I lifted my chin and pinned him with a glare.

He stared into my eyes, the corner of his lips tilted in an amusing smile. I didn't look away from him. I wasn't going to let him see just how he was getting under my skin. That only seems to amuse him more.

He took a few strides towards me, but I didn't move despite my brain screaming at me to take a step back. I wasn't the weak Millie anymore. I was different now.

Maybe a bit more fucked up than I was eight years ago, but I was stronger.

“I'm sorry, ma'am.” His tone carried a hint of mockery, “but I can't let you leave without seeing the apartment first. If you leave, I'll have no option but to file a lawsuit against you.”

“What? You can't do that. All I did was ask to leave.”

“Well, that's the problem, Miss Cla…”

“It's Wheeler. Heather Wheeler.” I snapped, cutting him off before he could finish pronouncing the name.

I didn't know why he kept taunting me with that name when he knew I wasn't her anymore. Millie Clark died in a house fire eight years ago. Millie was the naive and vibrant college girl he once loved.

I was just an echo of who she used to be. I didn't need him to remind me what a failure I had become.

“Apology, Ms. Wheeler. But if you walk away now, I’ll have no choice but to sue you for breach of contract.”

I blinked, frowning in disbelief.

“What contract?” My brows drew together.

Ethan smirked, that smug, infuriating twist of his lips, and slowly began circling me like a predator sizing up his next move.

“Roughly three hours ago, you sent a message to Oliver thanking him for helping you secure an apartment. You also informed his wife that you were coming to inspect it and, if you like it, you'd move in immediately. Since then, three serious clients reached out, and we turned them all down because of you.”

He stopped right in front of me, his gaze hard and unflinching.

“Add that to the generous discount we’re offering you, and let’s just say, the building’s taken quite the hit.”

“I never asked you to turn anyone down,” I snapped. “I haven’t even agreed to rent the place.”

“Your text messages suggest otherwise. Your only condition was to see the place, and since you haven't, you're still a committed prospect. Backing out now puts us at a financial disadvantage. I can decide to press charges against you.” He smiled like he’d just won a game I didn’t even know we were playing.

I exhaled slowly and tried to rein in the anger building in my chest. Losing my temper right now wouldn't help. I had to play along.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “Ten minutes. A quick tour. That’s all.”

I turned on my heel and walked to the elevator without waiting for a response.

The three-minute ride to the top floor felt like an eternity. I kept my gaze firmly ahead, refusing to acknowledge Ethan’s presence beside me.

The hallway was… unexpectedly pristine. Cool air hit my face the second the elevator doors opened, the first real AC I’d felt since I started apartment hunting. It was nice to walk into a place where the AC actually works.

But I guess, if I was paying twenty five thousand a month, I would want the hallway to have AC.

There seemed to be just two rooms on this floor which was weird. Ethan walked to one of them and punched in the security code.

“Why are there just two rooms on this floor?” I inquired as he pushed the door open and stepped in. I followed suit.

“It's the most private floor, usually rented by VVIPs. You don't have to worry about nosy neighbors.” He explained.

“What about the room next door? Is it vacant too?”

“Uhm… no. Someone lives there, but you don't have to worry about them. They're usually very quiet.”

I responded with a simple nod. I scanned the room absentmindedly. I didn't intend to take it, not when he was the owner.

“Shall we begin the tour now?” he said, an eerie smile on his face.

“No need. I saw the apartment and I'm not taking it. I did what you wanted. Can I go now?”

Ethan rubbed his temple, his face pinched with frustration. He seemed to have ran out of ways to convince me.

“Why do you not want the apartment?” he asked.

“Why are you insisting on it?” I retorted.

Ethan was silent for a while. Just when I thought he wasn't going to reply, he said,

“Because…” he paused and released a sigh. “I’m trying to fix this tension between us. We don't have to be enemies just because we dated. That was a long time ago. We should try to be friends. What do you think?”

“Friends don't threaten each other with lawsuits.” I scoffed.

“Yeah, that was a bit extreme. Sorry.” He chuckled. “It’s just…this tension, it's…suffocating. We were friends before we dated. It shouldn't be hard to get back to that. What do you say we start over? Think of the apartment as an olive branch.”

His facial expression seemed like he was serious about this. It's not like I enjoyed the awkwardness each time we were in a room, or how we avoided interacting with each other.

My friends had pointed it out a few times, but I had to lie to them. Over and over again. We never properly broke up and I wanted to close that chapter for good.

But just as I was about to say yes,

‘I fucking hate you, Millie. Get the fuck out of my life and never return.’

Despite the years that had passed, the words still stung my heart every time. Eight years ago, he'd said those things to me. And I deserved it.

I took a single step forward, my face void of the conflicting emotion I was feeling.

“No.” I said.

“No?”

“No! I don't want to be your friend. I don't want a favor from you. I don't want anything from you.” I deadpanned.

Ethan sucked in a breath.

“Is it so wrong that I want to end whatever this is between us?”

“What's wrong is thinking you can get over your hatred for me because the truth is, you can't. So you can just continue hating me. I am the monster who ruined your life, right? You remind me of it everytime.”

I turned around and stormed out before he could reply. It was only after the elevator door slid shut that I let the first tear slip.