The Ex

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

My knuckles tap against the wooden door of Ethan's villa.

"Ethan."

I get no response to my whispered call so I knock again. The door opens so suddenly, my arm remains suspended in the air. Ethan stands in the doorway, my eyes land on his topless form. It takes all of my willpower to meet his gaze but once I do, his half-shut eyes and mussed hair tell me he was sleeping.

"Charlotte?" he says in a husky whisper. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's almost two in the morning," he holds up the phone in his hands.

"Oh, it is," my eyes widen when I see the time on the lit-up screen. "I needed to talk to you but I lost track of the time. You know what? It can wait." I back away from him, "it can wait until tomorrow."

"I'm up now. Come in," he opens the door wider.

I reach for my own door and smile stiffly, "no, it's-"

"Charlotte, come in," Ethan says firmly, interrupting my protest.

I sigh in resignation and move toward him. He steps out of the way, giving me enough room to pass him in the narrow hallway. I doubt my plan the second his masculine scent overwhelms my senses. It clings to everything; the items of clothing he has strewn across the sofa, the furniture, and even the walls. Turning to my right, I notice his slept-in bed through the open doors of his bedroom. I try to ignore the increased thumping in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I remind myself of the reason I came here. I force my attention to Ethan and find him watching me, his expression unreadable.

"Can I get you a drink?" he says pointing in the direction of the minibar.

"Such a gracious host," I state with a small smile. "Thanks, but I'm good."

He nods. Keeping a safe distance between us, we awkwardly stand in the middle of his living room. I wait for him to speak the first word. To make the first move. But he remains silent, expecting the same from me. The combination of hesitation and anticipation causes a change in the air around us. The new spark of warmth has me feeling excitement and terror in equal doses. I can't look at him. I can only stare at my sneakers. The heavy silence becomes more unbearable with each passing second. 

Have you ever been so panicked that you say the first thing that comes to your mind?  Yeah, me neither. Just kidding, I am well accustomed to having my foot in my mouth. "Your villa is the mirror image of mine."

Ethan's satisfied smirk reminds me of a hunter that is about to catch his prey. "That's an interesting observation."

Feeling my cheeks redden, I avoid his gaze by looking around the room.

"Is that the urgent thing you want to talk to me about?"

I slice my attention back to him and raise my brow at his arrogant smirk. Forming words is difficult when he looks at me like that so I simply shake my head in dissent.

My breath hitches when he takes a step in my direction. Just as he is within my reach, he sidesteps, walks around me, and sits on the white sofa. He spreads his legs and places his hands in his laps, "why are you knocking on your ex's door in the early hours of the morning, Charlotte?"

He radiates calm while my body burns under his scrutiny.

"You make it sound like I've come here with bad intentions," I say accusingly.

"Have you?" his brows raise in question.

I consider this as I take a seat across from him. With the tilt of my head, I ask him a question of my own, "Ethan, why did you leave the rehearsal dinner so early tonight?"