The Ex

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

My eyes drift open as I wake from a comfortable sleep.

It takes me a moment to register my whereabouts. The white nightstand decorated with a seashell-embellished lamp looks familiar. However, my hard, naked pillow is certainly not one that I am accustomed to. I lift my head from Ethan's chest and look up at his face. His long lashes flutter slightly as he sleeps. The events of last night come flooding back.

Oh no. I slept with Ethan. And now I'm sleeping with Ethan. My eyes widen in panic as I raise myself and shift away from him slowly. The last thing I need is to wake the sleeping giant and face the consequences of my actions. Reaching the edge of the bed, one leg finds the ground. As the other follows, motion from behind me has me pausing. As if noticing my absence, Ethan reaches for me in his sleep, snuggles closer to my side, and drapes an arm over me.

Afraid that any movement will wake him, I lie completely still. With one leg on the ground and the other pressed up against Ethan, I sit in this uncomfortable position until I'm numb. When the numbness turns into an uncomfortable tingling, I have no choice but to make my escape. I slip out of his grasp without disturbing him and breathe a sigh of relief. With both feet finally on solid ground, I push myself off the bed. Underestimating how much feeling I have in my limbs, I stand. Instead of my intended silent exit, I stumble and land on the floor with a thump.

I lay wide-eyed and frozen on the ground as Ethan stirs. The creaking of the bed stops and I almost cry from joy when his soft snoring begins again. With no dignity left, I crawl across the floor and retrieve my clothes. I change quietly into my loose T-shirt dress and slip my sneakers on. Taking one last look at the red ring box which sits on the table where we left it last night, I let myself out.

I squint at the bright morning light and inhale the fresh salty air. There's no time to think about the ridiculous mistake of last night when the wedding is today. With that thought, I reach for my door.

Sophie. My anxiety prevents me from entering when I realize that my best friend will want an explanation about my whereabouts last night. What's a girl to do when she's having a full-blown meltdown? Run to the safety of the kitchen, obviously.

"Charlotte, I didn't expect to see you here so early," Elio says from his place by the stove.

He has already begun preparing the hors d'oeuvres. If he notices my disheveled state, he doesn't say anything.

"I thought I'd prepare breakfast for Sophie and Liam," I say with a small smile.

"That so sweet of you," Elio responds with a grin.

My actions aren't as selfless as he thinks. When I'm stressed, the only thing that eases my mind is cooking. Getting flour, sugar, and eggs from the pantry, I methodically prepare delicious pancakes. With the last drizzle of maple syrup, I enlist Kai's help to deliver them to Liam, Sophie, and Ethan. I hope that my note of apology for leaving him this morning is enough.

I spend the next hour helping the kitchen staff. "Perfect! What else needs to be done?" I ask as I place the last piece of dill on the smoked salmon appetizer.

"Charlotte, thanks for your help but you're going to be late," Elio states as adds the last dollop of cream cheese on the prosciutto bites.

"What's the time?" I ask in alarm.

He looks down at his watch, "it's almost ten."

"I am going to be so late!" I remove my apron and head toward the door, "if you need me for anything, call me."

"All will be fine. Go and enjoy the day!"

"Thank you!" I return Elio's wave.

When I barge through the door of my villa a few minutes later, I'm happy to find that Sophie has already left. Showering and dressing as fast as I can, I meet her in the bridal suite for hair and makeup in record time.