CHAPTER 04

ELENA. 

I stirred in my sleep while my phone rang loudly. I groaned, reaching out for the table where I usually kept my phone but it was just sheets and a soft bed. I tried to move while the ringing persisted, but something held me back. 

Or rather, someone. 

The hand felt bigger and heavier than Rhea's, and Rhea doesn't even like cuddles. Caleb? 

My eyes opened slowly and I took my environment in. Taking in the semi-dark room. It looked unfamiliar, and I tried moving again but the same hand held me in place. 

I turned sideways, but the face I saw wasn't Caleb's. The tattooed arm around my waist, pinning me in place, pulled all forgotten memories back. 

Rhea and Caleb on Caleb's bed, Rhea's words, Caleb's, walking under the torrential rain, waking up in the hospital, going back home, and deciding to go to the club to ease whatever heaviness was in my chest. 

And then this man. 

I might've been under the strong influence of alcohol, but I knew I had been all over him. Rubbing and touching like he was some kind of hot statue. 

My cheeks heated up, and I felt like shrinking into the sheets. 

But at the same time, I vividly remember how he touched me last night. He took his precious time in making me lose the influence of the alcohol and making me high on something else, an insane and inhumane sexual urge. 

I think I was hornier than a mating wolf last night. And I was practically begging him to stop after making me orgasm countless times. 

He worshipped my body like I was a goddess. He whispered sweet words to me while he moved inside me. He gave me the best sex I've ever had in years. No, in my entire lifetime. 

Why was I openly admitting to something like this? Shouldn't it be considered cheating? Caleb and I weren't over yet, and just because Caleb was cheating on me with Rhea doesn't mean I have to do the same... Right? 

For some reason, I didn't feel even the least guilty. And I knew if I had the chance again, I'd do it again, to escape the way I felt yesterday. 

The way I was starting to feel again today. 

Slowly, I took his heavy arm off my waist, and I slipped away from him. He stirred, his thick brows creased, his straight nose and pink lips got me remembering last night. 

The same lips had gone down on me and eaten me up until there was nothing left for me to let out. 

I shuddered involuntarily, and goosebumps appeared all over my arm. I slipped into my dress that was slightly damp, I remembered spilling my drink on the dress. 

I dressed up and fled from the room before he could wake up. I stopped by the bar counter. 

"I'm sorry, I couldn't pay up last night. I got a bottle of vodka and--" I paused. I told him last night that I would pay for the room. My eyes widened as I looked up at the new person standing at the bar counter. "The room I just left."

"Room number, please." She asked. 

"I guess, twelve. Yeah, that was the room number." 

She raised the book and scanned through before looking at me. "It shows here that the bottle of vodka you took and the room you stayed in last night have already been paid for." 

I froze, my card was still in my hand. I had been so confident pulling it out knowing that the amount that was in there could only get a bottle of vodka, and not a room to stay the night in. 

I should be happy and just leave, but I was curious. "Who paid for it? I didn't pay for anything."

"Weren't you with someone?" I nodded slowly. "He paid for it." 

Confusion filled my expression, but I couldn't say a word. I still didn't want the man to come out and openly ridicule me for being poor and still bluffing about being able to afford him when all I could afford was a bottle of vodka and more liability. 

I scoffed in self-mockery. "Thank you."

I walked out of the club, at least now I knew I had some money saved to transport myself home and still serve me a little. 

Rhea wasn't home when I arrived, of course, it's time for her to be at work. Or maybe at Caleb's place. 

I took off the dress and had a warm bath, and most of my minutes in the bathroom were spent reminiscing about last night's incident. It was too vivid. 

Even before I was pulled to being sober, I could still remember everything when I was drunk. 

I got changed into a loose shirt and baggy pants before proceeding to do the laundry. 

I needed to pack up, I had no idea where to go or what to do at the moment but one thing was for sure, I wasn't needed here. 

I needed to be off them. I was too much of a burden, and Rhea said it already. 

I had received several missed calls from Caleb, but I hadn't had time to hold my phone, and I had nothing to say to him. What I did know was that there was no use being in a relationship with someone who sees me as some sort of garbage to take out when he feels like it. 

It's only best I left and saved him the stress. 

I would sort myself out, I knew I would. I just needed to take a step at a time. 

After I was done with the laundry, I left the house to get breakfast from the nearest restaurant. A simple and light breakfast that didn't cost much. 

While I was eating, Caleb called again. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the call but he was persistent, and I eventually took it. 

"Where are you?" He asked in impatience. 

"Why are you looking for me? Did I do something wrong again? I didn't take your card and I haven't asked you for money."

"Come over."

I sneered. "Why?"

"We need to talk, you know we do."

I shook my head with a smile. "Actually, you're right. We do need to talk. Are you home?"

"Yeah, come over."

"Give me ten minutes. I'll be there." I ended the call and dropped the phone. 

I had my breakfast, my mood was sour already, but I couldn't let his call make me skip breakfast. I didn't even eat yesterday apart from the breakfast I had before going to the hospital. 

I knocked on Caleb's door when I arrived, and he looked surprised to see me. "You have the spare key."

"I dropped it off yesterday," I said stepping inside after he opened the door wider. 

I sat on the couch across from him, making sure we both stayed far away. 

"Where were you last night?" Those were the first words that came out of his mouth after a while, minutes of silence and intense stares like he wanted to see through my soul. 

Is that what he cared about? Where I was? I didn't care about how I was after I ran out of his house into the pouring rain? He knows about my phobia for rain, and all he could think of is where I went to last night? 

I exhaled. "Let's not take too much time in this. I'm done, let's end it."

He frowned. "End what? What are you talking about?"

"You said it yourself, you want to end things. Let's do it now later might be too dangerous, or disastrous. It's way better for the trash to take herself out and save you the stress." 

"Calm down Elena, you're acting out of impulse." 

"No, I'm not. I'm doing exactly what you want. What you've always wanted." I stood up. "And I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry that I had to live off the both of you, I'm sorry that I've been a burden all these while. I'm sorry for even having high hopes for our relationship. You have a life ahead of you and living it while being married to a dependent woman doesn't sound reasonable. Let everything end now so you can pave a better way for yourself." 

I walked to the door and held the doorknob to open it when his next words stopped me. "Are you sure about this?" 

"I am more than sure. Trust me." I muttered. 

"You will not walk out on me Elena. I'm not done talking!" He snapped. 

"But I am." I shrugged and pulled the door open. 

I halted, standing frozen to my spot as I stared at the person in front of the door. 

He raised his brows, not in surprise, but in amusement. The same dry humorous expression he had last night was on his face right now 

What was he doing here? Did he follow me here? Is he some sort of stalker? 

"Kai." Caleb said from behind me. His eyes darted from me to a spot above me, probably to Caleb. 

"Brother." He snarled. 

Brother? He was Caleb's brother? Is he the Kaiser Caleb had told me about once? 

"He's out of the country. He doesn't stay here. What I'm trying to say is, he's very notorious. He's no good." Those were Caleb's words of warning after I saw a family picture of them. 

My eyes went to his right arm, tattooed,

just like last night. His icy blue eyes were staring back at me, amusement dancing in them. 

I had a one night stand with my ex-fiance's brother.