Chapter Four: On My Own Terms

Elisa’s POV

I woke to the sound of rain against the windows.

For a few seconds, I lay still, trying to remember where I was. The bed felt unfamiliar, and the room was darker than I expected. Then I remembered. Julian's apartment. The guest room. Everything that had happened the day before.

I sat up and rubbed my forehead. My head still ached, though not as badly as it had yesterday. After a moment, I got out of bed. My clothes from the hospital were folded over a chair, so I put them on and made my way down the hallway.

I found Julian in the kitchen. He was wearing a dark sweater and jeans, pouring coffee into two mugs. He glanced up when he heard me.

“Morning,” he said. “How’s your head?”

“Better.”

He handed me the mug, our fingers brushing as he did. I glanced at him before taking a sip, hoping he hadn't noticed the brief pause.

“Thank you for letting me stay last night,” I said.

“It's no trouble.”

I took a sip of coffee. For a while, we stood at the counter, neither of us saying much. My mind had been occupied with the same thoughts since I woke up. I needed to do something about Marcus and Sophia.

I put my mug down.

“I’ve been thinking,” I said.

Julian looked at me, waiting.

“Marcus used my memory loss to rewrite everything. He stood there and watched me believe I had no one.” I shook my head, still finding it hard to believe he'd gone that far. “If he's willing to do that, then I see no reason to play fair.”

I met his eyes.

“Don't you want to see his face when he realises he's the one who's been betrayed?”

Julian put his mug down. His expression changed, and he leaned forward slightly.

“Go on.”

“He thinks I’m still blank. He thinks he can keep the story he made up about me. So we let him believe that. Meanwhile, we take back what belongs to me. The company shares I never signed away. Eli’s trust, where I’m still listed as the primary beneficiary. And the public image he works so hard to protect.”

I paused, watching Julian's reaction.

“And if seeing me move on with his business rival is what finally gets under his skin, then so be it.”

Julian looked at me for a few seconds.

“You want us to use each other to hurt him?”

“I want to stop letting him get away with what he's done.” I stepped closer. “You said you'd help me, on my terms. This is what I'm asking for.”

He put his mug down.

“And what happens if this becomes more than a way to get back at Marcus?” he asked.

I held his gaze. “Then we'll deal with that when it happens.”

That was all either of us needed.

Julian reached for me, sliding one hand into my hair as he kissed me. I caught the front of his sweater and pulled him closer, meeting the kiss without hesitation. He tasted like coffee and something darker. When he backed me against the counter, I went willingly.

We barely made it out of the kitchen before we started pulling at each other’s clothes. His sweater ended up on the floor, my top somewhere near the doorway, and by the time we reached the sofa, neither of us seemed particularly interested in finding the rest of our clothes.

His hands moved over my waist and hips, then up my back. When his lips brushed the spot below my ear, I drew in a sharp breath and tightened my hold on him. I wanted him closer. I wanted to forget, for once, everything waiting for me outside that apartment.

When he finally lowered me onto the sofa cushions, I pulled him down with me. Skin met skin. The weight of him felt good and solid. He kissed down my throat, across my collarbone, lower, until I was restless and impatient, fingers digging into his shoulders.

“Julian—”

He raised his head. His eyes searched mine, and I held his gaze, my fingers still resting against his shoulders. Then he moved between my thighs and pressed into me slowly.

I clung to him, my breath catching as he began to move. I met him halfway, drawing him closer whenever he pulled back. The rain tapped against the windows, but I barely heard it. I was too caught up in the feel of his hands on me, the sound of his breathing, and the way he looked at me.

When I finally came, I buried my face against his shoulder, holding on to him. He followed soon after, his arms tightening around me as he came to a stop.

For a while, neither of us moved. I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek, still quick from what had just happened. Then he reached for the throw blanket draped over the back of the sofa and pulled it over us. I settled against his chest, listening as his breathing gradually returned to normal.

My phone rang.

The sound caught me off guard. I reached for it among the clothes scattered on the floor. Marcus’s name flashed across the screen. Julian glanced at it. His arm was still around me, but he loosened his hold as I picked up the phone.

I answered on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Where the hell are you?” Marcus snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. “The nurses said you checked yourself out last night without authorization. You’re supposed to be resting under observation.”

I let my eyes drift half-closed. Julian was watching me, one hand resting on my waist. 

“I needed air,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I needed to get out of there.”

“Get out of where? Elisa, you were in a hospital. You had a head injury. You can't just walk out whenever you feel like it.”

Julian brushed his lips against my neck. I closed my eyes. A low sound escaped me before I could stop it. 

There was a brief, stunned silence on the other end of the line.

“Elisa? Are you—what’s going on?” Marcus’s voice rose. “Who is with you? Elisa, answer me. Why do you sound like that?”

I met Julian’s eyes. The corner of his mouth curved in a knowing smile.

“I’m fine,” I said, still a little unsteady. “I’ll be in touch when I’m ready.”

I ended the call before Marcus could speak again.

The phone slipped from my hand onto the carpet. Julian looked at me, then reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

“Think he'll call back?” he asked.

“Knowing Marcus? Probably.”

Julian smiled and kissed me again.

For the first time since waking up in that hospital, I felt I had managed to get under his skin. And Marcus had no idea what was coming next.