Chapter 6

By the time I step out of the bus, my legs feel like they’re made of sand.

The cold evening air bites at my cheeks, and every part of me aches from the long, messy day. I miss having a car, I miss the quiet, private space it gave me but that was before Ethan. Before everything fell apart.

I climb the stairs to my apartment, digging through my bag for my keys as I go, I finally find the key when I got to my door and slide it into the lock and freeze.

The door… it is already unlocked.

My heart lurches, my fingers tighten around the key, someone broke into my apartment.

For a split second, my instincts scream call the police, but another part of me, tired, frustrated, angry at life wants to storm in and catch whoever dared to touch my space.

I push the door open slowly, my breath stuck in my throat.

Then I stop.

Shopping bags, everywhere, neatly placed on the floor of my living room.

“What the...”

I step inside cautiously, closing the door behind me, my eyes dart over the bags, they look new, fancy, definitely not burglar items.

My heart nearly jumps out of my chest, when I hear movement from the kitchen.

A figure steps out, holding a cup.

I swallow hard and take a step back, ready to scream but I stopped when I saw the figure 

“Nora?!” I yelled 

She flinches, nearly spilling her drink, then she smiles like she didn’t just give me a heart attack.

“Oh! Hey, Elena.” she greeted. 

I blink at her, confused, tired, and stunned all at once.

“What are you doing in my house?!” I asked her 

Nora sets her cup on the small table beside her and claps her hands together in excitement, way too excited for someone who just broke into my apartment.

“Okay, so don’t freak out. I did a good thing.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, still frozen by the door.

She walks toward me, grabs both my shoulders, and move me to the couch and gently pushes me down.

I sit, still processing everything.

“Nora. How did you even get in here?”

“Oh,” she says casually, as if this is completely normal. She reaches into her jean pocket and pulls out a key. My spare key. “You gave me this when you moved in, remember? For emergencies.”

“This isn’t an emergency.”

“It absolutely is,” she says seriously. “Your emotional life is a disaster, that counts.”

I let out a tired, frustrated sigh and drop my face into my hands.

Nora ignores my dramatic suffering and starts digging into the shopping bags.

She pulls out a blouse, a silk one, then a fitted skirt, then heels, then more clothes.

She spreads them out on the couch like she’s hosting a fashion show.

My eyes widen.

“Nora… what is all this?”

She beams proudly.

“I bought them for you, obviously.”

“You what? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because,” she says, flipping her hair. “You wouldn’t have let me. And because after what your boss did last night” she pauses, eyes bright with drama, “you need to show him exactly what he lost when he opened his stupid mouth.”

I groan and place a hand over my eyes.

“Nora, Julian doesn’t feel anything for me.”

She stops unpacking for the first time, looks at me like I’ve grown two heads.

“Elena, sweetheart, honey, my sunshine who is dying inside.”

She get up and kneels in front of me.

“That man stared at you like you were oxygen and he forgot how to breathe.”

I shake my head, but she continues before I can speak.

“I’m serious. He wasn’t looking at other people, or even me, rude, by the way. He was looking at you. Like you’re the only person in the room.”

My cheeks warm but I shake my head again.

“It doesn’t matter. He told me to forget him. He made everything between us feel like, like it was nothing.”

Nora’s expression softens, but only for a moment, then a spark enters her gaze.

“Do you want him to regret it?” she asked

I look at her, really look at her.

At her determination, at how badly she wants me to stop hurting.

And against my will, I nod, slowly and shyly 

Nora grins like she’s been waiting for this exact moment.

She stand up and climbs onto the couch beside me and turns to face me, her eyes glowing with excitement and mischief.

“Okay,” she says. “Here’s the plan.”

I straighten a little.

“You’re going to dress sexy tomorrow,” she begins, pointing at the clothes she bought. “Not trashy, not obvious, just enough to make him lose every brain cell he’s pretending to have.”

“Nora..”

“No. Listen.” she cut me off 

She grabs the silky blouse, holds it up to me, and nods approvingly. “This one, it looks innocent until you get close. Then boom, danger.”

I laugh weakly.

She continues, serious again:

“Step one: Get him coffee in the morning.”

“I don’t know what he likes.” I interrupted 

“Black. He’s a control freak, they all drink black coffee.”

I can’t help but smile at that.

She goes on.

“When you hand it to him, lean forward just a tiny bit. Subtle, Elena, don’t flash the poor man. Just give him a little view, something that reminds him you’re not forgettable.”

I bury my face in my hands again.

“Nora, this is insane.”

“It’s not insane,” she argues. “It’s strategy. Cleopatra did stuff like this and she ran kingdoms.”

I snort.

“That’s not how history works.”

“Whatever, same vibe.”

She grabs my hands and pulls them away from my face.

“And when you give him the coffee, let your fingers touch his. Just lightly, like an accident. Men like him notice everything, he will definitely notice that.”

My stomach flutters with nerves and something warm, something I don’t want to name.

I swallow.

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Yes, you can. And you will.”

Nora squeezes my hands.

“He hurt you. Make him feel it back.”

I look at her, my chest tight, my heart bruised.

Then I nod again.

She grins victoriously and hops up from the couch.

“Oh! Before I forget,” she says, rushing to the kitchen counter. She grabs a takeout bag I didn’t even notice.

She brings it over and opens it with a dramatic flourish.

“It’s your favorite, chicken lo mein and dumplings from Golden Bowl.”

My stomach growls loudly, betraying me.

“Oh my God,” I say, half laughing. “I didn’t even see that.”

“That’s because you were too busy staring at the door like a terrified raccoon,” Nora says, handing me chopsticks.

I swat her arm weakly, but I’m smiling.

We settle on the couch, food spread between us.

The warm smell fills the apartment, comforting and familiar.

And for the first time all day

I don’t feel like I’m falling apart.

Nora talks as she eats, planning outfits, practicing lines, telling me I need to “walk into that office like sin wrapped in silk,” which makes me choke on my noodles.

She laughs until she’s nearly crying.

I laugh too.

The apartment feels lighter, safer and warner 

Warmer.

And even though tomorrow terrifies me, even though Julian Stone’s stare is still burned into my skin.

Tonight, with Nora beside me and food in my hands…

I feel something I haven’t felt in a long time.

Hope.