BROKE OUT

CONNOR

Back at Eddy Langford mansion, my contempt perfectly balled into shameless desire and maybe, nonchalant recklessness with no intention of holding back anymore, I spent the entire day in my room sleeping.

By the time I woke up, it was already evening.

I had slept for so long, but waking up, I felt as light as a feather, just as expected. My muscles were revitalized, my joints sturdy and my thoughts renewed with new ideas.

To me, it wasn't just a long stretch sleep session to shed tiredness, it was a mark of a new beginning.

The room looked emptier, like something I couldn't figure out yet had been pulled from it.

The shadows from the curtains of the city lights dancing against the walls cast a certain heaviness to my eyes.

Slowly, I let my eyes draw close, breathing in as hard as could from my lungs and letting it all out in a long gentle exhale.

My nose caught the whiff of a scent that I was sure wasn't mine.

It scented feminine. It scented like Lola.

Letting my shoulders fall sluggishly, I shook my head.

"Go for it," a distinct voice in my head bounced back on my thoughts.

"Go for it," I repeated, pushing my lips against the words noiselessly.

Something tugged hard against my pants.

My heartbeat quickened as soon as I glanced down to discover it was the heaviness of my own erection.

Sighing, I threw myself back on the bed, allowing my thoughts to wander to the thousand and one things I could have done with her if she was in the room at the moment.

I was still wallowing in the satisfaction of my fantasy when a knock jabbed on my door, causing me to jerk up immediately, diving hard to get the blanket over my lower body.

The knock came again, twice, much milder than the first time.

Then, a voice.

"Dinner is ready, Mr. Millow."

"Ooooh!" I sighed with deep relief, relaxing more into the bed and kicking the sheets off myself in slight anger.

"It is best eaten warm," Mrs. Adama:s voice, broken yet firm, came again, her tone against the last word rising, an intentional persuasion to agree to dinner.

"Be down in a jiffy," I beckoned in the most relaxed tone, ignoring the tornado that was beginning to rise in my stomach.

Dinner meant I was going to be seeing Lola. Probably going to be sitting beside her or opposite her, I don't even know which is worse.

 And...God save me, my erection was beginning to grow again just thinking about it.

---

I pulled a heavy exhale before finally digging into the dinner of herb-crusted salmon with lemon beurre blanc.

Lola was sitting directly opposite of me, and I tried everything I could to avoid looking in her direction, especially with Eddy sitting right beside me.

Something heavier than silence hung in the air above us, cutleries clanged against expensive porcelain dishes, the dishwasher whirred from a distance, a light jazz sound rumbled softly from the speakers of the sitting room and my heart pounded faster than when I was faced with my first surgery as doctor.

I had only taken a bite when the chairperson cleared his throat.

Quickly, I dug back into my plate, realizing too late that I had been chewing on my first portion for a suspicious amount of time.

"Dad, there's seafood too. Fresh from the harvesters," Eddy's voice rumbled against the delicate silence, finally shattering its symphony.

I shook my head, regretting why I had to come down for dinner.

"Dr. Connor Millow?"

The Chairman called, rhetorically, the way he usually would when he was disappointed in an action I had exhibited — doesn't happen often, but whenever it does, I don't hear the end of it.

"For some reason, I feel full," I overtook him, in a lame effort to distract him, like I usually would do even with knowing it never works.

"This isn't your first time at a function like this. You know the rules, which are reasonable enough to be obeyed, yet you went against them." 

His words dropped on me like blazing rhinestones, melting into the core of my being mercilessly.

I dropped my cutlery, fisting my fingers tight against the table.

I expected Gregory Langford to call me out for disappearing without notice for more than 24 hours, but not like this. Not in the presence of the mastermind of it all, Eddy, and definitely not in the presence of Lola.

"Sir, Can we just eat now and talk later?" 

My words interlaced with Eddy's voice as he burst into a low mocking laughter.

"So much for an excuse that wouldn't make sense," he snapped, grabbing a big portion of veggies with his fork. I watched him huff at the food, like he was disgusting. I had the same thing as him in my plate, before going ahead to stuff his face with it.

"At least, I am not the a*sh*le that doesn't know how to treat his own wife right," I retorted, grabbing my fork too.

"Excuse me?" Eddy snapped with a mouthful of mashed vegetables.

I ignored him.

"You're still not over what happened last night?" Eddy spoke again immediately he managed to get the food down his throat.

For some reason, my eyes glanced at Lola's position, and in that instance, she shifted uncomfortably in her chair, scratching the back of her neck like she couldn't stand the space anymore.

"You don't want to do this here, Eddy. Trust me," I muffled, trying my best to respect Lola silent wish.

"I should be telling you that, because to the best of my knowledge, you started this fight," he snapped, turning in his seat to face me.

My gaze dashed towards Eddy's father, he didn't look like he was going to say anything — reclined back on his seat, hands folded, expression attentive to whatever was unfolding.

Mr. Gregory was not there last night to witness Eddy's disgusting show of stupidity, and judging from his expression, he hadn't heard about it.

Making up my mind that Eddy deserved whatever he was going to be getting from me this time, I buckled my belt and unleashed.

"You shouldn't even be talking. Not after that despicable act you showcased last night." I allowed the words to roll off my tongue with a certain mindlessness that I was sure would shatter Eddy's ego.

There was a chaotic silence, the type that hinted at an upcoming storm.

"Mind your freaking business, Connor," Eddy grinded through his teeth, his breathing loud and uncontrolled, which was totally unlike him.

"Maybe I would, if you hadn't invited me to witness you obliging Lola to pole dance for an audience," I finally dropped the bomb, holding back not a single regret.

"Connor!" Eddy growled from his stomach.

I shook my head, guiding a mass of veggies into my mouth with my fork.

I heard Lola wince fearfully.

"Eddy, the images from the internet you confirmed were generated were real?" the chairman spoke.

"Was that why you insisted I stay absent from the event?"

I felt Eddy's wall crushing down, but when I glanced at Lola, she didn't look too pleased.

My stomach dipped with fear, fear that might be regret.