Chapter 3 Everlasting imprint

He finally lifted his gaze until it met mine and spoke in a voice so deep it sent vibrations down my spine.

"Your offer. Is it still on the table?"

My composure slipped for a second as I tried to gather myself without looking completely smitten.

The closer he got, the more painfully aware I became of my own breathing, of the flutter low in my stomach that made no sense at all.

I opened my mouth to answer when my phone pinged.

Instinctively, I glanced at the screen and the moment I saw his name, my chest tightened. Dylan.

He'd texted.

"I asked a question."

His voice pulled me back to the present, and somehow, it felt like the girl from the club had vanished the second Dylan's name appeared on my screen. Suddenly, all I could see was how pathetic my actions had been.

And sadly, as intoxicating and tempting as this feels, I can't do this to Dylan.

“I'm sorry, but I need to leave now, forget I approached you earlier.”

I try to go but he pushes my back against the wall, hands lifting my chin to give him a clearer view of my face. “You're one interesting little thing.”

“I really need to go now,” I blurted out, the sheer closeness of his body against mine, heightening the tension in the air.

“Give me your phone,” he ordered, and I did exactly that, and after a few taps on the screen, he gave it back to me.

“Call me when you're tired of cosplaying being a good girl,” he said before turning to leave without even taking a second glance at me.

I looked down at my phone to see his number typed out on my notepad and I lifted my head to get one last look, but he was already gone.

*****

I never would have imagined I would be spending the night with Dylan, but here I was, standing outside our apartment.

He had asked me to come back home over text so we could talk, and I didn't even hesitate.

Disappointing, I know. But that's what happens when you love someone.

My phone rings just when I'm about to open the door and I don't even have to look to know it's Avery, she's been blowing my phone nonstop, but I'm not in the mood for another pep talk on why I should leave Dylan.

I open the door to see him sprawled across the couch, and the sound of the door opening immediately gets his attention.

“Baby,” he called out. Hearing him call me baby always had me weak in the knees, but I tried not to react.

He sped to where I was and immediately started apologising, taking my hand in his.

“Hailey I'm really sorry about today, I was stupid, you don't deserve to be treated like that and I was just being childish. I'm sorry baby, you know I can't function when you're mad at me.”

My jaw tightened, I hate how his words can just easily get under my skin and wipe my memory clean of every shitty thing he's done.

He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close, eyes fixed on mine, as he cups my face. “I'm sorry, okay.”

“And the girl I saw you kissing?” I asked, folding both arms.

“Her number is blocked and deleted. You don't have to worry about anyone baby, no one can ever take your place in my life.”

And just like I've been struck by Cupid, I found myself smiling, wrapping my arms around his neck as he pulled me in for a kiss.

I closed my eyes, letting him capture my lips in his, consuming me with his sensual tongue movement.

My fingers tangled in his silver hair, hands roaming over his chest, the thought of his grey eyes locking against mine as he filled me with pleasure consuming my brain.

His hands move backwards grabbing my ass and I gasp into his mouth.

I open my eyes to see his perfect face one more time but immediately stumble backwards, like I had been zapped from a filthy fantasy.

I found myself panting, chest going up and down as the reality of what I'd been doing crashed on me.

Like almost cheating on my boyfriend wasn't enough, now I was imagining he was another man while we were making out.

“Baby, what's wrong,” Dylan asked, worry written all over his face.

“It's nothing,” I forced a smile, “I think you just bit too hard on my lips.”

“I…I don't think I did.”

“Maybe you just didn't notice,” I said, immediately walking past him to the bedroom.

I slammed the door shut the second I was inside, both palms covering my face as I tried to gather myself.

“What the actual fuck!” I cursed under my breath.

I know what I have to do to fix whatever this is.

My fingers fumbled through my purse and pulled my phone out, and with a few swipes, I found what I was searching for, his number he had written down on my notepad.

I held it down till the delete icon popped up and I tried tapped on it, but found my fingers hovering on top of the delete button.

I bit down on my jaw, forcing my fingers to move a bit lower and touch the delete icon as I held my breath, but I just couldn't do it.

I let out a sigh and threw my phone across the bed.

Fuck this.

*****

I spent the next day at work prepping for my job interview for tomorrow, hoping to God I get the job since Dylan made working here awkward since he slept with my supervisor.

Now I have to get a new job so I won't be stuck under a supervisor who thinks I stole their lover, and I also need a higher pay to sort out both our bills since Dylan was having a hard time getting a job.

But it's been three hours and I haven't even been able to get through even one of the expected interview questions I had drafted out, because my mind had been stuck on the man from the club.

I've tried everything, meditation, breathing exercises, forcing my mind blank, but nothing seemed to be working.

It's like he's somehow left some everlasting imprint on my mind that I can't wipe off no matter how hard I try.

Time moves fast and I found myself going back home late into the night, barely prepared for my interview.

I got home to find Dylan in the shower, and I took off my shoes and dropped my bag on the dresser, about to take my work clothes off when a glowing rectangle-shaped thing caught my attention.

Dylan's phone, lying unlocked atop the dresser.

I tried to fight the urge but I found myself picking it up, immediately opening his messages. I didn't even get the chance to look through the messages before one in particular caught my attention.

I tapped on the name and my stomach dropped, reading the text he had sent to her.

“I love how you scream my name when I'm inside you, thinking about it now makes me so hard, you should come again tomorrow when Hailey leaves for work.”