He knew. He had to know. The very air seemed thick with her sudden certainty of just how much she wanted the man. That certainty must have communicated itself to him with her shallow, audible breaths, the almost imperceptible way she leaned closer to him, irresistibly drawn to his heat. His size. His scent. The big, strong hand on her waist molding her body firmly against his. He was going to kiss her. She was sure of it. She stared at his lips in anticipation as lowered his head, tilted her chin up with his other hand, then bent toward her. Their breaths mingled and an almost tangible sizzle of excitement preceded the initial meeting of their lips. Except they didn't meet, suddenly distracted by the sound of someone saying Chandler's name, they drew apart from each other. "Mr Kendrick." the voice said, "I've been wanting to talk to you. Good to know you're still here," Chandler swore under his breath as he let her go, and Elena moved away from him, not sure if she was mad about

He reached out tentatively, longing to bridge the growing chasm between them, but she pulled away from him, and Chandler let his hand drop."I thought there was something between us, something worth—"Elena's interruption cut through his words, her voice fraught with emotion."There is nothing between us, Chandler. You can't decide for me.""I never meant to overstep, Elena. I just... I care about you.""You care about me.. Or yourself? Which is it?" Chandler's expression reflected both remorse and desperation. It was clear that she was too angry to listen to him at that moment, so he tried something else. "I know I overstepped, Elena. I was wrong to interfere. But it's late now. Please, let's head back to the hotel. We can talk about this."Elena shook her head vehemently, her frustration bubbling over. "I don't want to talk about this with you right now or ever. I need some space."The air crackled with tension, the weight of their unspoken emotions lingering in the night. Chandler'

She acknowledged a pang of guilt creeping in; perhaps Chandler had a point she didn't want to admit. She had overreacted, letting her emotions steer the conversation into a storm, and now regret settled in like an unwelcome visitor.As she dried herself off and slipped into the nightwear, she acknowledged the meticulous care he had taken to ensure her comfort—a thoughtful touch that softened the edges of her frustration. But concern for him gnawed at her insides. It was well past the hour of reason, and he hadn’t returned back to the room.Ignoring the late hour, Elena made a quick decision. She hurriedly dressed, the fabric of the nightwear swishing softly with her hurried movements. With a flutter of nervousness in her chest, she quietly stepped out into the deserted hallway, searching for any sign of Chandler. The hallway was eerily silent, amplifying the ticking of her racing heart. Her gaze flickered between the corridor and the closed doors, her footsteps echoing against the flo

Sighing theatrically, Elena relented, her expression turning serious. "Alright. At first, it started off fine, you know? We had a good time, the party was great, sparks were flying and the conversation flowed smoothly. I met a lot of nice people too."Beth leaned in, hanging onto Elena's every word."But then," Elena continued, her voice tinged with frustration, "I ran into this guy, Matt. Chandler introduced me to him weeks ago. We started talking and then he told me he wanted to ask me out when we met, but Chandler had apparently told him to back off."Beth's eyes widened in surprise, anticipating the twist in the story.Elena's face clouded with conflicting emotions. "I got really upset with Chandler because I didn't like the fact that he was already trying to control who I went out with. We argued about it, and then he stormed out of the hotel room. After a while I felt guilty because I thought maybe I overreacted. Do you think I overreacted?"Beth's expression mirrored the roller

Beth nodded in agreement, "The dating pool is such a mess right now," she said. "Emily laughed, "Well at least someone went on a date recently… With the other Kendrick brother," she looked at Elena, "And hasn't said anything about it."Elena shut her eyes, and in that moment she hoped the floor would open up and swallow her up, but her wish wasn't granted. Instead, she opened her eyes to find four pairs of eyes staring back at her, waiting for her reply. "You went out with Chandler Kendrick?" Charlotte asked with a raised brow, "Didn't know you liked him… Didn't know he was dating either because he said he wasn't," "I don't…like him" Elena cut in. No one looked like they believed her, so she added, "But it doesn't matter, okay? It didn't work out and I won't be going out with him again," "What happened?" asked Emily. Elena frowned, "I don't want to talk about it," "Yeah, I've noticed that you don't want to talk about anything lately. If you are upset with me just say it," "I'm