“Get out of here, Black.” I laughed as he stepped onto the elevator.
A couple of hours had passed, and I took a nap. It had been forever since I took a nap without having to worry if Julia was going to wake up. I took the stairs down to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator for a bottle of water. After checking my phone to see if I had any messages, I walked into the living room, turned on the fireplace, and sat down on the couch with a magazine. Being alone and not knowing what to do wasn’t sitting right with me, so I grabbed my keys and headed to my studio. When I stepped out the door, I told Justin that I was going down to my art studio. He nodded his head and followed me.
I set a blank canvas on the easel, took out my paints and brush, and started painting how I saw my alternate world. Each brush stroke helped me escape the dark reality of what was happening in my life. I looked at the clock and I’d been painting for two hours. It suddenly hit me that Phil was coming over to drop off some papers. I put my brush down and stepped outside the apartment. Justin wasn’t at the door, and I didn’t have time to look for him. I took the elevator up to the penthouse and as I unlocked the door, Phil walked up and startled me.
“I’m sorry, Ellery. Did I startle you?” he asked.
“Just a bit.” I laughed. “Come on in. I’m just going to go to the kitchen and wash up. I was painting.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Please take your time.”
I walked into the kitchen and, as I was washing my hands, Phil walked in. “So, do you have the place to yourself tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah. Connor’s on that business trip and Julia is spending the night at Mason’s. My friend Peyton is coming over and we’re having a girl’s night,” I said as I dried off my hands.
“Sounds like you’ll have a great night. When is Peyton coming over?”
A strange look overtook my face, as I couldn’t imagine why he’d ask or even care. “She’ll be here soon. Do you have those papers for Connor?” I asked.
“Oh, I left—umm—they’re in the living room,” he said nervously.
“Okay. Well, thank you for dropping them off, Phil. Peyton’s going to be here shortly, so I better get ready,” I said uneasily.
Something didn’t sit right with me. Phil was acting weird. I’d always thought he was strange, but Connor always defended him and said he’d had a bad childhood.
“No problem, Ellery. It’s always a pleasure to see you,” he said. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”
I stopped, turned around, and looked at him as he slowly walked towards me. “No, of course not. Why would you make me uncomfortable? We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Yes, we have, and it hasn’t been until recently that I’ve grown quite fond of you,” he said as he took a strand of my hair between his fingers.
Something wasn’t right, and now wasn’t the time to freak out. I needed to remain calm and think clearly. My heart started racing, and I started to sweat. “Peyton is on her way. You really need to go.”
“I don’t want to go, Ellery. I was hoping that with Connor out of town, we could get to know each other better.”
“I think I know you well enough, and it’s time you left,” I said nervously as I began to walk past him.
He grabbed my arm. His grip was tight as his fingers dug into my arm. “Did you enjoy my text messages and the roses? I wanted to send you more, but I couldn’t run the risk of Connor finding out it was me who wanted his wife.”
“You—you were the one who sent me all those text messages?” I asked in disbelief and shock.
“Yes, Ellery.”
“But, why?”
A sick feeling arose in my stomach, and I needed to sit down because I felt like I was going to pass out. “I need to sit down,” I said.
“Of course. I’m sure this is overwhelming for you. You asked me why. The answer is simple; you’re beautiful, sensitive, loving, and giving. Do you know how hard it is to find someone like you in this fucked up world we live in? Do you know how I’ve searched for that special woman my whole life? To think of all the whores I’ve fucked, trying to find out if there was anything special about them. Then, all of a sudden, there you were. The more I watched your interaction with Connor, the deeper I fell for you.”
I began to shake as he walked over and sat down next to me. “Look at you, you’re trembling,” he said as he tried to pull me into him.
“Don’t touch me!” I screamed as I flew off the couch.
“I need to touch you. I want to touch you. I want to know what it feels like to be inside you. I want to feel your come all over my cock and I want to hear you scream when I fuck you.”
“You’re crazy!” I said as I tried to run to the door.