Chapter 148: Cityscape
Moana
After Sam left, I felt relief wash over me. I was happy to see Sam finally get just as humiliated as I was when he cheated on me, and now he had to actually work his way up in the company instead of using his Beta girlfriend to get the job.
However, when I looked over at Edrick, his face had fallen and gone dark.
“Thanks, Mia,” he said, his voice sounding rather cold compared to how it sounded earlier when he was acting mischievous with his old friend. “I’ll get you that car you wanted. Just let me know which day you’d want to go to the dealership.”
Mia shook her head, the look on her face indicating that she also realized the sudden change in Edrick’s demeanor. “Don’t worry about it,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “I can afford my own car if I want it. I was just joking earlier.”
Edrick looked a bit surprised, but he didn’t say anything. In fact, without another word he simply turned around and walked away. I could only watch after him with wide eyes as he disappeared into the crowd of employees, my heart practically pounding out of my chest. What changed so suddenly? He had been so full of life when he was making his little plan with Mia, and now that it was over, he was sullen and quiet. Was it because I didn’t want Sam to get fired, or was it something else?
“Good old Edrick,” Mia said with a shrug. “Gotta love when he does that.”
I turned to face Mia then. “Um… Really, thank you,” I said. “You really didn’t have to do that for me.”
Mia only smiled. “I’ll do anything if it means exposing a cheater and a liar,” she said. “But I have to say… I’m surprised that you didn’t want to get him fired.”
I bit my lip for a moment, then shrugged. “I just don’t want to inflict too much suffering on others,” I replied. “An eye for an eye, you know? He got what he deserved.”
Edrick’s childhood friend nodded slowly. I watched as her gaze shifted over toward where Enzo disappeared for a few moments, and I followed her eyes. He was talking to another business partner already with that same plastic smile on his face. It was as though he put on a mask when he talked to people.
I realized then that Mia had asked for a wedding invitation earlier. Although Edrick didn’t say anything at the time, which indicated that Mia didn’t know that our relationship was fake, I felt comfortable enough with her to tell her the truth. She was so kind and did something really important for me, and I felt as though she deserved to not be lied to.
“Um… About the wedding,” I said, turning back to face Mia. “I don’t know if—”
Mia suddenly cut me off and shook her head with a smile. “I know already,” she said.
I raised my eyebrows. “Edrick did tell you?”
“Well, not really,” she said. “I can just tell. I know him too well. But… If I’m being honest, I have a feeling…”
“A feeling about what?” I asked.
Suddenly, Mia shook her head again. “I’ve already said too much,” she said, flashing me a warm smile. “I’ll see you around.”
With that, Mia left me standing there feeling utterly confused.
…
Later that night, after everything was said and done, I was finally getting ready for bed in Edrick’s bathroom. The picnic went on for much longer than I expected, but I didn’t mind. After everything that happened with Sam, I finally just wound up spending the remainder of the picnic with the children. Hearing their laughter and seeing how happy Ella was to be playing with other kids her age made up for everything else.
When I walked out of the bathroom, however, I noticed that the balcony doors were open. And Edrick was standing outside, which was rare for him.
I watched him for a few moments. He was leaning over the railing and looking out at the city. In his white button-down shirt and black trousers, with his dark hair moving in the breeze, he looked incredibly handsome even from behind. I tried to get a good mental image of the scene, because I wanted to sketch it at some point.
Finally, I decided to join him. I quietly walked up to him and leaned on the railing beside him. He glanced over at me for the briefest moment before both of us silently stared out at the city without a word.
However, Edrick’s cold demeanor hadn’t changed much all day. Even now in this peaceful moment, he seemed sullen.
“I’m sorry if I upset you by asking not to fire my ex earlier,” I said, breaking the silence.
Edrick didn’t answer for a few moments, but I could see him tense up beside me. Finally, after a long time, he spoke.
“It’s not that,” he said.
“Then what is it?”
He shook his head and stared down at the city street beneath us. “Did you really sleep with me on the same day that you two broke up?”
I felt a lump rise in my throat. I should have known that that was what he was upset about; it only made sense.
“It’s true,” I admitted, feeling my heart race in my chest. “But I never saw you as a rebound.”
“Then what was it, then?” he asked, standing up straight and looking over at me with his steely gray eyes. “What would you call that night?”
I swallowed. Maybe I didn’t know. Or maybe I just wasn’t willing to think about it. Either way, nothing would come out, and Edrick only nodded and turned away. I watched as he slowly walked back into the room, where he went over to the closet without a word and kicked off his shoes before beginning to unbutton his shirt.
“What would you call it?” I asked from the doorway. “It was all the same to you, wasn’t it? A one night stand?”
Edrick froze. I immediately felt a little guilty for what I said. Finally, he just shook his head and finished taking off his shirt before turning to face me. I tried not to look at his bare chest, but it was difficult.
“It was a one night stand,” he said. “A one night stand during which we just so happened to conceive a child together. Nothing more, nothing less.”
I didn’t know what to say. I thought back to what Mia had said earlier, about how she had a feeling about something. What was it? A feeling that we would get married after all? Part of me wanted to ask him, but I knew deep down that I wouldn’t get an answer. Even if I could get an answer, the words wouldn’t come out anyway. I could only stand there, frozen.
“Let me release my scent, and he’ll calm down,” Mina suddenly said.
“No.”
Edrick froze. So did I. My eyes widened as I realized that I had just responded to my wolf out loud, and Edrick had heard me.
“What?” he asked.
I shook my head. “N-Nothing.” Without another word, I walked over to the bed and climbed in. Edrick didn’t say anything else about my slip-up as he got ready for bed, and the only noise between us after that was the sound of him getting into bed and shutting the lamp off.
And in the morning, he was already gone when I woke up.
