3. What Are We?
1418 Words
CHLOE
I stiffened in his arms, caught off-guard by his actions. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected he would…kiss me.
As I walked towards him, I had imagined several ways the ‘perfect stranger’ would react—a shove, puzzled look, or worse, slapping me back to my senses. A kiss wasn't part of what I envisioned!
And oh, Alexander wasn’t just any stranger, he was a familiar stranger. I wouldn’t say I didn’t know him, but we weren’t exactly acquaintances either. You know those people you see a little too often but only from a distance? Yep, Alexander would fit the description perfectly.
He was my senior in high school—my brother’s best friend, to be exact. They were in the same class and then went to the same college. I had seen Alexander in our house a few times, yet somehow, we were never close.
He was older and my brother's friend, nothing more connected us. We had never even spoken.
But none of that mattered now. Why was he here?
I didn’t kiss him back, but I didn’t push him away either, that would probably be worse. If I wasn’t mistaken, William was still watching, probably shocked. That bloody loser.
Before I realized it, my eyes had closed, drawn into the kiss. And honestly, he was the best kisser I’d ever met.
Wait—did that make it sound like I went around kissing every guy I met? Or that I had kissed a lot of guys?
William was my first. And Alexander… my second?
The kiss felt heavenly. For a moment, my senses flew out the window as I wrapped my arms around his neck, melting into him.
By the time he pulled away, my breathing was ragged and unsteady. He leaned in, his warm breath brushing against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.
“You have some explaining to do,” he murmured, his voice soft yet dangerous. Then, slipping his hands into his pockets, he flashed a killer smile before adding, “Princess.”
This was bad. Very bad.
I just kissed my brother's best friend! If he told Lucas about it, things would get chaotic.
But that was a problem for later. Right now, I needed to focus. I shifted my gaze to Williams, who stood frozen, staring at me like the fool he was, confusion written all over his face.
He gave the exact reaction I wanted and expected. I felt fulfilled, and it was satisfying.
Even as his wife dragged him away, Williams’ eyes never left mine, not until he was completely out of sight.
Phew.
“That was great, Chloe,” I muttered under my breath, smoothing down my hair.
I turned to Alexander, who stood there, waiting for an explanation. His gaze was unreadable. I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what to say.
“Uh… let’s just forget that ever happened.” I forced a small laugh, blinking rapidly. “It was just a kiss…A mistake. Nothing serious,” I added quickly.
Without waiting for a response, I gave a slight bow and walked away.
There was no point in explaining. I probably wouldn’t see him again anyway, because I would be taking the first flight out of Paris in the morning. Staying in the same hotel as Williams was out of the question.
I tapped my foot impatiently, watching the elevator’s number indicator blink.
Somehow, I was feeling anxious. Was it because I ran into my ex or the fact that I had just kissed Alexander? I couldn't tell.
When the doors slid open on the 14th floor, I swiped my key card and entered my suite. With a heavy sigh, I slumped onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Talk about a messed-up life, that'd be mine.
Right on cue, my stomach growled loudly, making me bite my lip. I hadn't eaten all day.
I took a quick shower and changed into something more casual and comfortable, before leaving for the hotel's restaurant, praying inwardly I wouldn't bump into Williams and his wife.
After placing an order, I settled down on an empty table while waiting for my food to arrive.
“Hi.” A voice pulled me from my thoughts, making me look up. I pressed my lips together, suppressing a groan. Was she everywhere?
I glanced around. There was no sign of Williams. So, I assumed it was just her.
“I’m Riley,” she said, settling into the chair across from me. “We didn’t get to exchange names earlier because you ran off to your boyfriend.” She smiled.
I forced a polite smile. “I’m Chloe.”
“Nice!” She tapped her fist lightly on the table. “You know what that means? Since we exchanged names, we’re officially friends now.”
I shrugged, finding her overly friendly attitude a little odd. Was she always like this? Walking up to strangers and befriending them so easily?
Williams must not have told her that I was his ex-fiancée—the one he cheated on with her. I could bet my whole fortune that he wouldn't.
"Where's your boyfriend?" she asked, leaning in. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "He's hot! Girl, I gawked for a minute even though I'm married. It's rare to see someone that..." She trailed off, her hands clasped as she gazed dreamily into the distance. "Heavenly. Like an angel, perfect in every way. His eyes, I could drown in them. They are so beautiful!"
A chuckle slipped from my lips. She was dramatic.
“Oh my!” She gasped, then offered a sheepish smile. “Am I talking too much? I probably sound like some obsessed freak.” Her expression faltered.
“Uh, no?”
Her eyes brightened again. “You're right. I was just admiring a handsome angel. You're damn lucky. You should flaunt him at every chance you get.” She added, “Hold him tight. A lot of girls would want him for themselves.”
I scoffed under my breath. “Tch. We're not even dating.”
Riley went on talking. “You should claim him for yourself. How long have you two been dating? Actually, that doesn't even matter. My husband and I were only together for two months before we got married. I barely knew him then, and I’m still getting to know him now, but I was sure of my feelings. Why waste so much time?”
Sitting there, I felt more stupid. If she dated Williams for two months, that should be during our wedding preparations, when he started growing distant. I should have seen the signs.
He had deceived me all along. He two-timed me.
“Babe!” Williams called, rushing to us. His eyes darted between us, fear evident in them. “What's going on here?” he asked, slightly breathless.
“Do you remember her? She's the lady we bumped into at the elevator—the one with the hot boyfriend,” Riley said with a bright smile.
Williams' face tensed with discomfort. “I…I don't know,” he muttered, scratching the back of his head. A habit of his whenever he is nervous.
Riley chuckled. “My hubby isn’t great with faces. Don’t take it personally, Chloe,” she said apologetically as she stood. “I’ll grab something for you, babe.” With that, she headed to the counter, leaving Williams and me alone.
Finally, it was just us.
“What are you doing here?” Williams hissed through gritted teeth, leaning toward me.
“I came to eat as you can see,” I shot back sassily, narrowing my eyes at him.
His eyes darkened. “Stop acting ignorant. Did you follow me all the way to Paris to ruin my marriage?” He spat. Without pausing, he pressed on. “Don’t you have any shame? Stop acting pathetic and get lost! We are over.” His sneer twisted into pure disgust.
Was that who I was? Someone pathetic? Shameless?
Hell, I didn't even know he was married. I didn't know he was spending his damn honeymoon in Paris. I wouldn't have come here if I knew.
“Why do you think that I followed you here?” I retorted, boiling over, feeling anger surged through my veins. “You tell me, Williams, what are we?”
“We are—”
I cut him off before he could finish. “Exes,” I said defiantly, point-clear.
- Writer
