Looking at the ceiling, Ethan couldn't go back to sleep. He had a dream, more of a memory, with Gwen .Of course. That damned woman was back into his life and now, not happy to have ruined things for him in real life, was invading his dreams.
He sighed and got up. He had to do something. Looking at the clock on his nightstand, he saw it was still four in the morning.
In his dream, Gwen was again his wife. It was their first night after they married. She looked so pure, so beautiful. And as much as he was angry with the situation, the moment he saw her in the middle of his room, their room, he couldn't control himself.
He had promised, before he got married, that he would never touch the woman he was having to marry. He saw her at the registry and something was telling him it would be difficult to keep his promise. Then, she was with her back to him and, when she looking behind her shoulder, with those green eyes, the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen, he thought that the promise was not beneficial to him. She was his wife. It was just right for him to sleep with her.
He didn't expect her to be a virgin. He believed she was just pretending to be all nervous. A woman who didn't turn away from an arranged marriage? A college student, from what she said, in the car on their way home, trying to make small conversation… He was really surprised. She was too pretty to have stayed single for too long.
That night was memorable. But the next morning, he left her alone. He traveled to another city that he can't even remember now. He saw her two months later. That was when his dream ended. Her face of happiness when he was back.
Now, he could compare her face when she saw him, now that she was back. Not when he had the accident, after that. She looked displeased. No, that would be a nice way of putting how she really felt. Or, at least, how she looked at him. She was almost disgusted.
"Aaaargh!" he groaned and took a shower. A cold shower. She had a disgusted face toward him, but she was just as pretty as ever. Damn!
By five in the morning, Ethan decided to go for a run. He wanted to exercise, but not at the gym. He would go to the street, so he would see other things, and have other people around. Better than look at the white wall of his gym room and start to think again about a certain brunet. He didn't even know if she was a brunet. Her hair was almost red. Especially when the sunlight hits it. Yes, and her green eyes gave all the charm. He shook his head. He HAD to stop thinking about her that way.
He was running for thirty minutes already and was about to take a break, when he turned to the side, wanting to get out of the track, when he bumped into someone. He didn't look before he moved. His mistake. All Gwen 's fault!
"I'm so sorr-"
Speaking of the devil. He had offered his hand for the person he bumped into, but when he saw her face, he retrieved the hand. Gwen saw what he did and squinted her eyes at him.
"You know you should help me get up, right?" She said, but got to her feet on her own, giving little taps on her shorts to take the dirty away. Those taps gave Ethan another feeling and he shook his head.
"Oh, no. It is just for who deserves it." He said. "A stray dog does. You, don't."
She looked at him in disbelief. Her jaw almost dropped to the floor.
"You are so… " She scoffed and passed by him, but he made sure to move his shoulder slightly, in order to bump into her. "What's your problem?"
"Is everything all right here?" A man asked., approaching them.
Ethan was about to answer, but then, he saw who was the man.
"Lestrange." he said, his face expression getting dark.
"Ah, Lennox!" The blond man said. He then turned his gaze to Gwen and his light blue eyes sparkled. Ethan noticed that and he got even darker. "Hello! I'm Jonathan Lestrange."
Gwen took the hand he was offering her and shook it.
"Gwen Hoffmann." She said.
"Hoffmann?" He asked. "Are you the daughter of Edmund Hoffmann?"
Gwen looked down, embarrassed. Everyone who knew her father, knew what he did. Ethan saw how uncomfortable she was and opened his mouth to say something, but Jonathan was faster.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. By the way, is Mr. Lennox being mean to you?"
She looked up at him and they locked eyes. Ethan's mouth became a thin line, for he was pressing tight his lips together, since he was interrupted and now, accused.
"Yes. He is." She answered. "But what more could I wait for from him, right?" She said and looked at Ethan for a second.
"True." The man said. "To make your day better and so you forget about any nuisance, would you like to have coffee with me?"
Everyone knew that Ethan and Jonathan were not friends. They were professionals, since one worked for the fashion industry and, the other, to the media. Jonathan was the owner of the biggest Magazine of the whole state, and one of the biggest of the country. They kind of worked together, but didn't like each other.
"Sure." She answered and accepted the arm he was offering her.
Ethan stayed there, not knowing what to do. He was more than pissed! That man knew she was his ex-wife. He knew how Gwen and he ended their marriage, for he made everything about it pretty public. And, for sure, Ethan was the bad guy.
Since he didn't have proof at the time to put her into jail. He had to hold his tongue. Because of that news, Darla felt really bad and had to stay in the hospital for two days.
Ethan took a deep breath. To hell them both!