Chapitre 14: Terribly Bland
Ethan
My breath almost left me completely as Demyan spun on his heels and thread his way through the crowd to quickly disappear past the doors of the grand hall leaving me standing alone in the middle of the dance floor.
I ran my fingers through my hair as I looked down to the watch on my wrist to find instead of the one song we were meant to dance to, we had been dancing for almost thirty minutes. If I could even call that dancing because it felt like a heated battle more than anything else.
A part of me felt like I should have ran after him to apologise but as I looked around the room and met the slightly curious hazel eyes of Uncle Ed, I felt my stomach turn. The more I looked around the more I noticed more members of our family look at me with what seemed to be a mix of sorrow and worry.
Some guests had even taken notice of me but most preferred to give me shy glances and soft smiles in efforts to not make me feel uncomfortable. I was quick to walk away from the dance floor and leave the ballroom as I went for one of the private garden rooms of the hotel.
It felt like the room was spinning as I unbutton my suit jacket and sat down with a frustrated groan. My hands covered my face as I repeatedly hissed 'stupid'.
Whenever Demyan and I were together it felt like it was just him and I. That for those few seconds to us that were really minutes to everyone else we forgot that anyone else existed. We could get into the most heated arguments or the most lustful embraces without caring if we were in public or not.
I had let my need for him replace my sober mind that I was ready to devour him right then and there if he let me. However my brain knew it was the wrong time and place. Not when we had clients attending, not when both our parents witnessed the low burning argument between us.
Yet it also left me so confused. Demyan's words contradicted how he reacted to me. I expected he would push me away the first hint he got that I wanted more but instead he moulded his body close to mine. I could still feel his gentle hand burning at the back of my neck. His soft luscious hair tickled the side of my face as I had leaned down to kiss the sweet skin of his cheek.
How could someone make me feel so wanted and so unwanted at the exact time?
"Ethan," Luca popped his head in the room. When his eyes caught sight of me, he walked into the room then closed the door behind him. He sat down next to me and stretched his legs out, "So are you two back together because that looked extremely steamy?"
I rolled my eyes and let out a huff, "I wouldn't be that lucky."
He let out a snort, "Trust me you two looked near to kissing, it was wild."
I shook my head as I looked down to my shoes, "Did he leave?"
"No, he just went to cool down and came back."
That gave me some relief knowing I did not upset him so much that he could not bear the sight of me. Plus it made me feel slightly better knowing Uncle Ed would not immediately take my title as CEO away if I ruined this event.
"I have a word of advice to give to you."
"Oh please tell your thirty-four year old brother what they could do better," I laced my words with sarcasm.
He nudged my head back and smiled, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm quite the ladies man therefore I know a thing or two about getting their attention. As I was saying, I think with Demyan you're coming off a bit desperate."
I let out a horrified gasp as I raised my eyebrows, "Desperate!"
"Extremely," he sighed as he leaned back in the seat, "It was so painful to watch I could cry. It was like watching an owner and their dog. You're the dog Ethan. You're just all over Demyan. You're too touchy. You need to calm that down a bit."
"Luca, you're too young to know anything about being touchy."
"But I'm the one who kissed the daughter of a lord tonight," he raised his eyebrows. "Listen to me. You need to learn how to be smooth. Make Demyan yearn for you. Make sure your words are so smooth but without laying a finger on him to get an effect. You'll see he will notice that and the more you know how to toy with your words to get his attention, he will willingly hand himself over to you."
I looked at my little brother for the first time since he had been born and thought 'he actually makes sense'. A shiver ran down my back the exact moment I thought that.
"You're a CEO of a multi billion company but you have had the same haircut since you were seven."
"You weren't born and it's a safe haircut," I laughed as I flicked the bangs over my forehead.
"I saw the pictures," he waved his hand, "You wear from the camper slash farmer shop in the mall."
"They sell very reliable clothing," I defended.
"You drive a Toyota Fortuner," he frowned.
"Great on fuel and easy to get parts for."
"My point exactly. All in all, you are terribly bland for a billionaire to be. You need to make a change, get a nice haircut, change your fashion, get a nice car that screams I'm CEO. Make yourself look more appealing and you'll thank me."
"I don't know a thing about any of these things," I shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to start."
"Good thing Stewart and I are in town for the week then," he grinned, "We are going to turn you into a new man and get your boy back."
Chapitre 15: Old News
Demyan
It had been a day since the ball and I was stuck in the whirlwall of wanting to go about my schedule like how I planned for the month or just choosing to stay locked up in the mansion for a few days and deal with everything later.
Even though I wanted to pretend like the dance between Ethan and I had never happened, it lived in my mind rent free for the entire night. I was sleep deprived because instead of ignoring a problem that had been bothering me since I was twenty, I spent the whole night once again letting it eat me up inside that halfway through I just sat outside by the balcony.
I was lucky Dad and Pa had noticed Ethan and I danced but simply thought we were just having a good time. I was not sure if they were just saying that to prevent me from stressing about it anymore than I already was because they knew I overthought a lot.
You would think after all these years I would finally learn how to conquer my thoughts that often ran wild with me but it seemed they were doing a better job at evolving than I did. Plus it was hard to ignore my chaotic feelings for Ethan when I was stuck in the room we spent so much time in.
Even though I had taken out every picture, teddies and whatever other gifts he had gotten for me throughout the years, it still felt like he would just randomly walk into the bedroom with his collection of juice boxes and very roughly throw himself on the bed as we got ready to spent the night watching movies on his laptop.
Malia had spent a few nights here as well but I preferred to keep her away from the very room my ex had been in just out of respect for her. I was lucky I had a girlfriend who was as understanding as her because I knew if it was anyone else, they would have probably forbid me from being in the same room as Ethan with our past.
"I saw the picture," she smiled as she wiggled her eyebrows through the screen of my phone as we video called the next morning, "Of you and Ethan."
"Oh no, don't tell me you're jealous," I laughed as I brushed my curls in the bathroom; whilst my phone was balanced on a small stand, then raked a hair mousse to keep my hair moisturised throughout the day.
She let out a cute snort before she rolled her eyes, "That's old news. Plus you two seemed to be in two different parts of the universe even though you were next to each other."
I shrugged as I let out a sigh. The great thing about Malia and I we were best friends before we started dating therefore a topic such an one's ex never frightened any of us. "I was there for Dad and the family mostly."
"Ethan is family too Dem. You have to remember that."
"I know," I gave her a small smile, "I just think I was a bit overwhelmed by everything. Plus it's different knowing he was my boyfriend before."
She nodded as she hummed, "Well I think you were very mature to show up and I'm sure it meant a lot to your fathers. Plus I'm sure after your last conversation with Ethan a few months ago he has probably given up."
My stomach flipped slightly when I thought about our dance. Even though I felt like I did nothing wrong by dancing with Ethan, I also still felt it would not be the wisest choice to tell Malia, Ethan had not given up. I just felt like it was something I could handle on my own and the last thing I wanted was for her to be upset whilst she was pregnant.
"I think it has," I smiled, "He's probably wrapped up around someone new."
"And the news of the baby must have discouraged him," she agreed.
The other thing about that was that no one but the direct Chernyshevsky-Coleman family knew about Malia's pregnancy because I asked them to keep it that way for now. I was not sure why I had done it. Maybe because I did not want Ethan to find out through word of mouth.
I still felt like I owed it to him to tell him myself because there was a point where I genuinely thought I would be having children with him and no one else. At first I hoped when I came to London maybe he had truly moved on and that would make it easier for me to tell him, but after last night I knew how much it complicated things.
"I think it has," I smiled as I lied to her for the second time in a few minutes. It had probably been the most I had lied to Malia in such a short time frame since I had met her, but I truly believed a little white lie would not hurt. As long as I did not cause her any unnecessary stress I would do anything in my power.
"Will you be available for the first ultrasound in two weeks?" she beamed as she then pointed the camera to the full body mirror that showed off her still extremely flat stomach.
"I will be, it's huge on my calendar I wouldn't miss it for the world," I sent her a kiss through the screen which she blushed too before sending me one back. "I love you very much Malia."
"I love you Dem, I'll call you tonight again."
"Okay babe," I winked, which made her shriek in laughter before we finally said goodbye to each other.
Once the call had finally ended I looked at my reflection in the mirror with absolute confusion. How in the world was I going to sort all of this out before Malia arrived in two months?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, a ding from my phone caught my attention as I saw a message from a number I had not contacted in a very long time.
It was from Ethan.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
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