I leaned against the balcony overlooking the expanse of lit-up buildings all around. I clenched the metal frame hard as my discomfort with this situation doubled within me. I wish I could just disappear or seize to exist through some magic, but this was reality. I knew I couldn't escape everything that had happened or was bound to happen. Even if I had the chance to escape, I could not leave mom all alone in the care of the people she had as a family. They would leave her to die.

"You won't ignore me forever."

My shoulders tensed at the sound of Ethan's voice. I turned around to face him with my best glare. My breath hitched in my lungs when I saw that he had taken off his suit jacket and was now wearing his white dress shirt which did nothing to hide how built his frame was underneath it. The sleeves that were rolled around his elbow made the veins running down his arms look enticing but when I realized what I was doing, I turned away and faced the lit buildings. I needed to keep my focus on myself and not on how hot and attractive Ethan Hawkes was. I needed to also be ashamed of myself for thinking of him in such a manner.

 
"Angela." The way he called my name sent shivers down my spine.

I hated that he still had an effect on me. Even the way he used to call my name when we were younger sounded the same but deeper and I cursed myself for falling for it.

"Leave me alone."

"No. We're married now and I don't think I want to leave you alone until we talk." He came to stand beside me, and I stepped sideways to put a good enough space between us.

"We are just married on paper; we have nothing else together. I don't care if I have to stay mute until I get old or whenever this contract ends," I retorted and turned to leave but he grabbed my arm and pulled me flush against his hard body.

I gasped at the contact and tried to move back but he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him, and making me feel every curve and ridge on his hard frame. I kept my gaze on his Adam's apple, as I felt his eyes on my face. I hated how his body still made me feel hot even after all these years. The worst of all is how mature he now looked. He was not the boy I thought I was dating a few years ago. The own standing before me was a grown man with features that made me warm in hidden places.

 
"I know that I hurt you but at least let me tell you why I did it." The way his eyes softened on my face added to the effect of his words, but I needed to snap out of it. "Let me explain to you why I did what I did."

My heart stung. "You want to tell me why you hurt me?"

I didn't want to break down in front of him but the burden I had been carrying was becoming unbearable that I just let the dam break. Hot tears started filling my eyes and dropping on my cheeks and hands that were between our chests.

"You want to give me a reason why you humiliated me years ago? How you make me feel like I deserved love? You want to explain how you slept with me and disgraced me in front of so many people?" I asked, my voice cracking and shaking from the heated emotions in me.

"Baby..."

"Don't call me that!" I shoved him away. "Just stop! I don't want to hear that anymore! I just want to live my life. I don't know what type of fate brought us back, but I won't let it control my future and that's because I hate you." The venom in my tone made me see in his eyes how hurt he was, and I was glad.

I grimaced at him for a few seconds before going back inside. I went straight to the kitchen where I grabbed a bottle of whiskey. I opened the bottle and took a swig.

"Angela!"

I heard rushed footsteps, and the bottle was taken away from me. I fell to my knees and leaned against the cold counter, then continued to cry.

"Please, leave me alone."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw him fall to a sitting position beside me. I no longer had the will to push him away. All I cared about was crying for my pathetic self as my sister said and for my mother who I wasn't sure would survive.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he said in a cautious tone. "What I did years ago was despicable and you have every right to never forgive me for it."

"Why are we married?" I asked out of nowhere. My head had been blank and where the question came from, even shocked me.

"Huh?"

"Why did we get married?" I was beginning to think deeper about my first question, which prompted me to ask further. "Was this your doing? Did you force me to get married to you because of what happened before?"

Ethan grunted. "What are you even saying? No, Angela. I have nothing to do with this. My mom has been pestering me to get married because, according to her, I've been miserable and she hates seeing me like this. She threatened to make sure I stop owning everything in our family company if I don't get married."

I never met his mother or anyone from his family, so I wasn't sure if what he was saying was the truth or not.

"So, you can't make decisions on your own? Unless it has to do with shaming a teenager?" I was feeling petty, and I didn't care.

 
"I—"

"Enough, Mr. Hawkes."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

I looked at him with a fake smile.

"Because I can't afford to call you by your first name," I answered and stood. "Good night, husband. I have to rest."

I walked straight to the bedroom and dropped on the bed. I rolled my eyes when Ethan walked into the room and stood by the door, staring past me with a deep expression on his face.

"Angela, someday I will tell you the reason behind what I did. But you need to understand that I will never hurt you. I failed you once and I promised myself that it won't happen again," he said in a tone that hinted that he was being honest which I pushed aside.

I scoffed and backed him. I didn't want to hear any more words from him. I wished he could go away just like I wanted.

"There's also one thing I want to let you know." He stopped speaking for a few seconds. "I never stopped loving you and I will forever love you."

My heart skipped a beat at his confession. It made me feel a flutter in my stomach. I squeezed my eyes close and tried to stop my heart from feeling the same way. My head told me to remember the pain, but my heart made me remember that I also never stopped loving him.

"I still love you, Angela."

"I hate you, Ethan Hawkes."

A/N: You can read future chapters on Radish Fiction.