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Chapter 188
~Ella’s POV~
The rhythmic rain tapping against the window provided a soothing setting as I sat on my worn-out couch, scrolling aimlessly through my phone.
It was one of those evenings where the world felt too big and too small, the silence stretching endlessly in my apartment.
In the past, Zara and I usually spent time together when we were free but now, she was busy with her life and partner, I, on the other hand...
Sigh!
A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat as I glanced at the clock. Who could it be this late?
With a sigh, I set my phone down and padded over to the door. The moment I opened it, I was met with intense eyes, filled with mischief and heat.
"Styles?" I asked, but before I could say more, he stepped inside, cupping my face with his hands and pulling me into a deep, searing kiss.
My gasp was swallowed by his lips, his urgency stealing the air from my lungs. He kicked the door shut behind him, not breaking the kiss as his hands moved to my waist, lifting me effortlessly.
"Styles—" I managed to breathe out between kisses, but he silenced me with another, his tongue parting my lips and drawing me further into his intoxicating hold.
He carried me to the living room, laying me gently on the couch before leaning over me, his lips trailing from my mouth to my jaw and down the column of my neck.
My hands moved instinctively to his broad shoulders, gripping him as he pressed hot kisses against my skin.
But no matter how feverish his touch, my mind wandered—back to that phone call.
I remembered it clearly. A few nights ago, his phone had rung while we were tangled together in bed. He’d glanced at the screen, his face going unreadable before quietly answering.
"Yeah," he had said, his voice clipped. "Now isn’t a favorable time."
The call was brief, but the name that had flashed on his screen was burned into my memory. Victoria.
Since then, he’d been careful with his phone. Too careful. He always kept it within arm’s reach, and whenever I glanced at it, he seemed to catch on, quickly turning the screen away.
Then, yesterday, while he’d stepped into the kitchen to grab us something to eat, he’d left it on the bedside table. I hadn’t meant to snoop—it wasn’t my business. But when the screen lit up with a notification, my curiosity had betrayed me.
The message read:
"You need to meet her today and get her hooked on you."
The rest of the message was hidden. My stomach had dropped, but I’d placed the phone back where it was, feigning ignorance when he returned.
Now, with his lips tracing down my collarbone and his hands sliding beneath my shirt, that message reverberated in my mind like a resounding echo.
Was I "her"? Was I just a part of some twisted plan? Or was there someone else he was playing games with?
"Ella," Styles murmured against my skin, his voice low and rough, pulling me back to the present.
I shivered beneath him, but my body felt disconnected from my mind. While his hands explored, my heart waged a silent war between desire and doubt.
His lips found mine again, demanding and consuming, but I couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at my thoughts. My movements slowed, my fingers no longer pulling him closer but hesitating.
Styles pulled back slightly, his blue eyes narrowing as he studied me. "What’s wrong?" he asked, his voice softer now.
I blinked, startled by the question. "What do you mean?"
He sat up, running a hand through his tousled hair. "You’re not... into this. I can feel it."
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words caught in my throat. He was right—I wasn’t fully present, and he could sense it.
Styles tilted his head, his gaze probing. "You’re holding something back, Ella. What’s going on?"
I hesitated, my fingers twisting the hem of my shirt as I looked anywhere but at him. "It’s nothing. I’m just tired, I guess."
"Bullshit," he said bluntly, though his tone wasn’t unkind. "Talk to me."
My chest tightened. I wanted to. I wanted to demand answers about Victoria, about the message. But what would that make me? We weren’t a couple—what we had was friends with benefits. I had no right to question him.
Still, the words slipped out before I could stop them. "Who was the girl on the phone?"
His expression shifted, a flicker of something unreadable passing over his face before he masked it. "What girl?"
"The one who called you the other night," I pressed, sitting up straighter. "You seemed... tense."
Styles sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ella, it’s not what you think."
"Then what is it?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound firm.
He hesitated, and that hesitation felt like a dagger to my heart.
"You know what?" I said, standing abruptly. "Forget it. I shouldn’t have asked."
"Ella, wait," Styles said, reaching for my hand, but I pulled away.
"I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I can’t do this right now."
I turned and walked away, retreating to my bedroom and shutting the door behind me.
Once inside, I sank onto the edge of my bed, my head in my hands. My heart ached, torn between the feelings I’d tried so hard to ignore and the doubts that now consumed me.
In her bedroom, Ella lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her wolf stirred restlessly in her mind, mirroring her unease.
"You need to talk to him," Star urged, her voice firm but not unkind. "This silence will only make things worse."
"I know," Ella whispered, tears pricking at her eyes.
But as the minutes ticked by, she stayed where she was, her heart and mind locked in a battle neither seemed ready to win.
And then she stood up, wanting to return to him but then she heard his voice from the living room.
"Damn it, I’m screwing this up."