The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 94

Chapter 85: The Date

Bella POV

I stared at my phone, at the message I’d typed to Ethan canceling our dinner, my finger hovering over the send button.

Then I thought about Caleb’s possessive hand on my thigh at the gala, the way he’d used my private moment against me, how he’d kissed me and assumed I’d just fall back into his arms.

I deleted the cancellation message. Instead, I typed: “Looking forward to our date”

If Caleb thought he could manipulate me into giving him another chance, he was wrong. I needed to see what else was out there, what a relationship without baggage could feel like.

That’s what I told myself anyway.

Maya thought I was insane when I told her.”You literally kissed Caleb a few days ago,” she said over the phone. “And now you’re going on a date with someone else?”

“I need perspective.” I pulled dresses from my closet. “I need to know if what I feel for Caleb is real or just proximity and unresolved trauma.”

“Bella, you moaned his name while touching yourself. I think it’s safe to say it’s real.”

“That could just be physical attraction.” I held up a navy dress, then discarded it. “Ethan is attractive, successful, kind. Maybe I could feel the same way about him.”

“You won’t,” Maya said flatly. “But fine, go on the date/Just don’t be surprised when you spend the whole time comparing him to Caleb.”

She was probably right, but I wasn’t admitting that. I told Caleb about the date that evening while Tom was in the bath. He was in his office reviewing contracts and barely looked up when I entered.

“I’m going to dinner with Ethan Friday night,” I said without preamble.

His pen stopped moving. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to mine. “I thought you were canceling.”

“I changed my mind.” I crossed my arms. “You don’t own me, Caleb. We kissed once, that doesn’t mean”

“We’ve kissed twice,” he interrupted quietly. “Once in the elevator, once on the terrace. And both times, you kissed me back like you were drowning and I was air.”

“That’s just physical chemistry.” I forced myself to hold his gaze. “It doesn’t mean we should be together.”

“So you’re going to date Pierce to prove a point?” He stood, moving around the desk. “To punish me for caring about you?”

“I’m going because he asked and I said yes.” I stepped back as he approached. “I’m allowed to see other people, we’re not together.”

“Aren’t we?” He stopped inches away. “We live together, raise a child together, work together. You moan my name when you touch yourself. At what point does that add up to being together?”

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Chapter 85 The Date

#adds up to complicated.” I hated how breathless my voice sounded. “And I need to see if uncomplicated might be better.”

+25 Points

His jaw clenched. “Fine, go on your date. But Bella, when you come home and you realize Pierce doesn’t make you feel what I do, I’ll be here waiting.”

The certainty in his voice infuriated me. “You’re so sure I’ll come back to you.”

“Yes,” he said simply. “Because I know what you look like when you want someone, and you’ve never looked at Pierce the way you look at me.”

I left his office before I could do something stupid like prove him right.

Friday arrived too quickly. I spent the day in meetings, trying not to think about the evening ahead. Tom was having a sleepover at Maya’s, giving me a night without worrying about bedtimes.

I dressed carefully-a burgundy dress that was elegant but not trying too hard, heels that were sophisticated but comfortable. I kept my makeup natural, my hair in soft waves.

When I emerged from my room, Caleb was in the living room with Tom, helping him pack his overnight bag. He looked up when he heard my heels, and something dark flashed in his eyes.”You look beautiful,” he said quietly.

“Thanks.” I grabbed my clutch. “Tom, be good for Aunt Maya, okay?”

“I will!” Tom hugged me, then looked between me and Caleb. “Are you and Daddy going on a date too?”

“No, baby. Mommy’s having dinner with a friend.”

“Oh.” Tom’s face fell. “I thought maybe you and Daddy could go on a date. Like real married people.”

The words stabbed through me. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? Right now you need to get to Aunt Maya’s.”

After they left, I stood in the quiet penthouse and questioned every choice that had led to this moment. But it was too late to back out now.

Ethan picked me up at seven, looking handsome in a charcoal suit. He opened the car door for me, complimented my dress without being sleazy, and drove us to an upscale Italian restaurant that wasn’t trying to be pretentious.

“I hope this is okay,” he said as we were seated at a quiet corner table. “I figured somewhere we could actually talk was better than the trendy places where you can’t hear yourself think.”

“This is perfect,” I said, and meant it. The restaurant was warm and intimate without being romantic, classy without being stuffy.

We ordered wine and appetizers, and Ethan launched into easy conversation about a recent trip to Tuscany. He was funny, self-deprecating about his terrible Italian and the time he’d gotten lost trying to find his hotel.

“I ended up in someone’s vineyard at two in the morning,” he said, laughing. “The owner came out with a shotgun and I had to explain in broken Italian that I was just a stupid American who couldn’t read a map.”

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<Chapter 85 the Date

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