"Didn't you?" I asked angrily.
"I'm tired of your games. You tell me."
I glared at him. "I didn't know you loved me."
"Really, Ella? You're gonna tell me you didn't know. You're smart, so please don't play dumb! I'm not buying it."
"I'm not a mind reader, but now that I know, things are different."
"What does that mean to me?"
"I don't wanna see you with another woman. I haven't ever been so jealous in my life!" I yelled.
"Well good—now you know how I've felt the last ten years," he said, turning back toward his door.
"Oh, so now it's tit for tat. You can't be an adult about this?" I asked, starting to tear up.
"Moving out is the adult thing to do. Staying would be keeping up childish hopes," he said in a low voice as he turned the knob, and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.
I stood there shocked at how many times this man had left me standing alone in the last couple days.
"Argh!" I screamed in frustration as I stormed into my room.
Throwing myself on the bed, I buried my face into the pillow and began to sob. After what felt like hours of crying, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eleven
Ella
I woke up the next morning to the sounds of crumpling paper and boxes sliding across the living room floor. I slid out of bed to investigate.
"You're taking that?"
"Yeah. I was going to—but if you want it—it's yours," he said with disappointment in his voice.
He inched toward me, handing over the wooden frame.
"I don't want it," I said, backing away.
"No really, take it," he urged, holding the frame in the air.
"No. It's fine. Take whatever you want. It doesn't matter anymore anyway."
He looked down at the frame, running his fingers over the glass.
"Remember when you came to my door that day, and I answered wearing a towel? Remember how scrawny I was?" he asked, smiling as he reminisced.
I chuckled, running my foot over the floor. "Yeah, that memory is burned into my brain for eternity. You were skin and bones back then. I don't even think you had one chest hair yet."
He chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think I did, either," he said, looking up from the frame.
I didn't reply.
"But you looked like an angel standing there. That's the moment I fell in love with you."
I parted my lips to reply, but before I could, he said, "You can keep this, to remember the good times. I don't need it—I'll never forget."
"Won't you, though?"
"Never," he said, moving toward me, frame in hand.
Finally, I reached out to accept the frame, but he grabbed my hand instead, pulling me toward him, pressing my body against his.
"Say something," he whispered in my ear.
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
"My feelings for you. I've always had feelings for you, Cooper. I just never knew how deep they ran because I spent all my time trying to push them away."
"I wish that invitation never came. Things were so much simpler before then," he whispered quietly.
"But if it never came, none of this would've happened."
He pressed his cheek to mine. "Exactly."
"I love you—stay," I exhaled into his ear.
He looked at me with shocked eyes. "I've waited too long to hear that. I'm sorry, I can't," he said, pulling away.
I shoved the frame back into his hands before he picked up the duffel bag and zoomed out the door. I couldn't believe he walked out on me—again.
Monster followed closely behind as I slowly wandered to my room, my heart heavy with despair. I threw myself on the bed, and he snuggled up next to me, purring softly.
"It's just you and me now. You won't ever leave me, will you?" I asked, rubbing the back of his ears.
Knock, knock.
"Who could that be?"
I wasn't in the mood for company, so I ignored it. A few minutes later, an even louder set of knocks startled Monster off the bed.
"Geez," I said, pushing myself up, slowly making my way to the door.
Another knock. "Okay!" I said, pulling the door open.
My eyes widened when I saw who had been knocking on the other side.
"What are…"
"I see here that you are in need of a roommate," Cooper said, reading off the old, tattered want ad that was no longer housed in its frame.
I smiled at him as my eyes welled up with tears. "I, uh—"
Stepping through the threshold of the door, he wrapped his arms around me and picked me up, pressing his lips firmly onto mine, twirling me around the room as we kissed.
Epilogue
COOPER
A few weeks later, on the anniversary date of the day we first moved in together, I took out an ad in the paper proposing. I handed it to her, opened to the classified section with her usual morning cup of coffee as she ran out the door to work.
ELLA
I made it halfway down the street before I saw it. Caught completely off guard, I ended up choking on the sip of coffee streaming down my throat, which made its way back up, spewing out of my mouth and nose. I shook out the coffee soaked paper to reread the blurring ink:
WANTED:
Beautiful and sassy file clerk, to marry a foolish love struck surgeon.
Position available immediately!
Apply in person.
I spun around and ran back toward the apartment, where I found Cooper kneeling on the sidewalk holding a small black velvet box.
"Yes, yes, yes!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, leaping into his open arms.
"You haven't even seen the ring yet."
"I don't need to."
"Are you sure," he whispered.
"Okay, just a small peek."
He slowly opened the box, revealing a three karat princess cut diamond set in a platinum band.
Slipping it on my finger, he looked into my eyes, and asked, "Will you be my wife?"
There were no words for what I felt at that moment. All I could do was lean in and press my lips to his as he lifted me off the ground.
"This has to be a dream," I whispered in his ear, hugging his neck tightly.
"My dream come true."
Cooper, being the romantic guy he was, framed both ads and hung them side-by-side, leaving room for one more frame, which awaited the wedding announcement we were placing in the New York Times.
Thank You & Credits
We would like to thank everyone who helped make this book possible. Our wonderful beta readers and friends, who are willing to read anything we throw at them: Jeanette, Alma, Avril, Kelsey, and so many others!
xoxo,
Penelope & Tia
BOOK CREDITS:
Cover Designed by: Book Cover by Design
Proofread by: Avril Stepowski
Books by Penelope Marshall
Wrath: A Bad Boy Mafia Romantic Suspense (Deadly Sin Series Book 1)
Envy: A Second Chance Romance (Deadly Sin Series Book 2)
Enemy Inside (The Captive Series Book 1)
Depravity (The Captive Series Book 2)
Indecency: A Bad Boy Mafia Romantic Suspense
Betrayed: A Bad Boy Military Romantic Suspense
Absolution: (Mr. Black Series)
Unleashed: (Mr Black Series Book 1)
Teach Me: A Bad Boy Professor Romance
Misled: A Bad Boy Mafia Romantic Suspense
About Penelope Marshall
Penelope Marshall was born in the Philippines, and raised in Southern California.
She picked up writing in early 2016 and instantly fell in love with the craft. Her writing runs the romance gamut from sweet romantic comedies, to tough alpha male military suspense thrillers, with a little young adult, and paranormal thrown into the mix.
A good plot twist is what drives Penelope’s writing, striving for that jaw dropping moment at t
he end of each book.
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Books by Tia Lewis
Redemption: A Bad Boy MMA Fighter Romance
Revived: A Bad Boy MMA Fighter Romance
Draw Play: A Sports Romance
Stadium of Lights: A Second Chance Romance
Draft Day: A BWWM Sports Romance
Threat: A Blood Riders MC (Book 1)
Reveal: A Blood Riders MC (Book 2)
Creed: A Blood Riders MC (Book 3)
Diesel: A Blood Riders MC (Book 4)
The Hitman’s Possession: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Book 1)
The Hitman’s Property: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Book 2)
The Hitman’s Duology Series Bundle
Dirty Hacker: An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Dirty Money: A Dark Mafia Romance
Misled: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance
Only One You: A Second Chance Romance
The Journalist: A Sexy Contemporary Romance
Zarak: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (The Mating Games Book 1)
Konkrin: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (The Mating Games Book 2)
About Tia Lewis
Tia Lewis is an author of erotic and dark erotic romance. She enjoys writing about strong, possessive, dominant heroes and sassy, smart heroines. Her characters range from hot, dominant bikers, billionaires, to powerful gangsters, and all kinds of bad boys in between. You can find her cooking, reading, or traveling when she’s not busy working on her next release.
www.AuthorTiaLewis.com
Stay connected!
@authortialewis
authortialewis
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[email protected]
Addicted To You: A Last Chance Romance (You and Me Series Book 2) Page 8