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I needed to.
What has this man done to me?
CHAPTER 9
Chyler
I woke up before my alarm this morning; I was at war with myself over Atlas, so much so that it was consuming me, even in sleep—I slept like absolute shit last night because of it. What the hell is wrong with me?
Before meeting Atlas at The Landing, I was content being alone. There was no one else to worry about or depend on—aside from Madison and Alexis, of course. But something about him just drew me in and wouldn't let me go.
He knew exactly what to say to send shivers down my spine and put me on edge. I would never let him claim me, though. If it came down to it, I would be the one to do the claiming. I wasn’t his prize to be won; he was mine.
Last night, I went back to Madison’s townhouse for dinner. We talked about how I bumped into Atlas, and how we had lunch together. She couldn't help but show amusement at how romantic the entire interaction was between us and how I was living the 'typical storybook romance.' She didn't hesitate to chide me, stating that buffalo wings are not an approved date food. I beg to differ.
She was always the romantic of the three of us; her last relationship was over a year ago. Adrian broke her heart over nothing.
A choice between him and our friendship.
You could imagine who won that battle in the end.
Regret of that loss for her was a knife twist to my heart. She spent over six months grieving the loss of Adrian, and I tried my hardest to make things right between us. Sure, she chose our friendship over him, and she never let me forget it.
Another reason why I don’t want to give myself to Atlas; I don’t believe I deserve him after what I did to her. She’s over it now and hasn’t thought of or mentioned him once, but that doesn’t mean the guilt and resentment aren’t still lingering in the back of her mind.
“So you are still going to meet him for coffee tomorrow morning?”
“You know, I was considering canceling the more I thought about it, but after lunch with him… I think I want to see where this goes. You know… do that whole ‘dating’ thing you constantly shove into my face.” I gave her an amused grin. I couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol talking or what. We were already two bottles into our night.
“Okay, now you are scaring me; where did my ‘I don’t need a man to own me’ girl go? What did he do to you in that restroom?” She chuckled and gave me a light, playful shove to the shoulder.
“He doesn’t own me, and honestly, I don’t know.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “There’s just something about him. He’s different, and I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“Just… promise me you won’t go too fast, okay? You’ve never let anyone in before. I don’t need something to go wrong, and you get all dark and twisty on me.” I almost wanted to mention when she went “dark and twisty” on me after Adrian. But I held my tongue, not trying to bring up the past and ruin this moment between us.
“Don’t worry about me, worry about him. Could you imagine if he hurt someone like me?” I lightly chuckled.
“That’s exactly what I am afraid of. Not him—you.” She gave me a concerned look. I shrugged her off, polished off my glass of wine, and picked up my takeout box.
Not wanting to cook, since it was late by the time I had arrived at her place, we ordered Chinese takeout instead. We snuggled onto her soft grey sofa, wrapped in blankets, and ate out of our plastic takeaway containers.
Deciding on a movie night, we argued for the first few minutes about what to watch. We ended up settling on a popular TV series about a hot stalker turned serial killer. We both called it quits for the night a few episodes into the season. Madison headed off to her bed, and I left her townhouse for my apartment. She offered for me to stay the night again, but I decided that I wanted to be in my own bed with my own thoughts—thoughts of Atlas.
I stretched out in my queen-sized bed. The black cotton sheets were recently washed, so they were crisp and felt like utter bliss against my skin. I didn’t want to leave this bed—until my alarm had to go off and suggest otherwise.
With an unsatisfied groan, I threw the white duvet off my body and dragged myself to the bathroom so I could shower and get ready for my coffee date with Atlas.
Staring into my closet was becoming a common occurrence for me. Normally, I’d just throw on some gym clothes and a denim jacket, calling it a day. But a date? The fuck do I wear for a date? I know it’s just coffee, but I needed to look somewhat put together today.
Again, why did I suddenly care how I looked for him?
I frowned and pulled out a cute high-low dress. It featured a gradient from orange to hot pink and had a fit-and-flare style. The upper bodice was slightly snug, hugging my body tightly, while the skirt flared out and fell gracefully against my hips and thighs. I wasn't usually a fan of dresses, but I adored wearing this particular style. It was flattering, and the vibrant colors made it stand out from the crowd.
I decided to wear my hair down with lightly tossed waves falling over my shoulders. I pulled on my favorite denim jacket to complete the look and made my way to the door, tossing my phone and keys into my handbag and sliding into a pair of dark brown wedged heels. By the time I made it to the coffee shop, it was just minutes before nine, and as I approached the corner, my eyes caught sight of a very attractive man leaning against the building, waiting for me.
Atlas.
He wore light blue denim jeans and a bright white T-shirt that perfectly hugged his toned body and broad shoulders. He didn’t notice me right away, so I took that time to let my eyes enjoy the view that was all him.
