The Right One

"If we weren't together, would you have given him a chance?"

"I don't know." It is hard to think about that when I know my heart only belongs to one person. "It seems you are my only type now. Are you in bed already?"

"Yes," He sounds more relaxed.

"I'll probably leave here soon."

"I miss you, little one."

I love you- I want to blurt out.

"I miss you too." I stay on the line for a while longer.

"This will be our year, Leila."

"Yes, Sir."

******

The first month into my new year is a busy one.

There are a lot of meetings. A lot of different metrics that have to be reset and new goals we have to achieve. My notebook is filled with all types of notes that I take during these meetings and they probably don't make sense to anyone but me. My team is a lot more comfortable now with giving me more assignments and they depend on me for a number of reports.

Shelly has taken me under her wing, after proving that I'm worth investing in, and guides me through my role. She has consistent one-on-one meetings with me where we discuss what I'm striving for and how I can get there. I show her my worksheet from the development training, where I can fill out my stepping stones. We complete everything, writing down every little detail that will assist me in getting to that level two position.

Everything is happening a lot faster than I expected. Instead of pulling myself back, I throw myself into my new possibilities. It is my goal to continue to grow and make a new career. Rupert is still a mentor of mine who encourages me to set my sights as far up as I can. When I talk to him, I feel like anything is achievable.

Even in my romantic life.

"Can we finally talk about it?" He wipes his mouth after biting into his salad.

I tilt my head and frown. "About what?"

"Ethan," He sits back in his chair.

We have lunch in his office at least once a week. If anyone had any doubts that he has favorites, this definitely doesn't work in his favor. I don't care though, not when he isn't my direct boss anymore.

"What about Ethan?" My cheeks heat up, giving myself away.

"He can't stop talking about you, for one." He gives me a knowing look. "I've known him for many years and he's always been serious about his career. Now, he can't focus on one topic long enough before turning it back to you."

I hide my face behind my hands.

It is all very lovely to hear. Not that I find it hard to believe. Ethan and I keep in touch, talking almost every day. Whether it is through phone or text, we are never too far from each other's presence. I've been better about reaching out to him when I want and taking that initiative. He never brushes me off or ignores me. If he's busy, he always gives me a time when he won't be. I feel sick with love and talking to him is my main remedy.

"It is all very overwhelming." I peek at Rupert through my fingers.

He chuckles. "Ethan isn't known to be mild towards those who are important to him."

I nod. "I feel the same."

"You've told him so?"

I lower my hands and feel my brows pull in while I contemplate. "Are you fishing for information on his behalf?"

He holds his hands up. "Like I said, I've never seen him act like this. I want to make sure you both are on the same page."

"I believe we are." Maybe I need to convey that a little better to Ethan.

"When are you guys seeing each other again?"

I shrug. "I know this is a busy time for him and things are picking up for me as well."

"You at least have made plans for Valentine's Day, right? It's around the corner."

I gnaw on my lower lip. We haven't discussed it. I've thought about it. It's hard not to when every store in the area has red and pink hearts plastered all over. I have a valentine that I want to spoil this year. But since he hasn't brought it up, I've sat back and waited.

"I think he's busy that week." I lie.

"Well," He goes back to eating his food. "Maybe it is your turn to make a visit."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea." My stomach tightens as my brain starts getting ahead of itself. "He could turn me away."

He barks out a laugh. "I'll sooner kick the bucket than Ethan will ever turn you away."

I could make the trip. Whether it be by plane or car, I can make it happen. Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year. I can take the day off and spend the weekend with him. Even if he does have some work to do, I can patiently wait until he is free. Being by his side is what matters to me.

That night, I bring up Valentine's Day to make sure I'm not ruining any plans he may already have.

"I'm sorry, baby. I have an important dinner that day and have a presentation to prepare for over the weekend."

I nibble on my lip. Maybe I shouldn't drop by unannounced. If I do, it will have to be Friday night, after his dinner. Again, I don't mind sitting at his feet while he works. Is it too inconsiderate of me to assume he will be thrilled by my presence? He would have offered it if that was how he wanted to spend his weekend.

"That's okay." I try to keep my tone light. "I'm just missing you."

"I know, baby. I promise that I will come to see you the first weekend that I'm available."

"I could also come down to see you."

"Now there's an idea." His tone drops to a sensual one. "I would love to see you in my bed."

"Even if it's only for a day or two?" I pull up flights on my phone for Valentine's Day weekend.

"I will take whatever you can give me, little one."

I book my flight and set up a car reservation.

There is no turning back now.

<<<>>>

Getting to Ethan's house would be terrifying on a good day.

The fact that it is raining and he lives just on the edge of the city piles onto my stress. There is traffic, people drive like complete assholes, and the street parking leaves a lot to be desired. I've done three circles around the block, checking his townhouse every time to make sure the lights to his place stay on.

It is also dark outside, which only adds to the pressure of driving in an unknown city. I should have checked the weather before leaving. I should have packed a raincoat. I should have left my underwear on after getting out of the airport! My dress is nice and cozy but the rain is daunting.

A parking spot opens up a few houses down from his place and I send a silent prayer up. I tap my thumb against the steering wheel, working up the nerve to walk up to his door and knock. It sounds relatively easy but I have to mentally prepare myself just in case I don't get the reaction that I expect. I'll also be sitting outside in the rain as I wait for him to open up and decide if he'll let me in or not.

I pull my bag from the back seat onto my lap. I check flights departing tonight, just in case, and then decide I'll probably drive the rental home if it comes to that. I wouldn't want a cabin full of strangers to watch my life spiral. There will definitely be tears and I can't promise I won't break down and sob like a baby if I have to spend Valentine's Day traveling back home.

With what little nerve I have left, I open my car door and sling my bag over my shoulder. I try to use my hand over my head to cover my hair from the rain. My steps are rushed and I'm looking down the whole time, making sure that I don't slip and break an ankle before making it to his door. There is a very high possibility, considering how things are going.

It actually ends up turning into something a lot worse.

I'm at the bottom of the short staircase leading to his house when I'm flooded with light. I look up to see Ethan holding his door open. The smile that starts to form on my lips is frozen in place when I see a stunning woman coming out from behind him. She's a head shorter than him, dainty, and striking. He leans down to kiss her cheek and bids her good night. She's wearing a beautiful sequin dress and he's wearing a dark suit but no shoes. They look like a very handsome couple.

My heart drops and my breathing stops.

Everything is at a standstill.

And then, like a terrible car crash, everything happens all at once.

Ethan happens to look down, as his guest starts going down the steps when his eyes meet mine. At first, he frowns, not entirely sure what to make of me at the bottom of his steps. Then recognition makes his eyebrows jump up. I'm already backing away when he calls my name. The woman, who is now only a few steps away from me, turns back to look at him in question. She hasn't seen me yet.

My hands drop, no longer worried about keeping my hair dry. I wrap my arms around myself instead, trying to keep my heart in my chest. Hoping that it doesn't fall out and get sullied by the dirt on the street. Not that it would matter now. It could get kicked across the country and it wouldn't hurt as bad as this does.

"Leila!" He sounds closer to me.

I take off running, unlocking the car door.

Just as I open the driver's side door, he comes up behind me and slams it shut. He urges me to turn so that I'm facing him. I stare back at him, unblinking.

"What are you doing here?" He's yelling through the sound of fat raindrops falling all around us. He brushes my hair away from my face.

"Nothing." I try to push his hands away but he doesn't budge. "I'm leaving."

"Leila," He looks over my head and waves to his guest who is now watching us closely as she walks to her own car.

She is very intrigued by my presence. I expect her to stop Ethan and ask who I am. But why would she waste her breath? I am obviously a nobody compared to her. She is the one with a parking spot right in front of his place. She spent the night with him. I am nothing to him.

My heart tears at the same time the thunder sounds far in the distance.

"Take your hands off me," My voice is small and I know I'm on the verge of tears.

"You're going to get sick, come inside." He attempts to take my bag but I push him.

"I'm leaving." I grind through my teeth.

"Leila," His tone turns disapproving. "We need to talk."

I shake my head. "There is nothing to talk about. You don't have to explain anything. I'm leaving. You don't have to worry about seeing me ever again."

"You-" He growls. "We will-"

Before I know it, I'm being tossed over his shoulder and being dragged into his home. The door slams shut behind us and my bag is dropped on the floor. My body is shaking now, whether it is because of the cold rain or my silent sobs, I'm not sure. Knowing the difference will not help me feel any better. I just want to be away from here. Back in the security of my own home, in my own bed.

I'm not set on my feet until we reach, what I assume is his room.

There are dark sheets, tossed around his bed, probably where he has just made love to her. My stomach turns and the tears start flowing more freely. I bite my lip and lower my head. How did I end up back here? That same place I swore I would never be in. The crying girlfriend who just found the love of her life cheating.

Is fate so cruel? Have I been cursed by someone who deeply hates me? Isn't one heartbreak bad enough to last a lifetime?

"Leila," Ethan raises my head but I avoid meeting his eyes. "Baby, I need to take these clothes off you, you're cold."

I continue to cry, breathing erratically and barely able to stop the sobs that are threatening to burst through my lips.

"Baby, look at me." He pulls my face closer to his and I see his intention.

"No," I shake my head. Please don't kiss me.

I won't be able to take it. I cannot kiss a man who has just fucked someone else on his bed on Valentine's Day, while I spent hours traveling to see him. I can't. It hurts so much. But that isn't the only reason. I know the real reason I cannot allow him to kiss me. It is more pathetic than that. One kiss and I could be pulled back into his world without a doubt.

"Leila, it is not what it appears." He's starting to get more worried as my body continues to convulse. "Please, let me explain."

I shut my eyes but the tears don't stop. "You knew he cheated on me. You knew it broke me." My voice trembles.

"I didn't cheat!" He shakes my shoulders. "Leila, I am not your ex-boyfriend."

I don't say anything. This is too heart wrenching.

"You're going to get sick, damn it." He pulls my dress over my head and pulls a shirt from his drawer.

He throws it on me without mentioning anything about my lack of underwear. I watch him with teary eyes remove my shoes and socks. He puts on a pair of black socks on me. He pulls my hand toward his bed but I shake my head.

"Leila," He shakes his head. "I didn't cheat."

I pull my hand free and walk back out into his living room.

He could be telling the truth. My head is throbbing and my heart hasn't slowed down once. The tears are still falling but with less conviction. I feel him close behind me as I put my hair up into a messy bun. It's still dripping wet from the rain. To stay or to go back into the storm? What is the likelihood that this is all a misunderstanding? I know what I saw.

I sit on his couch and pull my legs up to my chest.

He sits on the other side, elbows on his thighs.

"Would you like something to drink?"

I shake my head and stare at him. His hair is wet as well. His outfit is drenched and his feet look bone white from walking outside without shoes. I turn away and look around his place instead. It is stylish. Paintings and books are placed in an appealing manner. His furniture is color-coordinated so that it all blends in and provides a tone of sophistication. It is all very Ethan. Or maybe it is all that woman's touch. My stomach turns.

"That was my ex-wife, Vera." He begins.

I jump at the mention of her name. I angrily wipe the tears from my cheeks.

"I asked her to come over tonight for dinner."

Is it possible to hear your heart break in two? If not hear, then definitely feel. I feel the deep cut gushing with blood. It is the only explanation as to why I have lost all blood circulating to my cheeks. It is why I feel so light headed.

"Ethan," I clear the lump in my throat. "I don't care. I just want to go home."

Worry flashes behind his eyes. "Just give me two minutes of your time."

"Are you holding me hostage?" I press my lips together.

The tears are finally stopping, my anger taking their place.

"I'm not letting you leave without a fight." His tone is final.

"How could, Ethan?" If I'm being held here against my will, then I'll make sure we're both miserable. "You did the one thing you promised me you wouldn't do."

"I didn't, Leila."

"You didn't choose to have dinner on Valentine's Day with your ex-wife?" I ball my hands into fist.

I want to cry again but I can't. I allowed myself to trust Ethan completely that I forgot to protect that little part of myself that I swore loyalty to above all else. I promised myself that I wouldn't ever find myself in this situation ever again. How could I be so stupid? I gave myself over so blindly knowing how much it hurts to be betrayed.

"I chose to talk to someone who knows me best." He runs his fingers through his hair. "It just happened to fall on a day like today because we've both been very busy."

"You still keep in touch with her?" Jealousy claws at my insides.

"From time to time we like to catch up."

"And I'm supposed to be okay with that?"

He groans. "It isn't like that. We were married, Leila. She knows me very well and we would never cross that line."

"How would you like it if I spent Valentine's Day with Hank? If you were the one who showed up on my doorstep as I had him in my apartment?" My throat is getting tight again.

"I would hate it!" He stands and starts to pace. "The thought of you with any other man makes me blinded with rage. It twists my insides in an excruciating way."

I sit back, wondering why it makes me feel good to witness his anger.

"Then please understand why I don't want to be here after you chose to spend the night with your ex-wife." I stand. "Let me leave with what little dignity that I have left. Please."

He rushes over to me and wraps an arm around my waist and a hand into my nape. He pulls on my hair harshly so that I have to look up at him. My body has no other option than to mold against him. One moment I want all the space between us and the next, I want to burn against his flesh.

I abhor it.

"Listen to me, Leila," He huffs out a shaky breath. "You are the most important person to me in my life. I will not let you out of my sight for the rest of my life if I can help it."

My body flushes at his words and I feel my resolve crumbling under his heated gaze.

"You are the only woman for me. The only person for me. I cannot function without you. Do you understand? I'm in a state of vulnerability whenever we're apart and I cannot take it any longer." He leans his forehead against mine and closes his eyes. "Fuck, this isn't how any of this was supposed to happen."

He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a little black box. He places it between us so that I can look down at it.

All of the air leaves my lungs and I stare down at the box with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

"Vera was here tonight because I wanted to know what it was like to be married to a sub." His jaw ticks. "I have to do right by you and Vera is the only person I know who married into her lifestyle."

"What-" I stare up into his eyes.

"I bought this ring the day after Thanksgiving dinner." He lets out a long breath. "I knew you were my right person from the moment that you knocked on my door that night." He points to his chest. "I felt you in here. I felt your presence embed itself into my soul."

The tears start up again but this time they taste sweet against my lips.

"I love you, Leila." His hazel eyes bore into mine. "I love you so much that I cannot imagine going another day without making you mine."

He opens the box and my jaw drops.

"Just as I want you to be in my life forever, I want you to know that I will also be yours. I will be devoted to you and I will protect you with all of my being." He gets down on one knee. "Leila Marie Spencer, will you please put me out of my misery and officially become mine?"

I cover my mouth, unsure of what will come out of it. All of the heartache and gut-wrenching thoughts fly out of my mind until I can only nod my head rapidly.

Relief floods his features as he puts on the ring much quicker than I would have been able to in my state of shock. He pulls me down into his arms and kisses me with every intention of loving me unconditionally. I kiss him back with the same energy.

He loves me. He loves me! He bared his soul to me while I sat there silently. He didn't wait for me to put my heart on the line first or to validate his feelings as he spoke. Maybe he knew that would be asking too much to ask me to reciprocate his thoughts. Especially after what happened tonight. He took that first leap and said everything that I felt in my heart.

"Oh, Leila," He pulls back and runs his hand through my hair. "I was terrified of losing you."

I lick my lips. "Ethan, I love you so much. I don't know how I would have had the strength to walk away."

He stares down at my lips. "You love me?"

"Ethan, I am completely yours. I love you so much it hurts sometimes."

He kisses me softly. "Baby, I will make sure you don't hurt ever again."

I grin slightly. "Maybe not emotionally."

He matches my grin. "Definitely." He pulls me closer and runs his nose along my neck. "You will absolutely have to pay for ruining your own engagement proposal."

I giggle and then sigh. "How was it supposed to happen?"

"I had plans to take you on vacation. Closer to springtime. We were supposed to be happy and you were supposed to only cry tears of joy." He kisses me. "I'm sorry I hurt you, little one."

I stare down at his chin. "Was meeting with Vera worth it?"