Dating Mr. CEO - Chapter 32: Chapter 32

ELROY
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. It was a look I rarely saw on her face, her cheeks were so red that they could be disguised as a tomato anytime anywhere. Her lips were rosey and pink, reminding me of the first time we kissed; back at that motel room, where I made promises I wouldn't want to keep on a normal day,  but had to.
This wasn't me.
She shouldn't get used to this rare side of me. I tend to lose myself sometimes, but when ever I recollected myself, I'd switch back to the man everyone knew.
But Fay seemed to be able to pull out that side of me.
Why?
I had always known Fay to be beautiful. Her smiles on magazines and billboards were enough to make you do a double check on them. She was classified as the angel amongst men.
During these three years of being together, I tried my best to make her reveal her true character to me, I made her hate me. But still she showed care.
I never felt guilty cause I knew she didn't like me. Our relationship was just a charade and it was bound to lead no where.
But right now, the hope in her eyes was something that scared me... She was giving in. I knew quite well that I couldn't be the man she wanted, I couldn't be the perfect boyfriend. I could try to contain my mood swings whenever I was with her, but what if one day I get tired of it all, and snap?
She'd feel hurt.
Or would she?
Just today she told Lucas she'd never let me hurt her.
Well, she said the right thing. But the look in her eyes told me she wanted this, it told me she longed for my care and affection. Something I knew I couldn't give.
"What Happened?" She asked, raising her hands to pull my hair back. "Why did you stop smiling?" She asked.
Was I smiling?
Last I checked, I had no right to smile, or even feel remotely happy. I wasn't done punishing myself for what I did.
What am I even doing?
I pulled away from her, standing up. "We should head downstairs." I said, grabbing my phone from the table, then turned away.
"El, wait." She stood up, coming to face me. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Her eyes looked sincere. I could see the concern in them... But then again, Yvonne had that look in her eyes all the time.
"Nothing, it's getting late and I'm hungry, I'll have to go to bed early cause I have a meeting with Miss Deree tomorrow."
Her eyes widened. "You have a meeting with Yvonne?"
"Yeah." I said. "It's concerning the pre merge program. You know I was merged with her company for the merge program so-"
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, of course... Why wouldn't I be?"
She blinked. "Well, I know you still have feelings for her and it might be difficult to stay in the same room with her, alone."
"I have no problem with it." I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes Fay, I am." No, I wasn't! In fact, I was already dreading tomorrow.
She nodded, pulling her hair behind her ears. I watched her attentively as she did it, there was something about that action of hers that made me stare like an idiot. She looked up at me, her eyes still shinning from the little thing we had earlier. "Let's go down then." She said.
I watched her grab her phone from the bed, making her way out of the room.
Just then, for the first time, I felt the warmness in my room leave with her; inviting the cold cloud of emptiness.
Just then and there, I knew this wasn't going to end well... For her... And most especially, for me.
___
I adjusted my tie while I examined the designs Yvonne presented. They were exceptional. It only made me wonder why I couldn't think of anything exceptional.
Raising my head, I looked up at Yvonne who looked exceptionally beautiful in her maroon coloured Halter neck gown. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, making her high cheek bones stand out. She stared at me with expectation.
But, was I going to give her the satisfaction of appreciating her work? Nope, never.
"I don't like it." I said, closing the design book and pushing it back to her direction.
Her eyes widened. "What?" She asked, disbelief lacing her words.
"I don't like the designs. They look ordinary."
"Ordinary? These designs are a master piece." She said.
"You call that a master piece? Listen Yvonne, I've been in this business longer than you can imagine-"
"I know that quite well." She said, cutting me off.
Frowning, I relaxed back on my seat. "...and, the merge program isn't a place where you show measly designs just because they looked good to you." I said, Ignoring the fact that she interrupted me.
She scoffed. "Come on El, you know how badly I want this."
"Right, so you can be nominated to show against me."
She rolled her eyes. "This is business. And for the first time, I'm entering my designs for the program. And if by chance I get to show against you at the merge program? I'd feel privileged."
"You think these designs would get you somewhere?" I asked.
"I know they well. You have no idea how much I worked for these."
I sat up. "You really want to enter into the merge program, don't you?" I asked, squinting my eyes, studying her face.
"Well, yeah... So as every other companies participating."
"Fine... Show these designs." I said, backing up.
"I would still show them even if you had disagreed. And besides, who wouldn't love to battle with Sparks? You've taken the number one position since like forever... They're so many people waiting to kick you off that spot."
"And you're one of them?" I asked with a half smirk.
She smiled sweetly. "No doubt, darling." She said. "With Fay by my side, I see no room for failure."
"You disgust me, Yvonne... Honestly, I can't believe I even dated someone like you." I blurted out.
She looked offended now. "Really? This is the card you want to pull?"
Not comfortable sitting anymore, I got on my feet, staring down at her.
"You're using Fay." I said.
"And you aren't?" She laughed. "You think I don't know what you're doing?"
I just stared.
She scoffed. "Listen El, I know you more and better than you know yourself."
"Oh really?" I asked.
She smiled, getting up from her seat, opposite me, coming around to my side.
She made herself comfortable, sitting on top my table. Crossing her legs, she flipped her pony tail back. So now we were eye to eye.
"Get off my table." I said.
"You used to love it when I sat on it... What has changed."
"I won't repeat myself."
She shrugged. "To my pleasure." She gave that small cute smile, the one I used to get lost in.
There was something about the way she looked at me. Something different.
She raised her hands to unknot my tie. "When will you ever learn to knot your tie properly? Do you want to die of suffocation?" She said, proceeding to knot it properly like she used to.
The feeling of nostalgia slapped me like the sharp wind from a very snowy winter season.
I watched her expression as she helped me put my tie back in place.
If I didn't know her better, I would think she looked sad. I would think her mind redirected her back to the time we were together.
It didn't occur to me that we had gotten really close to each other until her eyes met mine. "If you can't do it yourself, why don't you just tell Fay to help? Or you both haven't gotten there yet?"
I scrunched my brows. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not one of your fans who thinks you have a happy and steady relationship."
I raised a brow. "I know you don't love her. You're only with her because Melissa wants it."
"Look who's been stalking me." I said indignantly.
"Only your fans would think the both of you are actually happy with each other. I see beyond the smiles, El. I know you don't really like her."
I scoffed. "And how would you know that?"
"Simple, you still have feelings for me." She said with so much confidence.
"And you think that because?"
A smile pulled at her lips as she leaned in.
Our lips were just few inches apart, with one push, they'd connect.
The jump in my stomach caused my heart to increase it's pace. Damn it to hell, she still had me... And she knew it.
Her soft palm moved to cup my face, stroking my cheek.
Just when I thought she was going to kiss me, I felt her soft lips on my cheek. I clenched my jaw, shutting my eyes immediately I felt her lips on my skin.
Wild. My heart was going wild.
I should be over her, right? It's been close to three years, right? Why the hell does she have this effect on me? Just why?
Let her go. Was all I heard.
I wanted her. When she left me, I didn't accept it. There was still something, something that made me long for her presence.
I wanted to lean in further, wanted to feel her lips against mine again, but then, I snapped back to my senses.
Fay.
My eyes snapped open. I pulled away immediately, taking a few steps back to create a major distance between us. "You should leave." I found my voice after few seconds.
Her eyes was something I couldn't look at right now. I felt so weak and I hated it. I hated the way she made me feel.
I knew of the saying, no one ever forgets their first love. Yvonne was the first woman to make me feel remotely anything. She pulled me out of the darkest part of my life, nursed me to sanity and then broke me to pieces.
How the hell do I go through that?
"El-" she called softly but I cut her off.
"Please, leave." I said, my voice grew harder, as I looked up at her.
She got down from my table.
I admit now, she looked as sad as I knew I looked right now. Why was she sad? She was the one who broke things off! She had no right to look like the victim... No right.
She rounded the table, picked up her purse, then walked out.
Immediately she left, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
I can't believe I almost kissed her?
What if Fay had walked in right then and there? It would have been a disaster... A very big one.
She'd have been hurt. I would have felt guilty, truly guilty. And why? Because I knew she liked me, and because I was beginning to care about her feelings.
When did I start caring about what Fay felt?
When?