More Than A Favor (Elaine and Logan)

"It's me!" A familiar voice echoed down the hallway.

Get 5 >

= Menu

I stopped abruptly, clutching the railing for support as relief washed over me. My previously tense body finally relaxed.

Turning around, I saw Ashton standing in the dark. The unresolved tension from our earlier interaction hung heavily in the air, making the moment awkward. I didn't know what to say, so I opted to pretend I was angry instead. "You scared the heck out of me!" I snapped, more defensively than I intended.

He didn't apologize. Instead, he simply grunted-a cold and indifferent response that left me unsure of how to react.

I was about to say more, but then he added softly, "I won't do it again."

That caught me off guard. His tone wasn't apologetic, but rather sincere.

This time, I was at a total loss for words.

Without saying anything further, I fished out my keys and turned to unlock my door. Just as I inserted the key into the keyhole, his deep, low voice rang out again.

"I overstepped my boundaries tonight. I won't do it again in the future."

Huh?

I froze, stunned. Turning around, I saw him walking toward his own door. He stepped inside, glanced back at me briefly, and quietly closed the door behind him, saying, "Goodnight."

I stood there, dumbfounded. I wanted to respond, but the words stuck in my throat. It was only after the door clicked shut that I finally murmured to myself, "What do you mean by 'in the future'?"

Of course, I knew what he meant. Ashton didn't want to end our fake relationship.

But I truly didn't want to continue with the arrangement anymore. In fact, the thought of continuing scared me.

I regretted choosing Ashton as my pretend boyfriend-not because I thought he would cling to me, but because I feared hurting him.

He was a good man with no relationship experience, and I had selfishly dragged him into this mess. Worse still, I had taken away his supposedly pure and wonderful first experiences in a relationship.

I cursed myself inwardly as I entered my home, feeling utterly remorseful.

That night, I didn't sleep well. Guilt gnawed at me even in my dreams. I dreamt of Ashton following me around like a pitiful weakling, pouting and complaining, "Why did you kiss me? That was my first kiss!"

I woke up abruptly, my heart racing. The sky outside was still dark, and a glance at the clock told me it was 4:30 a.m.

Ashton was an early riser. If I was right, he was probably out jogging by now.

That meant it was the perfect time to avoid him.

I quickly got up, washed up, changed into work attire, and left the apartment. As I drove into the quiet

16:05

28.4%

tc

Get 5 >

Menu

morning light, I couldn't help but pity myself. I was living like a thief in my own home, avoiding someone who had done nothing but care for me.noveldrama

To avoid Ashton, I started leaving home early and returning late. I became a master at evading him, carefully timing my comings and goings to make sure our paths never crossed.

But each night when I returned home, I found a small, cold breakfast hanging on my doorknob.

That simple gesture only deepened my guilt.

I wanted to text him to stop, but I hesitated. What if he took it as an invitation to talk about our situation? I couldn't risk that.

Instead, I decided to ignore the breakfasts entirely. I figured that if he saw the untouched food, he would understand my stance.

By the third day, the breakfast deliveries stopped.

When I came home to an empty doorknob that evening, I breathed a sigh of relief-but deep down, I also felt a gnawing sense of disappointment that I couldn't explain.

That feeling made me curse myself even more.

It was true what they said: when love failed, work thrived. My career was progressing smoothly. I had even secured a major deal over the phone, a milestone that required an in-person meeting to finalize the details.

That morning, I ran into Alex in the pantry. He was smiling as he grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Ms. Hart," he said, his tone teasing, "I heard you've been coming to work at 6:00 a.m. lately. What's the occasion?"

16:05