Page 78 of The Damaged Billionaire's Obsession

Chapter 23

Bonnie

I shut down mylaptop in my home office, my mind racing. I took today off work, as it didn’t seem appropriate to be doing an interview with another company on Acercraft’s time, even though it only lasted thirty minutes and was conducted remotely via video conference.

The interview with the team at Xi-Gen went really well, considering it’s for a more senior role than I currently have.

Salary and perks-wise, it’s not even touching what I’ve got here with Acercraft, but if I get hired, they’ll offer a decent relocation package, which includes a long acceptance period and rent-free accommodation for the first three months. I couldn’t argue with that

I was surprised when I got invited for the interview two weeks after I emailed in my application.

The first couple of days after L.A., I called in sick because I couldn't bear to face Ethan, but I made myself grow some balls and go in on the third day. I went to see Jordan that morningto tell him about applying to Xi-Gen.He assumed I was leaving because I’d finally had enough of Ethan.

To be fair, I didn’t deny it because it’s true: I am leaving because of Ethan, just not for the reason Jordan thinks.

He promised to recommend me, and he must have pulled those strings quicker than I expected because a few days later, the invite for the interview came through. Surprisingly, it left a slightly bad taste in my mouth.

Could they be that eager to get rid of me here? Or was it Ethan’s doing?

I didn’t see Ethan at all that first week after L.A., and over the past three weeks, I’ve only seen him a couple of times in team meetings.

I has gotten really hard being in the same room with him. My skin would tingle and get hot, and the sheer effort of containing my nerves and not looking at him is so exhausting.

Thankfully, he’s been out of the office a lot on business trips to Europe. That used to be Jordan’s specialty, but they appear to have switched roles now.

Running away from Acercraft seemed like a good idea at the time when I couldn’t bear the thought of facing Ethan again. Now, I wonder if I overreacted, because I do love my job. And, although it seems crazy to admit, I miss him.

I didn’t realize how much the knowledge that he was somewhere in the building comforted me, especially when working late, until recently when he hasn't been there.

During the day, work gets me busy, and with the added workload of Dreadlite, I’m sufficiently distracted from thinking about Ethan. At home in the evening, though, I miss him terribly, which is surprising because before L.A. we hardly spoke beyond discussing work.

Apart from the one night we spent together, I’ve never been in the same room with him for more than half an hour, but try telling that to my mind while thoughts of him torture me.

I’ve caught myself countless times wondering what he’s doing and who he’s doing it with, if he’s thinking about me and missing me, too.

And no matter how much I try to avoid it, I wake up slick, sweaty, and unbearably turned on from dreaming about him and that morning at the Rivoire.

It was especially hard when I got that one single text from him.

Ethan: I’m here, Bonnie. If and when you need me. You have my cell number. You can send me personal emails [email protected], or come to me anytime at 89 Newlands Hill Drive, Greenwich CT 06831.

Anytime, Bonnie.

My first reaction was irritation.

I know for a fact from Sabrina that his home is a fifteen-thousand square-foot mansion that sits on a ten-acre plot, which probably looks like heaven given what his office looks like.

Why is he sending me his address, anyway? To dazzle me with his wealth?

It then occurs to me that I don't know the man beyond what I see in the office. Is he inviting me to know more about him? I remember the pictures in his office and how he seemed like a different person with his family, and with Sabrina. I’d felt excluded upon seeing them at the time, as if I wasn’t allowed to see that side of him.

I didn’t reply to the text, but I read it and looked up his address so much that I’m sure if I ever happen to sleepwalk, I would find myself there. The text has become a virus in my brain, turning me into a freaking zombie homing-pigeon.

When Brooke had her baby, I felt selfish for panicking, because all I could think of was being in a small, non-professional bubble with him. He’s not as close with Xavier as I am with Brooke, but surely, our paths were bound to cross with frequent visits.

So far, we haven’t met at Brooke's house, even though I’ve gone there many times. Brooke only lives ten minutes away from Acercraft, so I thought I’d focus my attention on Lily Rose rather than obsessing over Ethan.

I realized my mistake by my fourth visit in a row. It was nice enough with just Brooke and Lily Rose’s nanny, when Xavier had gone out of town for a few days. That evening, as Xavier had returned, it was us three with the baby. The simmering tension and attraction between Xavier and Brooke, which I’d always felt comfortable with before, became unbearable because it made me crave Ethan more.