[Complete]
Chloe's world is shattered when her parents' long-standing marriage comes to an abrupt end. Determined to shield herself from the pain of love, she vows to never allow her heart to be entangled, even if it means severing ties with Henry...
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I've been staring at my laptop screen for the past twenty minutes, attempting to focus on answering emails, but my mind keeps drifting back to the other night. To Chloe's body pressed against mine, the intoxicating taste of her skin on my lips, and the sensation of her delicate body in my hands, almost as if she were made of silk. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to resist the temptation to pull her inside my house that night.
I swear to God, if I don't stop thinking about her, I'm going to have a fucking hard-on sitting here in front of this smoothie shop.
"S-sir?" a voice suddenly interrupts my thoughts, jolting me back to reality. I glance to the side, finding a waitress holding a tray of coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
"Yes?" I reply, trying to discreetly adjust my crotch to alleviate the sudden discomfort.
"I asked if you ordered a coffee and a sandwich?" She says with a polite smile.
"Oh, yes. Sorry," I say, slightly flustered, and I quickly move my laptop to make room at the table.
"Thanks," I mutter, feeling a slight flush creeping onto my cheeks as she walks away. Just as I begin to take a sip of my coffee, my phone starts ringing, and it's a FaceTime call from my mom.
I've been dodging her calls for the past week, knowing she's bound to ask about Chloe. I know, I probably should have told her we broke up a long time ago, but it's too late now. With my sister's wedding this weekend, I don't want to make it a big deal and overshadow the celebration. So it's going to have to wait, and I need to find some excuse for why she won't be coming with me to the wedding.
Taking a deep sigh, I glance at my phone and reluctantly swipe right to answer the call.
"Hey, Henry," my mother's warm voice fills the screen.
"Hi, Mom," I respond, trying my best to match her enthusiasm.
"Where are you? It looks so pretty behind you," she says, peering at the scenery through the phone.
"I'm actually at that smoothie shop you and Harper like so much. Just trying to get some work done before I leave for the wedding this weekend," I explain, trying to sound focused despite the distractions in my mind.
"Are you still planning on coming Friday afternoon?" she asks, and I nod in confirmation as I take a sip of my coffee.
"Yes ma'am, leaving in the morning. How's Harper doing with all the wedding stuff?" I ask, trying to be polite, even though I don't really care to know.
"Oh, Henry, you have no idea how chaotic it's been over the last week," she starts to say, her voice filled with exasperation. "Thank the Lord we hired that wedding planner. The chair rentals were overbooked, and now we have to rent them all the way from Nashville, and the floral company didn't order enough of the right flowers."
"Wow, that sounds... stressful, Mom," I say, running my hands through my hair, quickly regretting asking about my sister's wedding.
"I mean, do they have any idea how much Harper has been wanting those specific flowers? And on the week of her wedding!" she continues, frustration evident in her tone.
