“I meant is it an emergency? The only reason I answered is because this is the third time you called. I’m busy right now. I can’t talk.”

“To me,” he said, stating the obvious. “Because I’m guessing you’ve been on the phone all this time talking with someone else.”

“Yes, I have someone on the other line, and unless this is an emergency, which clearly it’s not, then I gotta get back to him.”

“Who you talking to? Gabe?”

“No,” she said, refusing anything more.

“Then who?”

“That’s none of your—”

“Ella,” he cut in raising his voice. “Please tell me that isn’t Felix on the other line.”

She didn’t say anything, and she was ready to click back over to Felix because she could already tell this was about to get ugly—he’d never change.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Ella!”

She clicked back to Felix before Grayson could go on but was annoyed that he’d had managed to rattle her. “Hey,” she said softly. Her heart rate had picked up a little, and she hoped Felix wouldn’t notice her sudden unease.

“That was fast,” he said, a little too seriously, and she wondered if maybe he was getting tired. “I take it that wasn’t an emergency.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“But he called three times? You mind me asking who he is?”

Okay, maybe he wasn’t tired, but his tone sounded more annoyed now.

“That was Grayson,” she said simply.

He was quiet again as he had been when she mentioned this was the third time he’d called, and she wondered now why the hell had she mentioned that. She was certain he hadn’t even noticed she’d had a call coming in the first two times.

“You still talk to him a lot?”

“Not as much as we used to. It’s why I wanted to take the call just now. He never calls that many times in one night, so I just wanted to check to see if everything was okay.”

“Hmm” was all he said.

There was another long pause from Felix, and Ella had just removed all doubt. She was an idiot. Not only had she mentioned Grayson calling three times tonight, but now she’d just confirmed it wasn’t for any other reason than how much he wanted to talk to her.

“I guess this makes for a perfect intro to bring up something I’ve been meaning to ask you about,” Felix began. Ignoring her other line that was beeping again, Ella lay back on her bed, bringing her hand over her eyes, and braced herself. “I know you’re not sure about this yet, and I’ll give you as much time as you need, but being that every time I talk to you, every moment I’m around you now, and every time I kiss your lips, Ella, I fall harder, is there something I should know about your relationship with Grayson before I’m in too deep?”

Hating how the angst over this unexpected new topic took from the swelling of her heart, Ella glanced at the clock again. She’d already told him earlier that tomorrow was her only morning all week to sleep in. She had no excuse for having to get off the phone anytime soon. This two-hour call was about to get a lot longer.

Chapter 11

Felix

From the moment she’d clicked over to take the other call, Felix had been on his feet. Her mentioning it was the third time he’d called had Felix sitting up from his comfortable resting position on his bed. And even though he’d mentioned her being on the other line had been quick, it’d actually felt like a fucking eternity.

Asking her who it was who had felt it necessary to call three times had been pointless. His gut had told him who it was the moment she’d mentioned it was the third call from the same guy. Felix had refrained from asking her anything further about Grayson since that first meeting in the stairwell because he hadn’t wanted to ruin the good times they’d been having. But one thing he’d picked up on from this guy since day one was that, even though she was through with him, Grayson was hardly over her. The day he’d showed up the way he had, forcing her to jump into the squad car with him to avoid a confrontation, was further confirmation. Now this.

He paced as he waited for Ella’s response and hoped she’d be as detailed as she’d begun to be when she told him a little bit about Grayson at the blood drive. Felix ground his teeth now, remembering the frustrating interruption.

“I have no relationship with Grayson aside from trying to keep things amicable.”

“Amicable,” he said, trying not to sound as irritated as that made him. “Like jumping in his car if he ever sees you so much as hanging with another guy?”

“No.” She sighed. “That won’t be happening again. I already told him I won’t put up with that, and he promised he wouldn’t do anything like that anymore. I probably didn’t even have to get in with him that day. I just panicked.”

Felix stopped pacing, feeling a different kind of unease, one that had him fisting his hand. “Are you afraid of him, Ella?”

“No!” she said too quickly.

“The day of the blood drive you said he’d changed. What did you mean? No, you know what?” He reached for his phone charger and plugged it into his phone then lay back down on his bed though he had a feeling the way he was feeling he’d be up on his feet again. “Why don’t we back up a little? Was Grayson your first serious boyfriend?”

“No,” she said softly.