Vanessa's POV
I pulled him out of my mouth almost immediately, thin lines of saliva still connecting us as I wiped the corner of my lips with the back of my hand. My voice came out low, filled with annoyance.
"Are you expecting someone?"
Ansel shook his head, his brows together in confusion. "No….no one should be coming."
Then who the hell was that?
My jaw clenched. Of course, of course, someone had to show up now. Just when I finally had him all to myself. Every time I was alone with him, something or someone always had to come in and spoil it. Like the universe was mocking me. Testing me.
The knocks came again. This time Louder and sharper.
Even more persistent.
Whoever it was...wasn't planning on leaving.
Ansel stood straight quickly, tension moving through his body as the knocks grew more aggressive.
"Get up," he muttered, already pulling me to my feet.
He looked around fast, eyes scanning the cramped space of his one room apartment. With only a second thought, he moved me toward the bathroom, the only place out of direct view.
His shower.
I rolled my eyes hard and was visible. Of all places.
I had always hated this apartment. It was small and very suffocating. A single room barely big enough to breathe in, let alone live. No dining space, no wardrobe I would even move my clothes in, not even a proper mirror. Just one sad couch, a creaky bed, and walls that clearly showed "on a budget."
It felt like someone's hiding place. Someone trying to survive, not live.
Still, I let him push me into the bathroom. Into the damn shower.
I reluctantly stepped inside, my heels soundingsoftly against the tile, and I pulled the curtain just slightly enough to see.
I folded my arms, looking around.
This better be worth it.
Ansel struggled, nearly falling over himself as he struggled to pull on a pair of shorts. The sight would've been funny if I wasn't already irritated beyond reason. He leapt to the door, cursing silently, under his breath as he tried to make the waistband.
I stayed hidden behind the curtain, arms crossed, lips in a thin line, visibly annoyed.
Then the door slowly open.
And to my absolute irritation, I heard the happy voice of a woman, a familiar and far too comfortable one.
"Hi, morning, Ansel! I brought you cookies and milk," she chirped, her voice echoing around the walls, "for helping me out the other time!"
I could hear Ansel sigh a breath of relief and then followed by a polite laugh.
"Oh..uh, thanks. That's really kind," he said, his tone softening. "Appreciate it."
There was a pause, then the sound of the door closing lightly and then their small talk..
He was smiling. I could see it.
I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt.
Cookies and milk?
Seriously?
Who the hell shows up uninvited, early in the morning, with cookies?
I shifted in the cramped shower space, fuming quietly.
This morning couldn't go fast enough.
Ansel burst into laughter, the sound of his laughter echoed around the place, as he waved his overly friendly neighbor off and closed the door behind him.
The moment the lock made the click sound, I stormed out of the shower, fury clearly pulsing through me.
"What the hell was that?" I snapped, my hands waving in frustration. "Why the hell did she bring cookies? Why did that have to interrupt us in the first place?"
He placed the"stupid cookie box on the couch and raised up his hands like I was a wild animal he was trying to calm.
"Hey, hey, hey," he said, walking towards me slowly with that smirk of his, "nothing's ruined. We can get back to…. What we were doing."
He leaned In and kissed me,soft at the beginning, like he was trying to reignite whatever we left.
And damn it, it worked.
He was right. Nothing was ruined. We could still have this. I could still have this.
I wrapped my arms around his back, pulling him in deeper, returning the kiss with more hunger, ready to dive right back into the moment we lost.
But then…..Buzz. Buzz.
A phone. Not his this time. Mine.
Again, we were Interrupted.
I glanced down at the screen. Leah. Of course.
I rolled my eyes so hard it nearly gave me an ache. Her timing was always good, ruining things I actually wanted.
I ignored the call and turned back to Ansel, my lips ready to kiss him again. To finish what should've happened.
But he pulled back slightly. "Who is it?"
I groaned. "It's just Leah."
I moved in again, trying to recapture the mood we had lost, but he backed away more this time, a small frown forming into his expression.
"Answer it," he said firmly.
My lips formed a thin line. I didn't want to. Whatever she wanted could wait.
But Ansel stepped backward completely, his arms crossing over his chest.
With a loud frustrated sigh, I picked up the phone and pressed it to my ear.
"Hey, Leah," I said sweetly, going back into my carefully practiced voice. The one that always made me sound calm, innocent, like I didn't just have his dick in my mouth ten minutes ago.
"Hey, Vanessa," Leah's voice chirped through the phone, too chirpy for this early in the day. "Ace is around. He came in like, minutes ago."
I rolled my eyes again, to myself. And?
But then she added, "And, Vanessa...there's a big surprise for you."
I paused. My fingers gripped the phone a bit harder.
I forced excitement into my voice. "Really?"
"Yeah! You have to come now," she said, still with that fake energy that made me want to slap the phone out of my own hand.
I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave this, to leave Ansel, the tension, the heat. We had barely even gotten started, I had so much I wanted to get out of him this morning.
But what choice do I have?
"Alright," I said, trying to hide the irritation in me. "I'm on my way."
She chirped something on the other end, something like "yay!" before I ended the call.
I was visibly frustrated as I slowly lowered the phone.
Just like that...the moment ruined, again.
I looked back to Ansel.
He didn't ask. He didn't have to.
He had heard everything. He saw it in my face.The frustration and the silent goodbye.
He knew we weren't going to finish what we started. Not this time.
I walked close to him slowly and I leaned in and gave a kiss to his lips. It was slow…..bitter and Sad.
"I have to go," I whispered, barely enough for him to hear.
He didn't stop me.
I gathered my things, my bag, my shoes and went toward the door, moving like someone being pulled away.
Just as I opened the door, I spoke under my breath, not sure if he even heard me,
"Fate must really hate us."
Because every time we tried to build something,
Something always tore it apart.