The Apartment (An Apartment Novel Book 1)

by Amanda Black

  She knew without a doubt that if she had gone to high school with him, he would have been the golden boy that she always fantasized about but never had the nerve to speak to.

  “Hey Lily,” Maggie said, draining the last of her wine. “What do you say I give you a proper tour of the house?”

  “Okay, sure.” She handed the album off to Emma, who was still being cuddled by her tipsy mother, and followed Maggie out of the room.

  “Let’s start at the top and work our way down, shall we?”

  Maggie led her up to the third floor first, pointing out a guest room that was lavishly decorated, followed by another room that had the door closed. “That’s Ethan’s old room. He still uses it from time to time, but Barbara redesigned it a while back. It’s really lovely now, no cheesy old trophies and pennants like the ones my husband refuses to pack away. I’d show you, but he gets really moody when people mess with his things.”

  “I understand,” Lily whispered, feeling her eyes drawn to the closed door, as if it held some long-hidden secrets about her beautiful stranger. “He seems like he gets moody easily,” she added, still unable to shake off the effect of his antics over dinner.

  “Yeah,” she sighed. “That’s just Ethan. I have no idea why he was being such a prick to you earlier, but I’ve known him since he was a teenager, and he was always a moody little shit. He’s very sweet deep down, but it takes a while for him to warm to anyone. Shit, he still barely knows Brandon, and he’s been married to Emma for almost eight years now.”

  “Wow, don’t they get along?” Brandon seemed like a perfectly likable guy from what she could tell.

  “No, that’s not it. You have to actually know someone to not get along with them. They’ve barely spoken more than a few times.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, Ethan’s been gone for so many years, I don’t think he’s ever made time for it. And he’s been so preoccupied with his nasty breakup lately that I doubt anything else has seemed very important to him yet.”

  Lily stopped in her tracks. “His… breakup?” She vaguely remembered Barbara telling her something at the hospital about her other son recently ending a bad relationship, but she had barely been paying attention at that moment, eager to flee the scene of so much heartache.

  “Yeah,” Maggie frowned. “About a month ago now, maybe a touch longer. I guess it was really ugly,” she whispered, as if they weren’t completely alone in the hallway. “I don’t know all the particulars and he isn’t sharing yet, at least not with me. I get the feeling that he told Eric some stuff, and I’ve been itching to pry it out of him. Anyway, I guess that explains why he was such a grouchy fucker tonight. I’m sorry you got caught in the crossfire.”

  “I guess I understand,” Lily said, not really understanding at all.

  “You know, it’s funny, I was actually thinking of trying to set you two up sometime, before you told me about your little situation. How’s that going, by the way?”

  “Oh, it’s still going—I think.” Lily wanted to laugh at the circumstances that had led her to that moment in time, having a conversation about her secret lover with said secret lover’s sister-in-law. “I haven’t really had the chance to make any major changes yet, though. But I hope to soon.”

  “Well, I hope it all works out for you. You deserve some happiness.” And then Maggie did something completely unexpected. She hugged her.

  Lily was surprised to find herself blinking back tears.

  “Okay, that’s enough sappy girl time,” Maggie teased. “Let’s go downstairs.” They went back down another level, Maggie pointing out rooms as they walked by. “That’s Emma’s old room, they stay there whenever they visit, and of course you remember the football hall of fame that is our room. Richard and Barbara sleep down there at the end of the hall.”

  They continued down the hall until they reached a back stairway, which led them down into the kitchen. Maggie chattered away happily as they walked into the room, not paying any attention to the men who were still scraping and washing the dishes. Lily tried to concentrate on what she was saying, but she couldn’t help noticing when Ethan straightened up and spun around, tracking her movements like a hawk. She felt his eyes boring into her back as they crossed the room, stopping at yet another door.

  “Now this,” Maggie paused for dramatic effect as she opened the door. “This has been my favorite room since I first came home with Eric to visit.” She started down yet another set of stairs into what had to be the basement. At the bottom, there was simply a small area with a fancy washer and dryer set and a folding table set up next to a drying rack.

  “The laundry room?” Lily said, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.

  “No silly, through here.” She opened a door to the left that Lily just assumed was for storage, and when they both walked through it she could barely keep her mouth from hanging open in shock.

  It was an enormous rec room that spanned the entire length of the house, complete with a pool table, an air hockey table, a pinball machine, and three full-sized arcade games. There was an area set up for watching movies, along with about three different gaming systems.

  “Oh my God!” Lily said, feeling lightheaded as she took it all in. “I thought they played video games upstairs. Why would they bother when this is down here?”

  “Well, that’s just for killing time. This room… this is for getting serious. When we hang out down here, we can go missing for days. That’s why the kids lucked out and inherited the room from Richard. Barbara got tired of him never leaving his man cave.”

  “This is Dr. Foster’s?”

  “It was, but he would spend long hours at the hospital and then every waking hour down here when he was home. Barbara can only handle so much air hockey before she starts yelling. Once the kids hit high school she convinced him to hand it over, thus skyrocketing them into superstardom for the best parties practically overnight.”

  “Wow. I just… I could never imagine having this kind of stuff at my disposal growing up.”

  “Yeah, it’s a lot to take in at first. When I first met Eric I was worried that his family was going to be a bunch of stuffy, rich pricks, but they sooo aren’t!”

  “I know, they are so sweet,” Lily agreed, turning to look at her hostess. “You all are.”

  Maggie blushed slightly before socking her on the arm. “Hey, don’t get all mushy on me, Blake. I am fully prepared to beat your ass at any game here.”

  “Oh, bring it!” Lily laughed, and it was the best she’d felt all day. “I haven’t played air hockey since college, but I’m sure I remember enough to send you home crying.”

  The gleam that ignited in Maggie’s eyes at Lily’s words was almost scary. “Oh, it is fucking on!” She started to walk across the room toward the machine in question, only to be interrupted by Eric’s voice at the top of the stairs.

  “Baby!” he called down, making them both jump.

  “What?” she yelled back, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

  “What’s the best container for all of this lasagna?”

  “Jesus, Eric, ask your mother!”

  “I can’t. Emma said she fell asleep on the couch.”

  “Then ask Emma!” she huffed.

  “Are you kidding me? I want to store leftovers, not give them a makeover.”

  “Ugh, fine!” she snapped before turning back to Lily. “I’m sorry. I better get up there before he finds a way to blow up the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”

  “Of course, take your time,” Lily said, still laughing at their exchange.

  “Okay, feel free to check out anything you like while I’m gone. They’re all rigged to play for free, so you don’t need any quarters.” She disappeared through the door and stomped loudly up the stairs.

  Lily made her way over to the pinball machine, laughing when she noticed that it had a cheesy, dated vampire theme. There was a large black coffin inside that looked as if it popped open to let the ball drop down into it for
extra points, as well as little bats that lit up when they were hit. She’d always loved playing pinball on the few occasions when her mother would let her go to the arcade while they were shopping at the mall, so she eagerly stepped up and started a game.

  The moment she heard the dinging bells and saw the flashing lights, Lily was transported back to her childhood, a time when things were so much simpler. She didn’t have to care about things like broken hearts and responsibility; she only had to be a kid and have fun. Granted, that hadn’t lasted very long since her mother had turned into a bigger kid than she’d ever been, with her multiple marriages and selfish behavior, but it still made for fun memories.

  A few minutes into her game, she heard light footsteps descending the stairs behind her. Without looking back, she called out to Maggie, “Man, I hope you brought your A-game today. I am on fire!”

  “And I hope you can explain yourself,” a deep, velvety voice said from right behind her, causing her to jump nearly a foot off the ground before spinning around, clutching her chest to keep her pounding heart from bursting through it.

  “Goddammit!” she gasped. “Was that absolutely necessary?” She avoided making eye contact with him by looking over his shoulder, afraid of being swayed by his unearthly beauty.

  “I don’t know, was it absolutely necessary to show up at my fucking house with my fucking family?” The venom that fueled his words finally made her cave and look at him, not understanding why so much anger was directed at her.

  “Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean? You act like I planned this whole embarrassing evening!”

  “I don’t know, did you?”

  Suddenly so furious that she couldn’t even think straight, Lily raised her hand to slap him, only to have him catch it in midair.

  “I don’t think so, princess,” he growled, pinning her back against the pinball machine with his body. “You already got away with that once. Do it again and I’ll slap you back.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Do not fucking push me tonight. I really don’t know what I’m capable of.” His gaze dropped to her lips quickly before shooting back up to her eyes. “Now. Explain yourself.”

  “Why are you so angry with me?” Lily whispered, trying hard to focus on anything but how good and solid his body felt against hers.

  “How would you feel if your dad rolled up one night for dinner at the diner with me sitting in his car next to him? Wouldn’t that make you feel just the tiniest bit blindsided?”

  “Of course it would, but you can’t possibly think that I planned this!”

  “I don’t know what the fuck to think anymore!” he snarled, now only inches from her face.

  “Oh, stop being ridiculous! I had no way of knowing that was your family. I met Maggie at work, and she’s the one who wanted me to hang out with them. Last night was the first time we ever went out, and if you’ll remember, I left early to find you!”

  “That may be so, but I don’t like this one fucking bit.” Ethan looked down at her again, letting his eyes roam more freely. “I don’t want you hanging out with them anymore.”

  “Well, that’s not your decision to make, now is it? They’re my friends, and I like them!”

  “I can’t handle it!” he growled again, forcing himself even closer.

  “Just what is it that you can’t handle? That your dirty little secret is around to rub your nose in the fact that you aren’t exactly devastated about your breakup like they all think?”

  “That is none of your fucking business!” he hissed through his teeth, grabbing her by the arms roughly. “And that’s not what I can’t handle!”

  “Ethan, stop! You’re hurting me!”

  He froze, easing his grip but not letting go. “Say that again.” It was a harsh whisper, like a dying man in the desert begging for water.

  “You’re hurting me?” she asked, not understanding what he wanted.

  “No.”

  “Ethan?”

  With a loud groan he pulled her to him, crashing his mouth down on hers. His hands were everywhere at once, roaming over her body before settling in her hair, holding her head in place while he ravaged her lips with his own. He reached down and grabbed her ass, gripping it tightly before lifting her up and setting her on the pinball machine, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  Lily could feel him, hard and pulsing against her wet heat. She wanted to stay angry, she wanted to yell, but none of that could top how much she wanted him inside her at that moment.

  He kissed his way down her neck, licking and biting as he ground himself against her. “I can’t handle how much I need you,” he panted against her skin. “It’s too much,” he groaned. “It’s all too much! I can’t take wanting you like this in front of them, too!”

  “Shh,” Lily whispered soothingly, running her fingers through his hair. “Don’t think about that right now. We’ll sort it out somehow. Just fucking kiss me!”

  He complied happily, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth before flicking the tip of his tongue against her mouth, probing for entrance. She opened hungrily, swirling her tongue with his, tasting his need. Ethan shoved his hand in her hair again, holding her to him tightly while letting his other hand cup her bottom so he could pull her into his thrusts as he swallowed her moans.

  They heard Maggie’s voice before the sound of her feet on the stairs.

  “Eric, just figure it out! I helped you with over half of it. You and Brandon are big boys, I’m sure you can finish the rest. Now hurry up and get down here so you can watch me kick Lily’s ass.”

  They both froze, staring at each other in a moment of panic. Looking down at the tangled mess they were in, they jumped apart quickly, but not before Ethan whispered in her ear, “To be continued.”

  Ethan ran over to the other side of the room and started up the PlayStation while Lily resumed her pinball game. They both did their best to steady their breathing, and Ethan was grateful that he could sit down to hide his blatant arousal.

  “Okay, Lily, sorry about that,” Maggie apologized as she walked in the room, stopping in her tracks when she noticed there was someone else with them.

  “Oh, Ethan. I didn’t know you were down here. I thought you snuck out and went home.”

  “No, thought I’d play a few rounds before I took off.”

  She looked back and forth between them for what felt like an eternity. Lily was positive that she was doing a mental checklist of everything about them that was disheveled, but she simply shrugged and walked over to the air hockey table, turning it on.

  “So Lily, are you ready to feel the pain?”

  “Uh… absolutely.” She tried her hardest to sound excited, hoping that it didn’t come off as awkward as it felt.

  For the next two hours, Lily was subjected to numerous competitions. Once Eric, Brandon, and Emma finally joined them it became all-out war. They played pool, darts, Donkey Kong, Rampage—just about anything they could turn into a battle. There were one-on-one bouts as well as team matches, and they even whined enough that Ethan agreed to play a few with them.

  Aside from the initial awkwardness of almost being caught grinding with her new friends’ brother on a pinball machine, it was the happiest two hours of Lily’s life.

  When she noticed that Ethan was beginning to signal her when the others weren’t looking, she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what he wanted. He nodded toward the clock on the wall and raised his eyebrows at her, willing her to understand.

  “Oh! Is that the time? I really need to get going, guys. I’m sorry.” It was a horrible performance, but probably the best of Lily’s life.

  “Aw, really?” Eric whined. “I wanted a rematch!”

  “Next time, I promise.”

  “I should probably get going, too,” Ethan piped up as Lily headed to the door. They all said their goodbyes, everyone hugging Lily tightly before releasing her.

  “We’ll walk you out,” Maggie said, dragging Eric alon
g with her behind them.

  “Oh, you don’t need to do that. I can find my way.”

  “Nonsense. You’re my guest, and I insist.”

  They made their way up through the kitchen and out the front door, saying their goodbyes to Richard as they passed, asking him to thank Barbara once she woke up. When they reached the front steps, Lily thanked them again profusely for inviting her, hugging them both one more time. Ethan kept walking, barely acknowledging any of them with only the slightest of nods as he got in his car.

  “I’m going to call you about that weekend in Chicago,” Maggie called after Lily as she walked to her Oldsmobile. “Don’t think I’ll forget.”

  “Good, I can’t wait. I think it sounds like fun.” She gave them a final wave before hopping in her car, following Ethan out of the driveway.

  * * *

  Maggie stood with her hand behind Eric’s back and her head on his shoulder, both of them watching as the vehicles traveled farther away from the house.

  “So,” she sighed, “do you think they’re even going to bother taking different directions, or just race each other straight to his place to screw?”

  “Oh, definitely race,” Eric chuckled, stroking her arm lovingly before kissing the top of her head.

  Chapter 25

  “What the hell was all of that about?” Lily barked at Ethan as she slammed her heavy car door after pulling up next to him in the lot behind the apartment building.

  “Inside,” was all he said, not even looking back at her as he crossed the alley to the dimly lit door. When he reached it he held it open wide, turning to face her with an exaggerated, sarcastic bow. “After you, my dear.”

  “Very cute,” she mumbled under her breath as she passed him, unable to decide whether to slap him or kiss him. The moment he closed the door behind them she spun around and faced him. “Okay, spill it. Why the hell were you so shitty to me at dinner? In front of everyone!”