Page 80 of Ripple Effect

Unknown

why have you been ignoring me?

where did you go???

A muffled sound of water echoes from my en suite bathroom, reminding me that Elio’s in the shower. A pang of guilt tinges me as I realize I’ve invaded his privacy, even if it was mostly unintentional.

But honestly, who could be so desperate to reach my boyfriend this early in the morning?

Wrapping a tiny throw blanket around my shoulders, I get out of bed, clutching his phone to my chest. Bentley follows as I patter toward the door, his nails clicking on the hardwood. A whiff of Elio’s scent envelops me, the hem of his oversized T-shirt brushing against my thighs—the only barrier between the morning chill and the bare skin of my legs.

As I near the bathroom, steam slips through the edges of the closed door. The muffled hum of water and the scent of shampoo fill the air. Swallowing hard, I knock lightly, hesitating for a split second. The water stops.

The door eases open, revealing a shirtless, dripping Elio. His skin glows, water droplets tracing the path of every well-defined muscle. And his face, so handsome and rugged, lights up with the same breathtaking smile I’ve come to adore.

“Somebody’s blowing you up,” I manage to say, stomach fluttering as I extend his phone.

His brows draw together, and he takes a moment to process my words. He pulls the phone from my hand, eyes scanning the screen rapidly, the warmth in his eyes replaced with dread.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he mutters.

My worry deepens. “What? Who is it?”

He rubs the back of his neck, looking torn. “I think it might be this subscriber of mine, Sapphire something.”

“She has your personal number?”

He scrubs a hand down the side of his face. “I swear, I don’t know how the hell she got it. Should I text her back or just block?”

I ponder for a moment. “Maybe ask how she got it first?”

He nods, texting quickly. Then, with a huff of frustration, he slams his phone on the counter. Water drips from his sopping hair down his naked chest, pooling on the tile.

“This is a whole new level of fucked-up,” he says, voice near shaking.

I frown, pressing further, “What makes you think it’s her?”

His face pales, and he gives me a resigned sigh. “She’d asked me over a month ago to try out two-way video chats. I decided not to do it, but apparently, she didn’t like my answer.”

“And what do you mean by that, exactly?”

“She went kinda overboard—messaging me constantly, creating new accounts, getting her friends involved. It felt weird—creepy, to say the least—so I blocked her and any accounts she created. I haven’t heard from her in a while, so I assumed she just went away. But I also haven’t been checking my messages that often anymore.”

“And somehow she got your phone number?” My eyes go wide. “That’s kind of scary, El.”

“Believe me, I’m well aware.”

“We’ll handle it, though,” I say, trying my best to be reassuring. “Let’s just see if she responds, and we can take it from there.”

He turns away, gripping the counter’s edge, his posture taut. His knuckles whiten, and the muscles of his neck tense, belying his effort to stay in control. “Just when everything was going so well, too.”

I move toward him, gently sliding my arms around his waist from behind. My cheek presses against the hard planes of his back, still slick and warm from the shower. I breathe him in—soap, spice, and a lingering touch of steam.

“Things are still going well,” I whisper against his skin, hoping to pull him back from the ledge. “For us, at the very least. Speaking of, why didn’t you wake me before?”

He flips around, and my arms drop to my sides. “You didn’t want the extra sleep?”

“No, that was nice,” I say shyly, a blush warming my face. “I just thought ... I mean, maybe we could have ...”

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