Chapter 355: Principles and Dealbreakers

“Quit with those terrifying ideas.”

“Good thing I moved in.”

“Yeah, but…” Ellis suddenly felt awkward. Easton might be shameless, but she still had her pride. His constant hovering already made her feel sick. Now, with someone else watching, the embarrassment skyrocketed.

“But what? Spit it out,” Maya urged.

“I can’t explain it.” Ellis couldn’t quite put her finger on why she felt so uncomfortable.

“Then how about this—you come live with me instead?” Maya suggested. “My place is way too plain for your ex. He definitely wouldn’t lower himself to stay somewhere like that.”

Maya’s place wasn’t actually bad. It just wasn’t the luxury kind Easton was used to. Guys like him, born into wealth, couldn’t handle any downgrade in lifestyle.

After weighing her options, Ellis came to a simple conclusion—she wasn’t going anywhere. Why should she be the one hiding like a rat in a sewer, just because Easton showed up? Let him cling. He wasn’t going to change anything. After everything she’d been through, she was done making the same mistakes. She’d never fall for Easton again. So if anyone had to move, it’d be him.

She raised her brows with confidence. “Who the hell is Easton? I’m not about to rearrange my life because of him.”

“Doesn’t it mess with your head, having him in your face every day?” Maya leaned in close, studying Ellis’s expression. “Aren’t you worried you’ll start softening toward him?”

“I’m almost twenty-five. Not some clueless little kid.”

She wasn’t going to soften. Easton hadn’t done anything that deserved forgiveness—in fact, he’d done plenty to make her blood boil.

“Being dumb in love doesn’t have an age limit. Doesn’t matter how old someone is—if they catch feelings again, no one can stop them.”

“I’m not stupid. I learn from my mistakes.”

“I know you’re not stupid, but…”

You couldn’t underestimate the kind of emotional damage long-term exposure could cause. Ellis and Easton living just a floor apart made everything easier—too easy. Maya was genuinely worried her best friend might forget the pain he caused and fall into the same trap again.

When Ellis saw Maya hesitate, she narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“Forget it. Don’t wanna piss you off.”

Maya didn’t want to ruin the mood by voicing a worry that might never come true. For all she knew, Ellis could end up meeting someone even better—someone who completely shut the door on Easton ever coming back into her life.

But Ellis hated half-finished conversations. She elbowed her gently.

“Come on, say it. I promise I won’t get mad.”

12:59 PM

Chapter 355: Principles and Dealbreakers

Ellis sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. A moment later, she let her hand drop and said, “You’re trying to say I might fall for him again! Please. You’re underestimating my standards.”

When she first fell for Easton, he’d been engaged to Victoria since childhood. Victoria was his official, rightful fiancée. Everything they did together had felt justified. Once they broke off the engagement and Easton was single, Ellis thought she had a real chance with him. She’d been young, naive, and completely inexperienced in love. So when she had the chance to be with the person she adored, she dove in headfirst—blind to everything else. Then Easton cheated on her—with Victoria, no less. That’s when she realized something about herself.

She had a kind of emotional OCD. It wasn’t just about loving someone who didn’t love her back. It was the fact that she’d only ever been with Easton—mind and body—and Easton had been with two women. Everything she’d done with him, he’d also done with someone else. She wasn’t even his first. Even if he hadn’t cheated while they were married, she still wouldn’t take him back. It wasn’t about being “dirty” or anything dramatic like that. She just couldn’t stand it. That deep-seated discomfort came from knowing her first everything had been Easton—but his had been Victoria. There was no balance between them. And her imagination didn’t help. Every time she thought about Easton sleeping with Victoria, she felt physically sick. Goosebumps, nausea, the works. Just that thought alone made her want to avoid all contact with him, let alone feel anything remotely like love.

She was done. Completely done.

Maya asked, “So what’s your line in the sand? Just not making the same mistake?”

“That’s part of it,” Ellis paused, looking a little embarrassed. “The other part is… I have a thing about cleanliness. I can’t deal with the fact that he’s slept with Victoria. It feels like picking up someone else’s secondhand trash.”

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