Addicted (A Billionaire Romance Novel) by Aubrey Michelle

through the house, he began to hear water running as he approached the hallway off of the living room.  
     
    “Audrey?” he called out.  
     
    “Audrey!” his voice boomed through the house.  
     
    Surely, she’s got to hear me, right? What in the hell is she doing? He continued walking closer to the bathroom, following the source of the running water.  
     
    “Audrey?” he said as he poked his head into the bathroom.  
     
    Walking over to the shower, he pulled back the curtain and found her.  
     
    “Oh my God!” she screamed as she flailed her arms at the intruder.  
     
    “Audrey, it’s me. It’s Chad,” he said, trying to calm her.  
     
    “Oh, God! I thought you were a burglar or something. Hold on, let me rinse this shampoo out of my eyes,” she said, closing the shower curtain.  
     
    “I’ve been trying to call you,” he yelled over the steamy shower.  
     
    “Give me just a minute, I can barely hear you,” she said, rinsing the shampoo suds down the drain.  
     
    He patiently waited for her to finish her shower.  
     
    “Thank you,” she said as he handed her the towel from the towel bar.  
     
    “What were you doing earlier? I tried calling you several times,” he said with a look of concern plastered across his face.  
     
    Drying off, she eyed him up and down. His brows furrowed as he waited for a response. She noticed that he was still in his work clothes. Usually when he got off work, he’d go home and put on a pair of lounge pants and sneakers.  
     
    “Where have you been?” she asked.  
     
    Caught off guard, he didn’t know what to say. “I asked you a question first. What were you doing? I kept trying to call you, but my calls all went to voicemail.”  
     
    “Let me get dressed and then we can talk. I’m freezing,” she said as she made her way into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.  
     
    What is up with her? She’s acting so strange, he thought. Waiting for her in the living room, she finally came out.  
     
    “I’ve been home all night. Now, where have you been?”  
     
    “What were you doing? Why didn’t you answer my calls?”  
     
    Thinking back to his lunch break and him not answering his calls, she could see that he didn’t like it when the shoe was on the other foot.  
     
    “I answered your question. I was home. Now answer mine. Where were you?”  
     
    “Audrey, is something wrong?” he asked.  
     
    She slumped down on the couch and grabbed a throw pillow, holding it tightly in front of her.  
     
    “I’d say there’s something wrong,” she finally admitted.  
     
    “What is it? Did I do something?” he asked, not fully wanting her to answer the question.  
     
    “Sit with me. I think we need to talk.”  
     
    “Oh shit. It’s never good when she says ‘we need to talk,' is it?” he tried joking with her.  
     
    She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. “Chad, I don’t know where to begin.” Tears threatened to flood her eyes.  
     
    “What do you mean? You can talk to me about anything,” he said, stroking her hair.  
     
    “You’ve been acting so different lately. Blowing me off, not answer my calls, lying to me and distancing yourself. I don’t know what to think anymore. What’s going on with us? Are you tired of me? Do I have too much baggage?”  
     
    He saw a tear roll down her cheek from the corner of her eye. It was apparent that she’d definitely picked up on the fact that something was different.  
     
    “No, Audrey, that’s silly. I do have to admit something to you, though. Ever since we dated in college, I’ve always thought of you as the one who got away. Over the years, I’ve thought about you often. Our relationship is precious, just like you.”  
     
    “You’re putting me through hell. You do realize that, don’t you? I was this close to relapsing,” she said as she held her fingers close together.  
     
    “Audrey, don’t do that. It’s not worth it,”