Disclaimer: This story is NOT my original idea/story. This is based off of of the interactive story All The Wrong Reasons from an app called Chapters developed by Crazy Maple Studios. Would recommend checking it out if you have the chance. I was inspired to sort of 'rewrite' the story, similarly to the way I have with The Crown & The Flame story by Pixelberry Studios. I was reminded of some of my OC's and thought the story was quite fitting for them. The characters are copyright Crazy Maple Studios, however have been renamed after my own OC's. Not sure if I'll write the whole thing, but have already done a decent amount and thought I would share... so enjoy! Or don't. To each their own.
Side Note: I realize this isn't from Choices but from Chapters instead... I didn't see a Chapters category however and this seemed the closest fit... Sorry. _
Additional Note: May turn smutty. Will be rated M for this reason. But I'll try to keep it light.
Chapter One
It was a big day. Everything with the apartment had been finalized, the most of her stuff had been unpacked, and her best friend had come over to see her new place for the first time. Chloe Saunders couldn't have been more excited.
"I love it!" Andi squealed as she spun through the apartment before flopping onto the couch. "It fits you perfectly! Best spot in Manhattan and just a few blocks from the office. Not to mention some great bars nearby! Won't have to waste time on Tinder."
"Seriously? Tinder?" Chloe scoffed. "Andi, I think you're thinking about yourself. But you're right about one thing. This place is perfect. I don't know if I've ever been more excited. I worked really hard for this," Chloe exclaimed, a smile spread across her lips.
"Have you met the neighbors yet?" Andi inquired as Chloe took a seat beside her on the couch, tucking a leg beneath her.
"Uh-uh," Chloe said with a small shake of her head. "I just hope they are easy to deal with. Nice and quiet."
"Really?" scoffed Andi, a smile creeping at her lips. "If it were me, I think I'd want the opposite…" she said suggestively.
"Andi!" Chloe exclaimed, smacking her arm as her friend let out a laugh.
"Alright, alright. Time for the million dollar question anyway. Is your boring boyfriend going to be moving in?"
"Troy isn't boring!" Chloe snapped slightly, her smile slipping some, eyes narrowing upon her friend. It's not like Andi had ever hid her feelings about Troy before.
"Unless you're trying to say he's not boring in bed then…"
"Andi!" Chloe practically shrieked, her cheeks turning pink. "I-I… No! You know I don't mean that! I just mean… He's sweet to me. And interesting. And I love him."
"Uh-huh… Sweet and interesting huh… So you still haven't slept with him," Andi stated as a fact rather than a question.
"There is nothing wrong with taking things slow! I just… I want to make it perfect, something special and memorable."
"Right… and remind me, how long have you been waiting now? Three years?" Andi said in a way that made it seem like she might be criticizing Chloe before leaning over to put a hand firmly on her friends shoulder, expression and tone taking a serious tone. "You're a twenty-five year old virgin Chloe. There is such a thing as taking things too slow."
"What can I say…" Chloe said with an exasperated sigh, a smile playing at her lips once more. "I didn't choose the virgin life. The virgin life chose me. But really, Troy doesn't mind and I don't really see what the big deal is."
"Honestly… I don't understand your relationship… it's weird."
"What?"
"I just can't figure it out is all… you're dating a man who see's your sister more than he sees you."
"Andi," Chloe sighed. "We've had this conversation before. A million times really."
"When was the last time he even called you?" Andi asked, a frown pulling further at Chloe's lips.
"He… call's when he can… he's very busy is all," Chloe said, defending him as she had a hundred times before.
"Alright Chlo…" Andi said turning more toward her on the couch, straightening up some. "I'm going to play the best friend card here and get real with you. Your relationship with Troy isn't normal… You know there is a bookstore just down the street, I remember passing it on my way here. There's probably a section for DIY pleasure."
"Huh? Andi what are you going on about?" Chloe asked as Andi raised a brow, a smirk pulling at her lips as it slowly dawned on Chloe. "Andi! Jesus Christ… Yeah, right… thanks so much for that GREAT advice."
"Any time!" Andi laughed as her friend's cheeks were nearly bright enough to match a tomato.
"How about you!" Chloe asked to quickly change the subject. "Have you found mister right yet?"
Andi let out a little sigh with that. "You know what they say… all the good ones are either taken or gay."
"Oh come on. I'm sure you'll find a great guy," Chloe exclaimed.
"Like Adam," Andi said with a dreamy sigh.
"Adam?"
"Don't play dumb, you know who I'm talking about!"
"It's hard not to…" Chloe grumbled slightly. "Seriously do you ever talk about anything else?"
"Adam Creed…" Andi said with another dreamy sigh as though she hadn't heard her friend. "The heir of Creed industries. His father's a steel and mining tycoon you know. One of the richest men in the world…"
"Ooohh. Him," Chloe said as though she were just learning about him. "Hey, the gossip about the office is that he's working for the magazine now? Any idea why?"
Andi gave a little shrug. "People like him… super rich, graduated from Harvard… they have basically everything. He probably just got bored and needed a hobby. Does it really matter? Oh my God, he is soooo dreamy."
"Wake up Andi!" Chloe said, snapping her fingers in front of Andi's face. "Even if he is God's gift to woman, as your best friend, I must advise you to run the other way. I mean come on! He's a playboy!"
"I wouldn't mind being his play toy."
"Andi!"
"Chloe, you only live once. You gotta do what makes you happy; that's my motto."
"It's not a bad motto… perhaps you're right…" Chloe sighed, her gaze drifting off thoughtfully for a brief moment before Andi pulled her attention back.
"Of course I am. Anyway. Enough talk! Let's get to drinking. A toast to your new apartment… and to me becoming Adam's next toy!" Andi exclaimed as she pulled forward the bottle of champagne she had brought.
"I might drink to that," Chloe laughed lowly.
"Of course you will! Don't be a party-pooper," Andi said, focus on the bottle as she attempted to open it.
"I'm not a party pooper!" Chloe exclaimed, narrowing her eyes.
"Please," Andi huffed, glancing up. "If I let you choose, you would spend your day probably organizing a book shelf and call it a party."
Chloe remained silent a moment, studying her friend as she attempted to open the bottle, a little frown at her lips.
"Maybe we should save that for when Stephan come's over too…" Chloe said, biting lightly at her lip. She expected more of an argument from her friend but to her surprise, Andi stopped trying to open the bottle.
"Probably a good idea. He's already going to be so jealous that I got to see the place before him."
Chloe smiled at that. It was true. Stephan wouldn't be very pleased with that. Before she could say anything though she heard her phone ring. Jumping up she nearly tripped as she scrambled across the room to answer it.
"It's Troy!" she exclaimed happily, glancing over to her friend at the couch. "Do you mind if I…?"
With a little huff, Andi casts her an almost mocking look, not seeming the least bit surprised. "Okay… Congrats again though! We'll talk soon. Later bestie," she says, setting the champagne on the coffee table and heading for the door, pausing to give Chloe an exuberant little hug before leaving. The moment the door closed behind her friend, Chloe answered the phone.
"Hey you!" she said cheerily.
"Hi babe, how are you?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Today? Or in the last couple weeks?" Chloe asked, unable to help herself. There's a short pause on the line as though he's trying to decide how much to read into the comment.
"Both. I miss you."
"I miss you too," Chloe said, happy her comment hadn't spurred an argument. She didn't want to fight again. "You said you were going to call last night…"
"Yeah… I'm sorry about that babe. I ended up getting busy," he says simply, leaving another pause in the conversation as Chloe waited for him to elaborate. He didn't.
"I'm sorry…" Chloe sighed slightly. "I guess I'm just a little paranoid… So when do I get to see you next?"
"Ahh… I'm not sure yet. I've been very busy these days."
"Nooo…" Chloe says slowly, a smile at her lips. "Really? Med school keeps you busy? I never would have guessed!" she giggle lightly as Troy gave a small laugh on the other end. "Really though… I'm not sure this long distance thing is so great… Maybe next weekend?"
"I'll… I'll see what I can do. I actually have another tutoring session on Saturday." Troy said sounding almost distracted.
"On Saturday?" Chloe frowned.
"Yeah. My tutor has… well her time is limited, so-"
"Her?" Chloe asked a frown pulling further at her lips. It came out before she'd had the chance to think about it. She wasn't normally the jealous type. "I'm sorry... Just… never mind. Maybe we can schedule something for next week? I'm sorry for being a little… sensitive."
"Don't worry about it honey," Troy said in his usual tone. "I know this long distance thing is rough sometimes."
"I'm… I'm sorry Troy. I didn't mean it the way it sounded… I've just been rather edgy lately," she sighed, wishing to just move on.
"Is it because you don't like the apartment?" Troy asked.
"What? No! I love the apartment," Chloe said instantly.
"It's because you're worried about the cost, isn't it? See I knew this would be-"
"What's wrong with the cost?" Chloe asked, interrupting him.
"It's just a lot of money, babe. You barely make enough to keep up with it, right?"
"I- I make enough!"
"At your current gig. But come on baby… how long is it going to last?" he asked.
"Please Troy… I'm really excited about my apartment," Chloe said softly, wishing again to find a new topic.
"Babe, I'm just concerned you jumped into this without thinking. If you get fired from the magazine, you might be forced to sell it."
"Troy… Not now. Not today. Please. The apartment is the first good thing I've had in a while. I… I've really needed something like this," she asked, pouring her desperation into her tone.
"Okay, okay. I'm glad you like it. I just hope nothing goes wrong and you get to keep it."
"Troy…"
"Look, I'll change the subject."
"Please do…" Chloe whispered, voice hoarse.
"How did your review of Blush Events and Features come out?" he asked, changing the subject as promised. But why did he have to change it to that.
"I… haven't finished it yet…" she said softly and nervously.
"Chloe! Your editor is going to kill you! Honey, if you can't manage to keep your deadlines, then there's no way you'll end up keeping your-"
Before he could finish Chloe hung up, her hands shaking and emotion churning in her stomach. With unsteady legs she drops her phone on the couch and grabs the bottle of Champaign as she crosses the room. Throwing open the balcony doors she steps out onto it, hoping the view will calm and steady her nerves. Instead, she finds herself bursting into tears.
"Hey. You okay…?"
At the sound of the strong masculine voice from somewhere nearly right beside her, Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. Spinning around with wide teary eyes her sights fell upon the balcony beside her, more specifically the hunk of a man on the balcony beside her. God, he really was gorgeous. Perfectly tanned, incredible set of abs… and bulges in all the right places. Wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats and looking like he had just rolled out of bed. Adam Creed…
"You okay?" the god like man asked again from the balcony just next door. Chloe couldn't seem to find the words to speak, tears continuing to stream from her eyes and her mouth hanging open. Adam Creed, the Adam Creed. Her neighbor was millionaire playboy Adam Creed. The man that had had Andi and Stephan going crazy for months. "Is something wrong? Are you in shock? Should I call someone?" he asked interrupting her thoughts. Was he concerned? "I don't mean to pry. It's just… you seem to be crying."
"I-I don't… I'm not… I mean I am but-" she tried to speak, finding herself on the verge of panic. Quickly she wiped at her eyes with one hand, the other still clutching the bottle. Deftly, Adam reached across the gap between their balconies, gently taking the Champaign bottle from her and providing her the chance to compose herself. He turns away to provide her with a sense of privacy and studies the label as she tries to compose herself and wipe away her running makeup.
"This is quite a good vintage…" he said casually to fill the silence that had fallen between them.
"I… I uh… I have to… I should…" Chloe stammered, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks as she seemed unable to formulate a complete sentence. In a panic she finally manages to blurt out a single word. "Goodbye!" she squeaked before running back inside and quickly closing the sliding door, heart racing as she quickly drew the blinds behind her. Despite the awkwardness of the encounter however she found a small soft smile at her lips as she walked further into her apartment.
"I'm living next to the most eligible bachelor in the city… hell, probably in the country," Chloe murmured to herself, running her hand through the dark brunette hair of her tightly done up pony tail. Letting out a little sigh she began to unbutton her top, sliding it off and dropping it over the back of the couch. What she needed was a shower. To wash off this makeup properly and to settle the jumble of nerves she seemed to have become.
Pausing in the act of reaching back to undo her pony tail, her body stiffened hearing a tap at the glass door to the balcony behind her. Her eyes wide she whipped her head around anxiously to find a rather amused looking Adam looking between the rather noticeable gap in the blinds, the Champaign bottle she had left with him in his hand. Frozen in the spot, her eyes wide, Chloe could already feel the heat of a blush drawing to her cheeks. This was not how she had imagined meeting the neighbors. This certainly wasn't a very good first impression. Did she retreat further into the apartment making any encounter with him in the future far more embarrassing, or woman up and try to correct this embarrassment now?
Swallowing the lump in her throat she quickly took her shirt from the back of the couch, sliding her arms in the sleeves and quickly wrapping it closed over her chest as she stepped back toward the balcony, drawing the glass door open and shifting anxiously, a nervous laugh escaping her throat. Despite their awkward encounters thus far, Adam held an easy smile, no judgment appearing in his gaze.
"This is too nice a Champagne to just be giving away to the neighbors," he mused, holding the bottle up between them.
"Is it?" she squeaked. "I… I don't drink it. I mean I don't drink… not usually. Hardly ever. Not hard often. Not often," she stammered, pressing her lips closed before she could continue babbling and make this worse for herself. God what was wrong with her?! Just cause he was gorgeous didn't mean he was God's gift to the world. So there was no reason for her to act.. well the way she was acting. Taking a deep calming breath she tried again. "My friend. She brought it. To… to celebrate my new place."
"Oh? Well hey new neighbor! Welcome!" the man said easily, as though talking was the most natural thing there was. Though Chloe supposed it was for most people… just not her. He appeared thoughtful for a moment before continuing when Chloe said nothing in return. "This bottle doesn't seem to be empty. Or even opened. And… well you were crying. Did something go wrong with the apartment?"
"Huh? No! No.. I… I'm going to… Well I didn't want to… I mean to say… I just… I had to cut things short. Work… Deadlines…" she stammered, as eloquent as always.
"I suppose I shouldn't monopolize your work time then."
"Yeah… I mean no! I mean… I guess if we're neighbors... you can monopolize me anytime," she muttered her eyes growing wide with the realization of what she just said. Amusement crossed Adam's face, a grin splitting his lips as he raised his brow in question. "My time! My time I mean… Later, at my convenience. I… I should…" she stuttered, stepping back slightly into her apartment, one hand moving from holding her shirt closed across her chest to close around the handle of the sliding door, ready to flee back into her apartment.
"Well then neighbor, before you go, my name is Adam," he said as casually as ever, extending a hand. Despite the fact that everyone in the city knew who he was… Chloe reaches out to take the hand he offers. But even just shaking his hand seemed to send electricity through her.
"Chloe… Nice… Nice to see you… Meet you!" she said quickly, giving his hand a quick shake before dropping it. His easy gaze drifted from her back across their balconies
"Well, Chloe… See you around," he said, making it sound like a promise as he begins to step back to the divider between their balconies.
Before she has the chance to utter another stupid word, Chloe rushed back inside to whip the curtains closed, making sure this time they closed all the way. With her apartment now shrouded and hidden, Chloe finds herself standing there reeling, her skin flushed and hot as she tried to get over the fact that her neighbor was one of the most charming and eligible bachelors in New York… And what he must think of her after her babbling display.
"So much for a neighbor who's easy to deal with…" Chloe murmured softly to herself, hand coming to her flushed cheek.