The Law of Attraction Read Online Free PDF Page A

still. In the darkness he thought he’d felt a connection, a momentary tenderness that made him hopeful. Now, in the cold light of day, he felt foolish and cursed his overactive imagination.
    Ed gritted his teeth and took a deep breath before replying. “No worries. I need to head to the gym anyway, and I have lunch plans.”
    Nobody liked to feel utterly disposable, and the offer of a cup of tea or coffee would have softened the rejection a little. This was exactly why Ed didn’t do one-night stands anymore, because on the odd occasion he had in the past, he always felt crap about it in the aftermath. No matter how good the sex was, it wasn’t worth feeling like shit the next morning. Even when you parted on good terms, there was something uncomfortable about the whole morning-after disconnect after spending a night with someone.
    Ed pulled his T-shirt over his head and sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks and shoes. The sheets were rumpled and smelled of sex. The memory of Alec thrusting between his thighs assaulted him, their bodies wrapped close as Alec kissed his neck and shoulders, over and over. The intimacy of that moment seemed a million miles away now, and Ed fleetingly wondered if he’d dreamed it. He pushed the images away and stood. “I’ll let myself out.”
    Alec was still buttoning his shirt. “Okay, sure.” He looked up and met Ed’s gaze.
    There was a flash of something in his dark eyes. Regret—or discomfort? Ed didn’t give a fuck right then. He just wanted to get out of there and get home so he could wash Alec off his skin.
    “Goodbye, then.” Ed suppressed the ridiculous British instinct to say thank you. Thank for sucking my cock, thank you for fucking me, thank you for three amazing orgasms… but fuck you for making me feel like nothing in the morning .
    Alec’s lips curved in a poor attempt at a smile. “Bye.” His eyes gave nothing away.
    That was it, then. Goodbye. Not even a half-hearted “See you around.” Ed had been given the brush-off plenty of times before. He didn’t know why he was letting Alec get to him any more than usual. Somehow Alec had fooled him into thinking there was something special there during those stolen moments of intimacy in the darkness, but maybe it had all been in Ed’s head? There was certainly nothing to show for it this morning.
    Ed turned on his heel and walked away. As he let himself out of Alec’s flat, he resisted the childish urge to slam the door behind him—but only just.
     
     
    Ed called Fiona as soon as he got on the Tube.
    “I’m on my way home. Can we go out for breakfast? I’m starving and I need to be spoiled.”
    “Oh dear,” she said sympathetically. “Morning-after blues?”
    “Something like that, yeah.”
    “Okay. I’ll see you back here soon, and then we can go out and you can tell me all about him.”
     
     
    Fiona sat curled up on the sofa with a mug in her hands when Ed let himself into the flat they shared. They’d been flatmates during their time at university, but then Ed had moved to Manchester for two years to complete his training with a firm there. When he came back to London last month after spending a few months travelling abroad, he’d needed somewhere to live while he took some temp jobs and applied for something permanent in the area he wanted to work in. He’d slept on Fiona’s sofa for while, but then her other flatmate got a job in Birmingham, so Ed had moved back in officially.
    She studied him over the rim of her mug. “You look like something the cat dragged in.”
    “Good morning to you too. Is that coffee?”
    She rolled her eyes and offered it to him. “Have it. I’ll make myself some more.”
    “Thanks. You’re an angel, Fi.” Ed came and took the mug. He sat beside her and gulped it down in a few grateful swallows. It was delicious: the real thing, not crappy instant stuff, the perfect temperature, and exactly what he needed.
    “I know.” Fiona leaned in