Chapter 36
“What?” I blurt out. “I can’t come with you. I have—”
“You’ll have a job there. I know you don’t have a fucking job right now.”
“But I—”
“We have a preschool in Blackmoon where you will work,” Ethan says in a commanding tone. “You and Az will be allowed to live in Blackmoon.”
The magnetic pull I feel toward him as I look at his eyes is nearly overwhelming. Part of me wants to throw myself into his arms, tell him to take me—in any way, anytime he wants. I’m tempted to just yell yes yes yes to what he’s proposing.
I won’t deny that this offer would solve a lot of my current problems. However, suddenly, the fog in my brain clears, and I begin to remember why this madness won’t work.
“Ethan, there are so many reasons this won’t work that I don’t even know where to begin with.” I sigh in defeat, avoiding his eyes.
“What does it matter?” Ethan says, and I lift up my eyes to meet his. His brows are frowned.
“What does it matter?” I repeat his question. “What does it matter?” I repeat, more harshly this time. My hands ball into angry fists at my sides.
I walk past him and toward the stove because I don’t want to look at him. I just can’t. “You cheated on your girlfriend, wife, or whatever she is to you with me, Ethan. That’s so horrible of you.”
“What the fuck—”
He tries to talk, but my voice is loud and firm, interrupting him. “Now I get it. I get why you’re so upset that I showed up at your house. I was your dirty secret. You’re a cheater, Ethan. And there are two types of people I despise the most in this world. They’re traitors and...” *murderers*. But I can’t bring myself to say it out loud without remembering *that* night. I rest my hands on the small, old stove, feeling the icy touch of the cold material against my palms. Still, with my back to him, I lower my head. “You’re not just a cheater. You’re a manwhore! I can’t believe I—”
In an instant, my body is forcefully turned, and there he is, standing right in front of me. I didn’t see him coming. His hands cage me between the old stove.
His gaze is too intense, too hypnotizing.
That’s why I drop my gaze at the tiny gap on the floor between me and his body. We are so close that I can feel the heat emanating from him.
“You’re probably referring to Kelly.”
Kelly. Her name is just as pretty as she is. No. She’s not pretty. She’s perfect. The perfect match for him. I clench my jaw.
“She’s not my girlfriend or wife,” Ethan says. After a short while, I realize he isn’t giving any additional information about their relationship.
There is a pleasant, tingling sensation in my chest, and I find it increasingly difficult to resist the urge to let a wide smile take over my face.
Unfortunately, I guess I can’t hold it back because I can feel a smile slowly spreading. I feel my face flush. My stupid heart is more than relieved to know they’re not officially in a relationship.
“Little Dove,” Ethan says. His deep voice is so close to me that it brushes against my skin, causing my heart to quicken, mimicking the frantic flapping of a caged bird. “Look at me.”
I feel my legs weaken, and a burning feeling erupts between them.
“Why should I look at you? Because you’re handsome?”
What? Hell! Why did I say that? I almost groan when I quickly steal a glance at him.
“Handsome, huh?” Ethan has his head tipped, smirking now.
I can feel my whole head hot. I’m mortified. Why can’t I keep my mouth shut around this man, for god’s sake?
My heart is racing. I bite my bottom lip and cross my arms, trying to compose myself. I look up at him. “I can’t come with you, Ethan.”
His smirk vanishes. “Why? Would you have a better place to live than here? Would it be too comfortable there? What’s the problem now?” he asks, leaning closer to me in a way that makes me arch my back to keep looking up at him. His tone is impatient. I can tell by his expression that he’s not used to hearing so many no’s.
“Don’t you dare say that!” I uncross my arms. “You were the one who made it clear that I wasn’t welcome in your house! Don’t you remember? You said those exact same words. You wanted me to leave, Ethan! And so I did!”
“I didn’t know you’d be stupid enough to come live in a dump like this!” He snarls.
I narrow my eyes up at him. “Are you always this judgmental?”
“Only when someone makes stupid decisions!” He says without a hint of hesitation. “Like you did, coming to live here. What were you thinking? I’m fucking sure it wasn’t your son you were thinking about. Much less your fucking safety.”
Even though I know he doesn’t know my reasons, I can’t help but wince. In a certain way, he’s not wrong. And I feel awful that he’s right. I can’t give my son the best or the safety he deserves. “You don’t pull your punches, do you?”
“No. Now, let’s go.”
He pulls away from me, uncaging me, and heads towards the door, and immediately I miss his warmth.
“No,” I say.
His big frame stops and turns around. “No?” Ethan takes a deep breath. Again, I can tell by his impatient expression that he thinks I speak too much, argue too much, and just annoy him in general. “No?” he repeats once more, and then he growls.
Actually, he growls at me! What the hell?
Was the man part dog?
“You don’t get it,” I say. I don’t think he or his sister would understand at all. “I can’t leave here like this. I need the money. I need to—”
“I’ll give it to you.” Ethan doesn’t hesitate; he just offers as if he had already expected me to ask him that.
“I’m not a charity case!” Perhaps someone as broke as me shouldn’t have any pride, but I do. I’m not taking money from this man. “You won’t!”
“I will. Tell me how much you need to get out of here right now with me, and I’ll give it to you. It’ll be nothing to me, I’m sure.”
Ethan doesn’t speak in a cocky way, but his words cut deep.
I take a step towards him, determined to make myself understood. I’m really not an aggressive person. I hate confrontation so much. But this is not going to happen. “You. Will. Not.”
He looks me up and down, his jaw clenched. “Gotta say, Little Dove. I didn’t think you’d have this stubborn streak.”
It’s not about stubbornness, more about me being angry at what he thinks of me—like I’m the kind of person who’d just take his money. I am not. I might have none, and things might be getting desperate and harder with each passing day, but I would not take his damn money.
Ethan runs a hand over his face. Clearly annoyed. “Fine. I’ll subtract the amount you need now from your upcoming paycheck. Now, let’s go!” Impatiently, he points at the door with his hand as if he’s trying to kick me out of my own place.
I hug myself, and my hand touches the spot on my arm where Logan hurt me, and I wince. Thank goodness it’s out of sight. My breath catches in my throat again, and I force myself to swallow the lump of fear forming there. I look at Ethan and slowly shake my head, “I—”
“That doesn’t require a lot of thought to decide,” Ethan says in a warning voice, nearly growling again. “Are you honestly so proud that you’d refuse what’s best for you and your kid?”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
