Chapter 32
Fiona
Guilt pools in my chest, making it tighten. It was wrong. I know it was, but I still did it. I’d been mad at Ethan for doing exactly what I just did to him.
49%
+23)
“Did you use me to get at your husband?” He asks again, his tone hard and relentless. It demands the truth and nothing but that, showing me the true leader under the blank mask he so often dawns. The employees under him would definitely fold, but not me. I can’t let him win an argument that we shouldn’t even be having.
This isn’t the first time we’ve both used each other, and I don’t think it’ll be the last, but after our previous conversations that we had, I thought we were on better terms than accusing one another of being awful.
Annoyance boils in my gut. I thought we were making progress before his trip, so what happened?
“You’re acting like you’ve never used me for anything when it’s all you do, Ethan,” I protest. I shouldn’t have used him because it makes me a hypocrite, but I could say the same thing about him. His hot and cold responses, the mood swings, the ignoring me, even though he gave a pretty good excuse.
“How am I supposed to trust you if we can’t get past this, Ethan?” I inquire. Trust is the foundation of a relationship, and after having one relationship blow up on me, I don’t want to fall into another tangled net. I can’t let myself be dragged down again.
If we can’t, then we don’t need to do this.
The thought makes my heart sink because for a brief moment, I wanted this. I still kind of want this. Ethan is strong and dedicated, but he can also be kind and caring. If it weren’t for the distrust between us, I feel like things could work out.
Ethan narrows his eyes at me while he steps impossibly closer. My legs instinctively part as he moves between them. The closer he gets, the harder it becomes to breathe.
“Who is using whom?” He asks, leaning in. I try to move away, but his large hands clamp down on my thighs, keeping me in place. I freeze, his touch sending little tingles through my body that always seem to happen when he touches me.
I jump when his hand slides up my thigh, across my waist, and around my back. Confusion hits me.
“You’re the one who stipulated that you didn’t want our relationship broadcasted to people, yet here you are, full view of someone who definitely will not keep his mouth shut.”
kissing
me in
With the flex of his arm, Ethan pulls me forward, balancing me on the edge of the desk.
“You continue using me for your gain,” he mutters, bending down slightly before planting his hands on the desk by my hips. The sense of being trapped falls over me and my breath catches in
my chest.
“I’m not the one using you. You’re using me plenty, and… and…”
His eyebrow quirks up as he waits for me to finish, but I can’t. I know he’s right. We’ve been using each other and it’s putting a strain on both of us. Everything would be easier if we could get on the same page and not have to worry about our choices hurting each other.
“What? Is the truth hurtful?” He quips, and I drop my eyes to my lap.
“No, I know it wasn’t right, and I haven’t violated our contract terms,” I tell him.
“Which terms would that be?”
“The… the one about not sleeping with anyone else, and I’ve told you before how Jack is. He’s arrogant and disloyal, and I wanted to show him that he can’t control me anymore,” I explain. I let my hands rest in my lap, and I pick at the cast on my
1/2
67:00 IVIO
970
Chapter 32
injured wrist. “He found me searching through my father’s office while you were gone and grabbed-”
Ethan’s chest rumbles deeply, and I finally look up.
“Did he hurt you?”
Deep wrinkles form around Ethan’s eyes, showing different emotions than I thought he would feel. I thought he was angry at me, but…I search his face yet find no ounce of anger and no trace of anything except worry.
“No, but he threatened me, so I left.”
“Threatened you how?” He demands softly. Again, his hands find my hips and this time he gently grips me.
“H–he pushed me against a wall and told me that if I keep causing problems that my ‘little boyfriend‘ wouldn’t be able to help me,” I tell him, remembering the fury in Jack’s eyes as he shoved me.
Another rumble sounds from Ethan as his eyes darken, vibrating through his body. The expression that falls over his face is thunderous and grows angrier with every heavy breath that puffs from his mouth.
“You were scared.”
I nod, unable to say anything as Ethan spins around with his fists clenched and his shoulders tense. I want to reach out, but I stop myself. Honestly, I’m not sure why he’s so upset about the situation. He’s not the one who got hurt.
“And you were attacked right after that.”
Was that a question?
Silently, I watch as Ethan paces in front of me, his jaw ticking and little rumbly growls coming from his chest. When he’s angry, those sounds always start up, and I feel like it sounds like an animal. It’s odd.
“Ethan, what are you thinking?” I ask, sliding off the desk and stepping toward him. I don’t need Ethan more worked up than he already is. The anger I thought was directed at me is now fully hurdling toward Jack, so it’s a good thing he’s not here anymore. If Jack hadn’t run from the room, I don’t think he’d be in a good situation here.
Not that I would care. Jack was in the wrong and I wouldn’t mind if Ethan roughed him up a bit, but that could put Ethan in a bad position. No matter how annoyed I may feel with Ethan, I don’t want him to get in trouble.
Sighing, I move forward but my cell phone rings and stops me in my tracks. I look between Ethna and my phone, and to give each of us time to calm down, I grab my phone.
“Hello?”
“Fiona, hey. This is Chris. Do you have a minute to talk?”
“Oh, hey, Chris,” I say softly, glancing at Ethan who stands frozen with his eyes on me. “I have a few minutes.”
My stomach jumbles with nerves as he watches me, so I sit in my desk chair and turn away to where I can’t see him. Ethan is just
notion
2/2
