Chapter 42
Fiona
He’s following me.
Without looking behind me, I can tell Ethan is close behind. His heavy, warm presence is unmistakable and comforting Honestly, it gives me the strength to keep going.
However, as soon as I step out of the ballroom, a large hand circles the back of my arm, pulling me gently to the side. He maneuvers us into a corner where no one can see us and backs me up against the wall.
“E–Ethan,” I gasp. His right hand comes up to the wall beside my head while his left settles on my hip.
“That was amazing, Fiona,” he says softly. The hand on my hip flexes, gripping me in a way that sends my stomach flipping. Images of Ethan pushing me up against the wall and kissing me flash through my mind, heating me up.
I’m so wrapped up in the images that I miss what he says.
“W–what?” I shake myself out of the kissing daydream and focus. His lips quirk to the side in a sinful smirk, and I swallow down the heat that rises. What the heck is wrong with me?
“I said, you have grown stronger since we first met. Standing up to that prick in front of all those people was brave,” Ethan murmurs, leaning close. His face hovers inches from mine, and something inside me screams to get rid of the space, take him by the face, and kiss him.
Needless to say, I shove the intruding thoughts away. This isn’t the time.
“Thank you.”
Ethan continues to stare down at me for a moment before he lifts his hand from the wall and brushes a thumb across my cheek. The soft touch paired with the kind words make my heart melt.
“Do you want to eat dinner with me?” I ask, making Ethan’s eyebrows raise. “I don’t want to stay here any longer and-”
‘ “Of course.”
I stare up at Ethan, shocked.
“You want to?” I ask, butterflies taking flight in my stomach. The feeling is increasingly familiar as I spend more time with Ethan. I didn’t think I’d begin to like him so soon, but now, whenever we’re together, I can’t help but feel drawn to him. It’s like he’s a magnet pulling me in.
“You don’t want to stay for the rest of the event? If you need to stay, I can wait. I’ll go home and change, and by the time it’s over, we could meet at a restaurant. I’m not in a ru-”
A rumble sounds between us as my stomach rolls, and I cringe, wrapping my arms around my torso.
“Why don’t we go tame that beast inside you,” he teases, making my face heat up even more.
To get out of the embarrassing situation, I push at Ethan’s chest, grumbling, “It’s not a beast.” He doesn’t resist and moves back easily, but not before his hand disappears from my hip and intertwines with mine. I nearly pull away, but the firm grip he has on my hand stops me from moving.
“Let’s go,” he tells me, tugging me toward the entrance. We leave our cozy little corner and before long, we’re in Ethan’s car headed to eat.
***
1/3
22:40 Mon, 14 Apr AA.
Chapter 42
48%
+23)
“Enjoy your food,” our server says as she places the last plate in between me and Ethan. I smile up at her before she scurries
away.
Without further delay, I pick up my fork and stab one of the meatballs on my plate. Everything smells delicious with the savory Italian spices swirling in the air between us. I don’t know how Ethan knew, but pasta was the perfect choice for tonight.
We eat in comfortable silence for a little while before Ethan speaks.
“How are things going with your mother’s will and the divorce, other than the public announcement you made tonight?”
“They’re…” I think for moment, unsure how to explain. “They’re going slowly, but I’m not giving up. I’ve also been meaning to tell you something.”
Ethan looks up from his meal, an eyebrow raised.
Taking a steady breath, I look him directly in the eyes. His intense gaze makes me pause, but I don’t let it fully stop me as I say, “I wanted to tell you that, no matter what happens between me and Jack, I won’t use you to retaliate against him again. I was wrong the other day, as I’ve already admitted, and I won’t‘ do it again.”
I let the promise hang in the air, and I hope he believes me. I’ve felt bad about it since it happened, so I feel like saying this will help ease both our minds.
“Thank you,
but Fiona, you don’t have to use tricks to get me to help you,” Ethan says, pulling my attention back to him. “What Jack is doing is repulsive. I offered you my help, and I stand by my word. If you need me, I will be here.”
“I know. You’ve said that, but I want to try to do this on my own first. This is my mess, and I shouldn’t be making you clean it
- up. As for my mother’s will, I overheard Jessica talking about where my father hid the will, so Isla and I are going to sneak
into his office to find it.”
We don’t have a firm plan yet, but we will talk about it tonight after I get home because tomorrow is the last day we can execute a plan. My father extended his trip, but he’ll be back the day after tomorrow. If we’re going to do this, it must be before then.
“Do you need anything from me?” Ethan asks.
I shake my head. It’s nice of him to ask, and I’ll admit it sets off another set of butterflies in my stomach, but I have to do this without him.
“I have to do this alone,” I answer. “I-”
“I know. You want to prove you can do this on your own, but if you ever need help, know that I’ll support you. You’re not alone,” he says softly. I nod, appreciating the offer and recognizing how much he’s also changed since we first met. He’s kinder now, not as cold as he once was.
When we first signed the contract together, Ethan had told me I needed to not rely on others for help. He said it was up to me to get what I wanted, but now… I smile. Now he offers help without forcing it onto me.
“Thank you for understanding, Ethan. I’m not sure I can do this on my own, but I want to try. It makes me feel better having you as a backup if I need you,” I admit, looking down at my plate.
“Are you busy on Friday night?” He asks while tearing off a piece of his breadstick to dip in his soup.
“Friday night?” I repeat, thinking about my schedule as I twirl noodles around my fork. “I don’t think I’m doing anything. Why?”
“Our company soccer game is rescheduled for Friday since I had to go out of town and couldn’t do it previously,” he tells me. That’s right. He’d invited me to watch him play before I started working for him.
2/3
22:40 Mon, 14 Apr AA
Chapter 42
Only, I’d forgotten and didn’t realize the game had been postponed.
48%
+23)
I watch as Ethan slides his hand into his jacket pocket and pulls out a long, rectangular envelope. My name is written on the front, I realize, as he slides it across the table.
“I have a ticket for you, if you’d like to come.”
A ticket.
For me.
He wants me to watch his game.
My eyes bounce from the envelope to Ethan and back to the envelope before I pick it up. This would be a perfect time to get to know him better.
“I’d love to come.”
3/3
