FionaEthan slides his arms under my legs and shoulders, lifting me into his arms and making me gasp. For a second, I thought he was going to deny me, but when he turns, closes the door, and begins walking to his car, I realize he’s taking me home with him instead of staying with me.“I don’t have a
Shaking the thoughts away, I dip the applicator into the medicine.“Let me apply it for you,” Ethan says, and then he lowers himself and kneels before me. I go still, taking in a quick breath when his hand circles my ankle and slowly slides up my calf. Tingles zip through my body and settle in my co
FionaWith my stomach growling, I wrap a large sweater around myself and exit my room. I don’t want to bother anyone since they’re probably busy, so I quietly pad to the kitchen to find something for breakfast.I wander around, not knowing where I’m going, until I pass a door and hear a woman shriek
Fiona “You’ll what?” I ask as Ethan stands to leave the table. “I’ll have your desk moved right next to mine,” he repeats. I stare at this man. What is going through his mind? Like he hadn’t just said we’d be together every day, Ethan slides his phone into his pocket and walks away. Is he seri
Sighing, I lean my forehead on the window. The cool glass offers a bit of respite, so I close my eyes and try to relax like Ryan said. It doesn’t work, but I do get a bit of time to clear my head before we pull into my father’s driveway. Steeling myself with confidence, I get out of the car, ask
Fiona I watch Jessica reel back in shock and horror, stumbling as she listens to the person on the phone. Bankruptcy. “What do you mean? How did it go under? The project was supposed to—hello? Hello?” She screeches in fury, throwing her phone onto the couch near us. The project must be the XX
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.” Ethan I end the call without responding and set my phone on my desk. The excitement that had eaten at me all day put me behind in my schedule. I wanted to see her. All day my focus kept shifting to Fiona. I wanted to call her and move the dinner earlier, but she’d
Fiona After helping me buy a load of groceries, Ryan begins the drive and, on our way, we pass a flower shop. The bright colors draw my attention and my longing. I’ve always loved flowers. Mom used to keep flowers in the house when I was younger, and they always made my day when I saw them. Jack
I’d only been in there for twenty minutes, so when did Ethan have time to prepare a gift? Dropping the towel to the chair, I shuffle over to the bed with one hand on the towel around my body and one hand pulling at the bow. The top comes off easily to reveal a beautiful black dress. I hold it up a
Fiona After our multiple heavy conversations and Ethan’s confession about wanting to be together forever, the rest of the week went by in a flash of exploring, hiking, eating, shopping, and rolling around in bed. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I’ve never done anything like this,” I say, peeki
“Did he think you would be a puppet forever? That he would be able to control you as you grew older?” Ethan scoffs and drives his fingers through his hair with a sharp exhale. The frustration tightens his body, making him go stiff under my touch, so I reach my arm around and rub my hand up and dow
Fiona “Can I ask you something?” I start, a bit hesitant because I know from our previous conversation this will be a sensitive topic. I want to know more about Ethan, and I want to know more about his family. The only way that will happen is to talk to him about it. We need to be open, and he sa
“Did you get a souvenir from the dance?” He asks, glancing around the booth. It has a hula vibe, so maybe this is where people buy their outfits when they practice hula. “I don’t remember getting one, but it’s been so long…” Ethan reaches for the skirt I’d picked up and takes it over to the lady
Fiona “Oh, my gosh! Look, Ethan,” I call, pointing down the little road to the grouping of stalls that line up along a boarded off street. It looks like some sort of market where people can sell things as vendors. “Do you want to check it out?” He asks, turning toward the street. Nodding, I try
“Bring Ethan back, please. I have something I need to say,” I tell him. He growls, then nips at my neck before fading back into Ethan. “Thank you for standing up for me and for saying all those nice things about me to your father,” I whisper, kissing Ethan briefly. He growls in response, yanking m
Fiona “If you bring it up again, I will personally visit the Moon Goddesses’ shrine and make a sacrifice like the old times to meet her and have her talk some sense into you,” Ethan’s voice growls from outside the door. The venom in his tone makes me shiver as I bolt up. I love that he’s standing
Ethan Something itching at my mind pulls me from sleep just as a phone ringing reaches my senses, making me jolt up. I look around, ready to throw the phone across the room until my mind fog clears. “…f you can hear me, but your father is pissed.” Ryan’s voice pauses before it begins again. “Etha