I go to my drawer and pull out a new pair of undies, and hide in the closet while I slip them on. Then I walk over to Ethan. His gaze makes me shiver as I move to stand directly in front of him.
His hands go to my hips and pull me all the way to him. He rests his head on my chest. Leaning down, I kiss the top of his head unconsciously, my arms on his back. I realize in this moment that he was affected by tonight too.
I want to be held by him more than anything. I nervously ask, “Will you hold me?”
His hands slide up to my waist, and he lifts me off the floor then sets me down onto the bed. He lies on his back and pulls me directly on top of him. My legs go to either side of him so my body is plastered to his, my face next to his neck. His arms wrap around me, anchoring me to him.
“Sleep, Angel.” He reaches over to the side of the bed and clicks off the bedside lamp. I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
Braelyn
Ethan walks into the hair salon with me, his hand at the small of my back as his eyes take in all of our surroundings.
I feel like I need this change to let go of the old me. The night at the club happened last night, and I woke up today feeling much better than I thought I would, but I also wanted a change. That’s why I’m here at the salon getting my waist-length hair cut. I go up to the front desk and tell them I have appointment with Jason.
“You’re with me, sexy,” a male voice yells from across the room. Startled, I look at the man who yelled. He has a playful smirk on his face.
“Let’s go to another hair salon.” Ethan glares at the man, wraps his arm around my waist, and pulls me toward the direction of the door.
“We’re already here, Ethan.” I roll my eyes and pull away from him to walk toward the man who must be Jason. I can hear Ethan’s booted steps behind me.
My stylist is a tall man who could be a model. He looks really preppy, but rocks the Edward Cullen hairstyle and actually pulls it off better than Edward ever did. He catches me looking and winks. Blushing, I peek at Ethan, who is too busy glaring at the stylist to notice my blush.
I sit down in the chair, and he pulls the drape around me. It covers me completely. He pulls my hair out of the back of it and combs his fingers through. My hair is hitting the bottom of my butt, and the dead ends are absolutely horrible from not being cut in years.
“What do you want done today, sweetie?”
“A cut?” I say timidly. I gnaw on my bottom lip and look at Ethan, who is watching the both of us like a hawk. He’s sitting in a chair beside us, which I’m assuming he brought here from the waiting room.
“I want it cut to mid-back with layers? With my bangs fanning the side?” I suggest as I look at myself in the mirror.
He starts spraying and cutting my hair. Ethan never takes his eyes off him, being a little overprotective. I smile at him and close my eyes as hair starts falling.
“All right, doll, you’re done.” He swings me around so I’m facing the mirror. I gasp at my reflection. My hair hangs around my shoulders and fans around my face. The bangs fan over my forehead down to my ear to blend in the layers.
“Oh my gosh! I love it!” I squeal and turn to Ethan with a blinding smile.
“You’re gorgeous, Angel,” he praises
Blushing, I turn away from him. “Aww, look at that blush. I’m Jason by the way.” He grins and pulls the drape off me. I stand up and admire my reflection again, but instantly feel self-conscious for looking again.
I turn to Jason to give him my biggest smile. “Thank you!”
“No biggie, lovely.” He winks and starts to sweep up the hair before turning to me again. “We should hang out sometime.” He glances out of the corner of his eye at Ethan. I look over and see Ethan’s furious expression. I can’t stop the laugh as Ethan wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me away.
Jason puts his hands up in front of him. He grabs a business card off the counter and hands it to me. “My cell is on here,” he whispers loudly.
“You better not be fucking poaching on her right in front me,” Ethan snarls and pulls me farther away from the guy. Smiling, I bend my face down to hide my smile.
“My boyfriend and I are free this Friday,” Jason says through a laugh and grins at the both of us.
I’m no longer able to hold back my laughter at the irony of it all and Ethan going all caveman on me. Ethan lightens his grip slightly.
“Come on, Angel, let’s get out of here.” His lips are against my ear. Nodding, I follow behind him, my hand entwined with his. I look over my shoulder and wave at Jason.
After paying, Ethan all but carries me to the truck, while I laugh under my breath, amused by his antics. I probably look like a rag doll compared to him in height and weight as he carries me around.
He opens the truck door and sets me in the seat then looks up and sees the grin I’m currently holding on to. He huffs for a second before slamming his lips down onto mine. Shocked, I don’t return the kiss for a few seconds. I close my eyes and hang on for the ride. This kiss is claiming, heated, demanding, and so much more.
His hands glide down my arms and leave goose bumps in their wake even though it’s over eighty degrees outside.
He pulls away, and I whisper breathily, “Wow,” as I stare at Ethan, dazed.
He chuckles at me. “Remember that kiss next time some fucker flirts with you.” He tugs on my chin and shuts my door. My mouth hits the floor, while my eyes follow his movements.
Noting my shocked expression, he smirks and starts the truck. Blinking, I look out of the window, trying to stop the smile that is trying to creep over my lips. Butterflies swarm in my belly. I feel like a giddy teenager.
“Is that a blush I see, Angel?” he teases.
I glare at him as I cross my arms over my chest, and then I blush deeper. He leans over and kisses my cheek. Unable to pretend being mad any longer, I scoot over into the middle seat and entwine our fingers while our hands are resting in my lap.
“We have dinner at my mom’s tomorrow. You should bring Jessica,” he suggests.
“Okay, but you need to warn people. She’s, umm, very talkative.”
“Oh, that’s okay. So is Chase.”
“Oh goodness,” I groan and lay my head against his shoulder. Putting those two together will be a disaster in the making. From what Ethan’s told me, he will give her a run for her money in the crass department.
~*~
I’m on my way to pick up Jessica. Ethan gave me strict instructions not to get out of the car. I wouldn’t dare argue because I’m freaked enough from everything that has happened.
Gulping, I try to get the knot out of my throat. A few minutes later, I pull up in front of Jessica’s apartment. This the first time I have been here. I put the car in park and look around.
Her apartment is in a bad neighborhood. Really bad. There is a hooker literally walking down the walkway right now, and a drug deal is going down in the alley across the road. She shouldn’t live here. It’s not safe.
I know what happens in places like these in the dark. I used to sleep in those alleyways. Jessica is a walking beacon for trouble. But she’s pregnant and vulnerable. I know she makes the same money as I do, so why is she staying here?
I see her head pop up over the stairwell. She holds her swollen belly as she walks down the stairs. She’s hitting six months now. She crosses the sidewalk and looks at the men across the alley, and before they can see her, she ducks her head and gets into the car.
“Hey, chick!” Jessica yells a little too loudly and puts on her seat belt.
“Hey.” I smile and put the car into drive.
The closer we get to Ethan’s mom’s house, the more nervous I get. I’m dying to ask Jessica about why she’s living there. I know it’s not because she wants to.
“Hey...” I start uneasily and look at her from the corner of my eye.
“Yes?” She shifts in her seat, giving me the stink eye.
“Why do you live there?” I ask in a rush before I can back out.
She sighs and lays her head back against the headrest, looking up at the car ceiling.
“I’m saving my money,” she says in a bland tone. I can tell she doesn’t want to talk about it, but I also know there’s more to the story than just her wanting to save money.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. I know all about not wanting to spill my demons,” I tell her softly and rub her knee.
We pull up in front of the house. Sydney and Kane are kissing in the driveway. It’s heated enough to melt the plastic off his truck beside them. Jessica and I get out of the car as another man pulls up beside us and gets out then leans against his truck. A man who I’m guessing is Chase.
“Get a room,” he yells at Kane and Sydney. He starts laughing as another man who was with him comes up and stands beside him.
“Holy hell, I just came,” Jessica says loudly, too loudly, beside me. My eyes almost fall out of my head.
Oh my God... Did she just say that?
“I’m Jessica,” she says and walks over to Sydney, who has stopped kissing Kane to look at her.
“I invited Jessica. She’s new to town,” I pipe in.
Ethan’s mom pops her head out the door. “Let’s eat, everyone.”
While Chase walks in front of us, Jessica tilts her head to the side to check out his butt. “Damn, there must be something in the water,” she mutters to herself, but Chase hears her and starts laughing.
A sharp pinch on my backside has me yelping. I turn around, holding my butt. Ethan is standing behind me with a sexy smirk on his face. He pulls my hand away from my butt and places his hand there instead, rubbing it to ‘ease’ the sting.
I roll my eyes as I pull his hand away and push him toward the house.
During dinner, Ethan keeps his hand on my leg the whole entire time. It’s a miracle people don’t ask what is wrong. His thumb strokes the inside of my leg from time to time. I can barely keep still.
Evelyn turns to look at all of us, but her eyes go straight to him a second later. “Does everyone want to go outside on the patio?” she asks when she sees we’re done eating.
We all get up. Chase walks in front of Jessica again. She openly checks him out again with her head tilted to the side, then she turns to me. “I could watch that man’s ass all day, every day.”
Chase gapes at her for a split second before he bursts out laughing. Ethan entwines our fingers and we start toward the door but stop when we see Evelyn standing there, stoic and ghostly pale with fear. Ethan’s body stiffens to battle ready in a split second.
“Mom, what is it?” He charges over to her, letting go of my hand.
“No, no, no.” She shakes her head in disbelief. She looks over at us with wide eyes. Something is horribly wrong. The look in her eyes reminds me so much of me I almost collapse to the ground. I know that look.
Walking up to Ethan, I put my hand on his back and look around him. He wraps his arm around me tightly, like he’s trying to pull me into his body.
“I finally found you, bitch,” an evil voice cackles. I look at the man standing in front of us. My head whips back like I’ve been smacked. He looks a lot like Ethan, but that’s where the resemblance ends. This man is pure evil and it radiates off him.
He is staring at Evelyn with so much rage I want to grab her hand and take her away from it all. Looking behind me, I see Chase tucking Jessica behind him, his body taut. Dave has his hands resting on Evelyn’s hips and moves her so he is standing slightly in front of her. Kane has Sydney completely hidden behind him, her face buried into his back.
“Where is our bitch of a daughter?” he roars at Evelyn. She flinches and tears roll down her face. Shaking, I hold tighter on to Ethan, who pushes me further behind him. I know he’s about to attack this man. What is happening? Who is this man?
He walks around the porch and stops closer to Evelyn. Dave pushes her farther behind him. “Ahh, I see you have a new dick to suck.” He tsks and laughs darkly.
Ethan starts to rush the man, but Chase grabs him at the last second. He still leans toward him, anger rolling off of him. “Who the fuck are you?” he yells, his face red, his hands clenched with barely restrained anger. I grab tighter to the back of his shirt.
“Ethan, is that how you’re supposed to talk to your father? Speaking of children, where’s that blond bitch that took you guys away from me? She was the whole reason for you leaving.”
My heart is breaking instantly at hearing him say he’s Ethan’s father and at how he’s talking about Sydney. My sweet man shouldn’t have to feel an ounce of hurt.
“Get off my property now! I give you one fucking minute before I kill you myself. You kidnapped me and I finally got away.” Evelyn’s voice hitches at the end.
My heart stops and I realize how dangerous this man is. Scared, I bury my head in Ethan’s back. His arm comes around me, hugging me to him. His body is shaking from his emotions. He wants to hurt this man at the thought of what his mom had to go through at the hands of his father.
“Ethan, I’ve got you,” I whisper against his back and clutch his shirt tighter, trying to hold in my own emotions.
Then a body hits the ground hard. Looking over, I see Kane has knocked him out. Ethan goes to his mom hesitantly, not knowing what to do or how to help her.