Sadie

by E. L. Todd

  “Because of you.”

  He started to move inside me gently so the bed wouldn’t make any noise. “Baby,” he whispered. “You feel so fucking good.”

  I bit my lip as he slid inside me over and over. He stretched me so tight that I felt my body shake. He moved inside me completely, making me want to scream. Ethan always felt so amazing. I wanted to have him all the time. I felt the orgasm build. It was just out of my reach.

  “Ethan, harder.”

  “I can’t.”

  I moaned. “Please.”

  He thrust into me harder, making the bed rock. “Come, baby. Now.”

  “I am,” I whispered. “I am.”

  He kept up the pace until my moment had come and gone. “I’m done.”

  He slowed down again and pressed his cock all the way inside me. “My turn.”

  “Come inside me, Ethan.”

  “Shit, Sadie.” He stiffened as he came inside me, breathing hard. He continued to thrust but they were quiet and soft. When he was done, he kissed my back then my neck. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

  “Good.”

  “And your ass—there are no words.”

  “You like it?”

  “Oh, baby. I want to fuck the shit out of it.”

  “You’re welcome to it anytime.”

  He moaned then pulled away from me, dressing himself quickly. “We have to go.”

  I climbed off the bed then pulled on my clothes. I smiled as I realized that I had successfully seduced Ethan. I could have him whenever I wanted him.

  Ethan opened the bedroom door then ushered me out. He locked it behind him then we went into the living room. The kids were already in their booster seats and Elisa was working on the stove. She wore jeans and a shirt. Her hair was lustrous and wavy, and her face was gorgeous. She was wearing makeup. It was the first time I had ever seen her wear it.

  “Good morning,” she said as she placed the plate of pancakes on the table.

  “I’m starving,” Ethan said as he kissed both of the children on the head.

  “Don’t eat me!” Becky said.

  “You’re safe—today.”

  “Eww!” she squealed. “You can’t eat me.”

  “You wanna bet?”

  Her eyes widened in fear.

  “Don’t worry, Becky,” I said. “I won’t let him.”

  She sighed. “Phew!”

  I smiled. They were so cute. When I sat down, the doorbell rang. Since it was my brother, I rose to a stand.

  Ethan stood up first. “I got it.” He pushed me back down. When I saw the tension in his shoulders as he walked away, I knew he was going to threaten Jared in some way. I felt bad for my brother. But if he was willing to pursue Elisa despite Ethan’s hostility, I knew he really liked her.

  They walked into the kitchen a moment later.

  Jared stopped and looked at Elisa. “Good morning. You’re making breakfast?”

  “And I’m quite good at it.”

  “Good. I’m starving. You need any help?”

  “I think I’m okay.”

  Jared grabbed the pan of eggs and helped her cook them over the stove. She stared at him for a moment before she continued her preparations. Ethan and I both watched from the table, saying nothing.

  When Jared and Elisa were finished, Jared came to the kitchen and addressed the children. “Good morning, you guys.”

  “Hey, Uncle Jared!” Tommy said excitedly. “I want to show you my new car.”

  “Ooh,” Jared said. “I look forward to it.”

  Becky made a sour face. “Well, I have a doll.”

  “And I would like to see that too,” he said.

  “Really?” Her eyes lit up.

  “Of course,” he said with a smile. He took a seat at the table across from Tommy.

  I wondered why he didn’t sit across from me, but I realized he was proving himself to Elisa, that he could help her with the kids.

  When Elisa approached the table, Jared pulled out her chair and helped her sit down.

  My eyes widened in shock. I had never seen him do that for anyone but me—not even his most recent girlfriend, Suzie. He was totally smitten with Elisa.

  Ethan watched Jared like a hawk.

  We ate our breakfast while we made small talk. Elisa and Jared didn’t speak to each other directly, but I think it was because they were both nervous. Jared already came on a little strong. He was trying to play it cool.

  When we finished, Ethan and I washed the dishes and put them away. Jared helped Elisa clean up the kids and get them ready for the park. I didn’t expect Jared to be so willing to become a stepdad, but clearly he was.

  We went by the apartment and grabbed Koku. He was so excited by all the visitors that he peed on the floor of the kitchen. He hadn’t done that since he was a pup. It was so cute that I couldn’t be mad. The kids were immediately taken by the dog. Becky petted his fur lovingly while Koku licked her face, and Tommy squealed in delight. It was adorable. I put the leash on him then we left the apartment.

  Jared carried Tommy in his arms while Elisa held Becky. Ethan had his arm around my waist like he usually did. There was rarely a time when he wasn’t touching me.

  When we came to the park, Tommy and Becky ran to the jungle gym and started to ride the slide. Elisa and Jared sat down on a park bench and watched them. They spoke to each other with smiles on their faces but they never touched. Jared had his hands folded in his lap, making it obvious that he wasn’t going to be affectionate with her in front of the kids.

  When my brother spoke to her, his eyes were brighter than usual. I had never seen him laugh or smile so much—not even when we were kids. Jared would glance at the children every once in a while, checking on them, but then his stare was fixed on Elisa.

  I played fetch with Koku, who chased after the stick with lightning speed. Ethan stood beside me but he wasn’t really paying attention to us. He kept glancing at Jared and Elisa, checking where Jared’s hands were. His eyes scanned the slide until he spotted the kids then he looked away, only to look again a second later.

  “Stop,” I said to him.

  “What?”

  “You’re staring.”

  “And what’s your point? It’s my job to stare.”

  “At me.”

  He smiled. “Those are completely different contexts.” He took the toy from my hand then tossed it across the grass. Koku chased after it with a loud bark. My dog was having too much fun. I couldn’t remember the last time I brought him to the park. I hadn’t been the best owner lately—mainly because I had a hot, sexy boyfriend.

  “You need to calm down, Ethan. If my brother was just trying to get laid, he would have taken an easier route than this. This is a choice with the most obstacles and problems. He genuinely cares for Elisa and her kids.”

  “You can never be sure.”

  “You did the same thing, Ethan. You could have picked up another chick and gotten laid immediately. Instead, you chose to stick around and fall in love with me.”

  He shook his head. “Sadie, when I saw you I wanted to fuck you. That’s what I was thinking.”

  “But you wanted more, right? As soon as you spoke to me, you wanted more. Isn’t there a possibility that Jared feels the same way?”

  He sighed. “This is just hard for me, okay? I love my sister.”

  “I know,” I said with a smile. “It’s sweet.”

  “Not really. It’s just stressful.”

  “She’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.”

  He sighed. “I guess.”

  I sat down on the grass and Koku crawled into my lap. He licked my face then rolled over. Ethan sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We said nothing for a long time, just enjoying the beautiful day. I never thought I would spend the day at the park with a boyfriend and my dog. It was a dream come true.

  “I think your brother trusts me finally,” he said.

  “Or he just wants to butter
you up so he can date your sister.”

  He smiled. “No, if he really disliked me, he would say something. I know he loves you.”

  “Well, he should trust you.”

  “I don’t know what changed.”

  “You’re with me all the time, Ethan. When would you have time to cheat on me?”

  “I guess. I was hoping it was because he respected me, not because of my alibi. I want him to know that if I ever was in a situation where I had the opportunity to cheat and not get caught, I wouldn’t do anything.”

  “It will happen in time.”

  “I hope so.”

  “And in all honesty, you are being worse to him.”

  “What? How so?”

  “You threaten him every time you see him and you hardly know him.”

  “Well, if he still wants to date my sister after all that, then he must really like her.”

  “Obviously.” I leaned my body against Ethan and snuggled next to him. We spent the next hour watching the kids on the playground. When they yawned and started to stumble as they walked, we knew they were getting tired.

  Ethan walked over and grabbed Becky from the ground. “Sleepy?”

  “No,” she said, affronted.

  Tommy sat on the ground and stuck his finger in the dirt. Before Elisa could grab him, Jared lifted up. “I think these guys have had enough for the day.”

  Elisa smiled. “Good. Now I’ll get some sleep tonight.”

  We left the park and walked down the street. Both kids were silent because they were exhausted from their long day. The silence was nice. When we got back to Ethan’s townhouse, they both sat on the couch and started to doze off.

  Jared turned to Elisa and leaned toward her ear. “Can I take you out to dinner?”

  Elisa glanced at the kids then turned back to him. “I don’t want to take them out again. They are too tired.”

  Ethan took off his shoes and left them by the door. “Then go alone. We’ll watch them.”

  Elisa looked uncomfortable. “No, it’s okay. You and Sadie should go out and do something.”

  “Go,” he said with a firm voice. “I won’t be alone. And Sadie and I could use the practice.”

  Jared’s eyes widened.

  “In the future,” I added.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “If you would rather not leave, I understand. The offer still stands if you change your mind.”

  I liked that Jared wasn’t pressuring her into doing anything. He was very sensitive about the whole situation.

  Ethan looked at Jared. “Have her home by midnight.”

  Jared laughed. “Okay.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m joking?”

  “Um, no,” Jared said awkwardly.

  Elisa looked at her brother. “You really don’t mind?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Now get out of here.” He turned to Jared. “She hasn’t gone out in a really long time, so she might act like a monkey. I had to warn you.”

  Jared smiled. “I like monkeys.”

  Elisa grabbed her coat from the rack. “Thanks, Ethan.”

  “Have a good time,” he said.

  Jared opened the door for her. “I’ll have her back before midnight.”

  “Thank you,” Ethan said.

  They closed the door behind them.

  Ethan sighed. “Now we’ve got to bathe these guys and get them to bed.”

  “Sounds simple.”

  He laughed. “Oh, Sadie.”

  We bathed both of them, despite their angry protests, and then finally got them into bed. Tommy cried for his mother for a while, and Becky refused to go to bed. After Ethan read a children’s story to her, she finally went to sleep.

  We went back in the living room and watched television as we waited for them to come home. Ethan glanced at the clock every few minutes.

  “Calm down,” I said.

  “It’s almost midnight,” he said.

  “So?”

  “I told him to bring her home before midnight, not at midnight.”

  “You’re so annoying.”

  The front door opened and Elisa walked in. She was crying.

  I felt my heart fall. This was not going to be good.

  Ethan jumped from the couch quicker than I could process. “What happened? What did he do?”

  She wiped her tears away. “Nothing—”

  Ethan stormed away and dashed out the front door. When I heard the sound of yelling, I ran after him.

  “What the fuck did you do to her?” Ethan said, pushing Jared hard.

  “Nothing!” Jared yelled.

  “Ethan, stop,” I said.

  Ethan pushed him to the ground then stepped on his neck. “You motherfucker!”

  “Ethan, knock it off!” I screamed.

  Elisa ran to him and pulled him off. “Stop it, Ethan.”

  “What did he do?” His eyes were livid.

  “Nothing,” she said. “He did nothing wrong. It’s me.” She turned to Jared and helped him to his feet. “I’m so sorry about this.”

  He wiped the dirt from his clothes. “It’s okay.”

  Elisa walked back to the house.

  After one last glare at Jared, Ethan followed behind her. I left my brother and followed them. I had to know what Jared did to Elisa.

  “Tell me,” Ethan said. “Did he hurt you?”

  “Of course not,” Elisa said. “I—I’m just not ready to be anything with anyone. I told him nothing would happen between us.” She wiped her tears away. “I—I can’t do this to Tom. I can’t be with anyone else.”

  Ethan sighed. “That’s all?”

  She nodded.

  “So you don’t like him?”

  “It’s not that.”

  “Then where is this coming from?”

  “I’m just not ready to be in a relationship. I don’t want to be in one ever.”

  “Please don’t be scared, Elisa. It’s okay to move on.”

  “No,” she said. “I can’t.” She turned around and walked to her bedroom, her cries following her.

  I returned to the front door and went after my brother. He was still standing there.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He was quiet for a moment. “No.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing. We were having a great time. I made her laugh, smile—everything. When we got home, she started crying. She said she doesn’t want to see me again.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry, Jared.”

  “Me too.”

  “She’s just scared. I know she wants to be with you.”

  His eyes looked sad, lifeless. “No, she doesn’t.” He started to walk away.

  “Jared?”

  “Yeah?” he asked as he turned around.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He walked down the street until he disappeared in the crowd. I had never seen him look so sad. He was crushed.

  23

  “When the hell did all of this happen?” Natascia asked.

  I shrugged. “I know it’s quick but—”

  “Quick? This is definitely faster than quick.”

  Both of my friends were speechless after I told them everything that happened with me and Ethan.

  “I’m happy,” I said.

  Stephanie nodded. “We can tell.”

  “I’m happy for you too,” Natascia said. “It’s just a lot to process.”

  “I know.”

  “So, Jared and Elisa aren’t going to happen?” Stephanie asked.

  I sighed. “It doesn’t seem that way.” I looked at the clock on the wall. Jared was meeting us at the restaurant. I was trying to spend as much time as I could with him. I knew he was heartbroken.

  “That sucks,” Natascia said. “That would have been so perfect—siblings with siblings.”

  I smiled. “Yeah. It really would have been.”

  “So, how’s the job hunt?” Natascia asked.

  I
rolled my eyes. “All you care about is work.”

  “No,” she said sternly. “I care about my friend. You need to get out of that bookstore. You are better than that.”

  “I’ve tried!”

  “No, you haven’t.”

  “I’ve applied to at least fifty jobs in the city. No one’s is hiring.”

  “You’re full of it,” she snapped. “You have a 4.0 GPA from an Ivy league school and you have experience.”

  I sighed. “I’ve applied to every opening available. I’m not lying. I really do want to get a better job. Now that I want a future with Ethan, I definitely want more money.”

  Natascia shook her head. “It shouldn’t be taking this long.”

  “I said I was trying,” I snapped.

  Stephanie leaned back in her chair, trying to stay out of the argument.

  “Why is this such a big deal?” I said. “It’s not like I’m poor.”

  “You’re better than this, that’s why,” Natascia said. “I’m not going to let my best friend settle.”

  “I’m not settling. I’ll inherit that bookstore when my father passes.”

  “But there’s no guarantee that the store will even last that long. No one buys hard copies anymore, Sadie.”

  Jared walked into the restaurant, his eyes looking lifeless. I was relieved he was there. “Over here,” I said with a wave.

  He sat down next to me and I kissed him on the cheek. I wasn’t normally that affectionate, but I was worried about my brother. “How are you?”

  “Fine.”

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “No.”

  “Are you going to?”

  “No. She doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I understand her situation. Her husband has been dead for years but she can’t move on. It’s better that she told me now rather than wait until we were in a serious relationship or something.”

  “I think you should talk to her.”

  “She told me she didn’t want to see me anymore. If I pursue her, I’ll scare her. That’s the last thing I want, especially since that watch dog will come after me.”

  I knew he was referring to Ethan. “I’m sorry about him. He’s just protective.”

  “I picked up on that,” he said sarcastically.

  “Don’t give up, Jared.”