I lift my head and twist to look up at his face. My hand cups his cheek tenderly. “I was so afraid I was going to lose you. And then, I had to come here and try to keep it together, because why would Vesper’s little sister be worrying so much about Amy’s older brother?”
He lets out a deep laugh again, but it turns into a cough. “I’m sorry, but you’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“Your mom knows,” I blurt out.
“What?”
“I was in your bed. Naked. She came in to get a bag of clothes for you, and she found me. She’s the one who told me about the accident.”
He raises his left hand and rubs his eyes. “That’s just great.”
“She promised she wouldn’t tell.”
“I don’t even care right now. I just want you.” He pulls me forward and our lips meet, soft and strong. He kisses me deeply and passionately through the bruises and swelling. I try to make him stop, but he persists. Something about this kiss is different. It’s not like our usual kisses. It’s not a soft and quick kiss to keep anyone from seeing. It’s not the hot, hard kisses we share when we’re making love. This kiss is soft and slow and strong. It’s love. It’s relief. It’s being thankful. It’s everything.
His tongue swirls around mine, and it feels like he’s savoring me. It causes my stomach to tighten and goosebumps to take over my skin. It makes me want to climb on top of him and take every last inch of him. But he’s hurt, and he needs rest, so I break the kiss.
“I’m going to have to go soon.” I rest my head on his chest.
“Go back to my place. I get released tomorrow and I want you there, taking care of me.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “You do?”
“Of course I do, Aria.” He pulls me back in for a quick kiss. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promises.
Chapter 12
Ethan
“Are you ready to go home, big brother?” Amy asks, stepping into my room and dropping her duffel bag of a purse into the chair with a thunk.
I nod and sit up slowly. “More than ready. You have no idea how much you love your own bed until you’re forced to sleep somewhere else.”
Mom walks in and starts gathering my belongings and stuffing them into the bag she brought yesterday. “The nurse is bringing up the discharge papers now. It won’t be long. You want to stop and grab something to eat on the way home? I know how much food you can put away and how horrible the slop is here.”
The only thing I want is to get home to Aria. “Nah, all the meds they doped me up with have messed with my head. I just want to go home and actually get some sleep.”
“Well, you don’t need to worry; I plan on staying with you until you’re all better!” Amy beams a wide smile.
“What? No!” I yell unintentionally.
Mom grins but turns her back to us to hide it, and Amy looks confused and alarmed.
“I mean, I’ll be fine. I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself. Plus, you have a new business to worry about and a wedding to plan.”
Amy scoffs. “Mom, tell him he doesn’t need to be alone right now.” She waves in my direction, one hand on her hip that’s sticking out—something she does when she’s being bratty and not getting her way.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, dear. He can take care of himself.”
The nurse wheels me to the door in a wheelchair and helps me into the car. While I have no broken bones, I’m unbelievably sore and the neck brace I have to wear is uncomfortable. I have to move slowly so I don’t hurt myself. Amy and Mom help me up to my apartment, and Amy unlocks the door while Mom helps me inside. She places my bag on the kitchen table.
“I’ll go turn down the bed for you,” Amy says, rushing down the hallway.
“No, Amy, it’s fine!” I try, but she doesn’t listen.
“Serves you right,” Mom says, taking down a coffee cup. “What did I tell you about that girl, Ethan?”
“Mom,” I breathe out as I slowly sit in the kitchen chair.
“I told you not to get mixed up with her, didn’t I? And what did you do? You went and started up a relationship with her. It’s not good for your job, and it’s not good for your sisters. What happens when you two break up, huh? It will put a rift in their friendship. It’s blood or friendship. You know family always chooses blood. And I’d hate to think of what that could mean for your sister’s business since Liam and Vesper are part-owners. Did you even think about these things, or were you just concerned with your manhood?”
“Mom, that’s enough. I’ve lived my entire life without you having to parent me. Don’t you think it’s a little too late to start now?”
Amy walks back into the room. “What are you two fighting about?” She leans against the wall and crosses her arms.
Based on her relaxed expression, I’m guessing Aria isn’t here.
“Nothing. I’m going to bed. Thanks for the help, sis.” I stand and pat her on the shoulder.
“I was going to make you some tea,” Mom says.
“I’ll pass.” I open the front door. They both take the hint and head out.
I stand in the open doorway and watch them until they’re in the elevator, going down, then I snatch the spare key so they can’t come back in. Locking the door, I head to my bedroom. Amy has the bed turned down, but there’s no Aria in sight. I carefully remove my shirt and sit on the bed, causing the springs to squeal with my weight. The closet door creaks open, and I look up to see Aria stepping out, wrapped in a sheet.
I smile and reach for her.
“Are they gone?”
“They’re gone.” I pull her down onto the bed and curl up beside her, pressing kisses to her skin.
“What if they come back?”
“I took the spare key so they can’t get back in. We have nothing to worry about,” I say around more kisses.
She giggles and wiggles farther away. “Ethan, you’re hurt. You need to rest.”
“Fuck rest. I need you.” I pull her back against me, allowing my hands to slide beneath the sheet and tour her trembling body.
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself. The doctor said you have a pinched nerve, and that if it doesn’t heal with medication and rest, it will require surgery.”
“Aria, I could have died.” I level my eyes on her. “Fuck rest. Fuck surgery. All I want is to enjoy the fact that I’m alive, and that I have you. Okay?”
She presses her lips together as she looks at me from beneath her long lashes. “Okay. But let me be on top.”
“Now you’re talking,” I laugh out, rolling slowly to my back.
The week passes, and my cuts, scrapes, and bruises have mostly healed. However, my body is still slightly sore, and my neck is killing me. Since my first day home, I’ve taken it easy. I wear my neck brace, I take my anti-inflammatory medication, and I rest. The doctor says only time will tell if I’ll need surgery or not, but I can already tell that this isn’t going to heal on its own. Every time I turn my head, that nerve gets pinched and it creates a wave of pain so strong it turns my stomach. Tingles run up and down my back and I get dizzy. Even though I hate the neck brace, it’s easier to keep it on than to accidentally turn my head and have to deal with the pain and sickness it brings on.
Aria has been great with the whole thing. She knows we can’t spend our time the way we usually do, and since no one knows about us, we have no choice but to sit inside and watch TV. And I know she must hate that. Aria was always a party girl. She liked to stay busy and keep moving. She was always out drinking with friends, shopping, or getting spoiled by everyone in her life. But since I’m out of commission, there isn’t much of any of that right now. It puts her on edge, and it pisses me off that I can’t give her everything I know she needs. Deep down, I’m afraid she’ll end up leaving me for a man who can do those things. She deserves it, really. She’s done nothing but work and take care of me. She needs a break.
“I have an idea,” she says beside me.
&n
bsp; I turn my upper body to face her since turning my head is no longer an option. “What?”
“Let’s take a trip or something. We can’t go out together here, and I’m seriously tired of sitting in our apartments. Let’s get away for a little while and go someplace where nobody knows us.”
“And how are we supposed to explain that? We both just happen to go out of town at the exact same time?”
She shrugs. “They would have no reason to believe we’re together,” she points out.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath that causes pain to shoot through my neck. “Aria, I would love to, but the truth is, there isn’t much of anything I can do right now. Every time I move, I’m in pain.”
“Ethan,” she breathes out, “I love being with you. I enjoy the time we spend together, but aren’t you getting tired of having to hide? If we’re going to do this, I want to do it right. You know—go out on dates, and be around our family and friends. I feel like you’re ashamed of me.” She stands, hands on her hips as she stares me down.
“Fuck, Aria.” I roll my eyes and rest my head against the back of the couch, and even that shoots a lightning bolt through my head and down my back. My fingertips go numb. “I’m not ashamed of you, but what happened to ‘I’m not the girl who does relationships. I don’t get clingy or demand more than anyone is willing to give me’? Remember saying that? Shit is fucked up right now, and the fact that I’m hurt doesn’t help matters.”
“I guess we don’t have a lot in common if we’re not fucking, huh?” Her voice is bitter and her face is pinched with anger.
“Aria, please don’t do this right now,” I beg.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.” She shakes her head. “I’m just going stir crazy. I have to get out of here. I need a break.”
“Then go. Leave and find something fun to do. God knows you deserve it. You’ve done nothing but take care of me.” The words weren’t meant to sound condescending, but they did.
She scoffs. “Fine.” She grabs her jacket and purse. “I’ll talk to you later, Ethan.” Without another word, she rushes out the door, leaving me sitting on the couch in pain and confused about what just happened.
After the accident, I have to take time off from work to give my neck a chance to heal. Since I haven’t been able to leave the apartment, I haven’t seen or heard from Aria since she stormed out last week. I’ve called and she doesn’t answer her phone. I’ve sent text messages and emails, and still, nothing. It’s becoming all too clear that Aria and I are done. Even before I got hurt, I treated her like a dirty little secret. No wonder she thinks I’m ashamed of her, or that she isn’t good enough to be seen with me. Really, it’s the other way around. She should be embarrassed to be seen with me—a guy who did nothing but use her for sex, who never even took her out to dinner, and who hid her away like she did something wrong.
Anger fills my chest at my stupidity. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why didn’t I recognize a good thing when I had it? Why didn’t I see how much I was addicted to her—and not just the sex, but her smiles, giggles, soft touches, and seductive looks? I miss talking with her. I miss watching her sleep. I miss locking the door to my apartment and just getting lost in our world. But it wasn’t our world. It was everyone’s world, and I made her think she wasn’t good enough for it.
My phone rings and I pick it up quickly, hoping it’s Aria. I’m in such a hurry, I forget to check the caller ID.
“Aria?”
“Aria? Why would Aria be calling?” Amy asks.
A deep breath leaves my lips in a hurry—disappointment washing over me. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for her to call regarding something at work,” I lie. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a party tonight, and I figured you were probably tired of being stuck in that apartment all alone. Want to come? There will be drinks and food,” she tries bargaining with me.
I let out a short laugh. “No, I’m not feeling up to a party.”
“Oh, it’s not a real party. It’s just a small get-together. Vesper is pregnant and she’s announcing it to the family tonight. It’s just close friends and family.”
Family? Ves’ family will be there. Which means Aria will be there. “Oh, all right. Why not? Can you pick me up? You know I can’t drive yet.”
“Not a problem. I’ll be there in an hour. Get off your ass and shower. I bet you stink.” Amy laughs then hangs up the phone.
I let the phone fall from my hands as I pinch my t-shirt between my fingers and lift it to my nose.
She isn’t wrong.
With a deep breath, I stand and head for the shower, needing to clean up and look good to see my girl. I don’t even know what I want to say. “I’m sorry” is at the top of that list, but I still don’t have a solution for our problem. My mom was right when she said I was putting Amy’s business in jeopardy by dating Aria. If everything goes south, not only will I lose Aria for good, but it could also come between Amy and Vesper. I’d ruin everyone’s lives. Is that a chance I can take?
Chapter 13
Aria
“Seriously, why are you moping? This is a happy day, remember?” Vesper says as she bumps her shoulder against mine.
I light another candle and place it on the table for the party. “Can I talk to you about something without you judging me or making me feel like shit for it?”
She inhales loudly. “Of course, Ari.” She takes my hand and tugs me into the living room. We both sit on the couch, facing each other.
“So, I started having this random fling.”
“Uh-huh. With whom?”
My eyes cut in her direction. “That’s not the point.” My eyes widen, hoping she gets how serious this is and doesn’t ask again. “Okay,” I take a deep breath, ready to spill it all, “there’s this guy I really like. Like, I really, really, really like him.”
She smiles and nods. “Okay.”
“But the thing is, we shouldn’t really be together. There’s an age difference, and there are just so many people between us that if we get together and break up, it would affect more than just us, right?”
She nods.
“So, we agreed to do what we do in secret. It’s been going on for months now. And while I never thought it’d go on this long, I never expected to fall in love with him either.”
“I don’t know why anyone thinks they can hook up over and over and expect that feelings will never get involved. You know that’s how Liam and I got together, don’t you?”
I laugh and nod.
“And Tyler and Amy!” Her eyes are wide, her way of saying, Hello? Don’t you pay attention?
“I know. But it wasn’t the plan. We had this attraction that we couldn’t ignore any longer, and trust me, we tried. We really tried.”
“Okay, so what’s the problem, Aria? You want more and he doesn’t?”
I nod once, eyes downcast. “That and…” I take a deep breath, preparing for the next words I need to say—words that I have yet to say out loud or even really acknowledge. “I’m pregnant, Vesper.”
She inhales loudly and quickly as her hand flies up to cover her mouth. “Aria, no!”
I nod, tears filling my eyes. “I just found out a few days ago. We got into a fight last weekend, and I haven’t talked to him since. He doesn’t know.”
She leans forward, placing her elbows on her knees and using her hands to hold her hair away from her face. “I can’t believe this, Aria. What are you going to do?” Finally, she sits up and looks at me.
I shrug. “I haven’t decided yet.” I let out a long breath to calm myself. “I mean, what choice do I have? I either have the baby and raise it, or I give it up for adoption. But do I tell him?”
“You have to tell him, Aria. Don’t take his choice away from him. He has a say in this too.” She reaches over and takes my hands in hers. A smile tugs at her lips. “Plus, can you imagine our kids growing up together? They’d be just like you and I were: close in age and always together.”
>
Her words make me smile. I hadn’t even thought of that. Already, I’m picturing two little girls running down the sidewalk and jumping into puddles in their Sunday best just like we did. I see one little girl with red curls just like Vesper, and one little girl with my dark hair and Ethan’s dark eyes. My heart swells.
“We’re here!” Amy says, walking in the front door and breaking me from my thoughts.
We? Who’s we? I stand and wipe the tears from my eyes just in time to see Ethan walk in behind her.
Fuck. I know the only reason he came here is because I’ve been avoiding him this past week. At first, it was because I needed time to think. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue with the way we’d been doing things. I love him, but if he can’t even tell his family about us, then does he really love me? But then I found out about the pregnancy, and I couldn’t call him—not until I made up my mind about what I wanted to do. Until this very moment, I didn’t know. It all suddenly made sense as I talked to Ves. Of course I want this baby. Even if she doesn’t have a daddy in her life, she will have a mommy who loves her like crazy. She’ll have a cousin who will be like a sibling, and of course, Aunt Vesper and Uncle Liam. Not to mention Amy, Tyler, whatever kids they have, plus Mom and Dad. This baby will have plenty of love, whether Ethan is in the picture or not.
Vesper immediately grabs ahold of Amy and drags her into the kitchen, probably to fill her in on the news, leaving Ethan and me alone. He looks at me and I see his Adam’s apple bob.
I point at his neck. “You’re not wearing your brace.”
“I hate that thing,” he replies, sliding his hands into his front pockets. “Aria, can we talk?”
I open my mouth to answer, but then my parents and Liam walk in. Dad and Liam are having a discussion about farming equipment, and Mom is rattling nonstop as she heads toward the kitchen to find Ves.
Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 37
