by M. M. Koenig
“I take it Trevor didn’t see him yesterday,” Ethan said flatly.
“No. He’s still grasping the concept of what yesterday means. He probably saw Micah when he returned and is associating that time with it,” I answered in a sad whisper.
Ethan turned me around. I tried to calm myself in his hold. He ran his hands up my arms before bringing me into his chest. His embrace was warm as his fingers gently ran up the curves of my back. It seemed as though he was trying to comfort himself as much as me.
“Do you know where he might be?”
“No. The only reason I want to know is because I want some closure with him.”
I rested my head against his chest, making every effort to get my heart to stop hammering so hard. Ethan placed his forehead on mine as we stood in silence.
“Is everything OK Mia?” Lillian asked, full of concern.
I stepped to the side of Ethan so that I could see her. I grabbed his hand, mostly for the comfort of his touch. “Yes. I think we’re going to take off. Thank you again for having us.”
I made an extra effort to keep my voice from cracking. Lillian knew something wasn’t right just by watching Trey and me. Trey could explain if she had questions. The whole evening had exhausted me. I hated when my emotions flipped so quickly in short periods.
“I’m terribly sorry about Trevor. He misses Micah. It’s difficult for him to understand,” Lillian responded quietly.
The look on her face led me to believe that she missed Micah just as much as her kids. It made me feel even worse about his absence in our lives. Though I disliked admitting it, I missed Micah too. Having him come back had messed with me tremendously. Our last conversation together had been running on repeat in my head whenever I had a moment alone. I didn’t have them often, which was good. When I did, I became a hot mess with everything that blew through me. The questions Micah pushed to the surface continued to scream at me for answers. I wished for his return so he could finally tell me everything. After our episode in the parking lot, I had done another sweep of my room to look his letter, but it remained missing. It made my paranoia about his unpredictable behavior even more intense.
“I know. It’s difficult for me too,” I answered honestly.
“Thank you for inviting me into your home. The food was amazing and your children are lovely,” Ethan spoke up.
We strode towards Lillian and Ethan stopped in front of her. She looked between us with a warm smile. She pulled Ethan towards her and gave him a tender hug before looking at me. I dropped Ethan’s hand and stepped towards her.
Lillian held me tight as she spoke softly into my ear. “I like him Mia. You better bring him back. I know today was hard for you, but it’s the first step towards moving on with your life. Thank you for making us a part of that.”
“I will. I promise.”
Lillian rested a hand on my cheek before letting us pass. We left the house and got into the car in silence. Ethan drove towards his place with his hand on my thigh. After the strange evening we had had, I wasn’t the least shocked that my body remained somewhat dormant.
“Thank you for introducing me to Lillian. She’s wonderful,” Ethan spoke up.
I smiled. “I’m sorry it ended the way it did, but I’m glad that you got to meet her.”
“It certainly wasn’t boring. I’m going to have to take Bri’s advice.”
My head shot his way. Ethan was gazing at me with devotion in his eyes. My grin widened as I brought my hand to rest upon his. “It’s impossible to be bored in that house. There are too many bodies running around,” I pointed out.
“I agree. I like the little one. You looked incredible holding him. I wouldn’t mind seeing that sight real soon,” Ethan said, as serious as could be.
My jaw dropped and I proceeded to cough repeatedly, feeling completely shocked. Ethan let out a hearty laugh. After realizing the bastard had done it for yet another priceless reaction, I relaxed and smacked him before crossing my arms.
“I think I fall in love with you even more when your filter is off. Your reactions never disappoint,” Ethan remarked between chuckles.
I scowled. “You’re the only person that ever gets them out of me, so consider yourself special.”
Ethan stopped laughing and focused intently on me. “I wouldn’t say special, more like lucky. I’m glad I found you.”
I placed a soft kiss on the inside of his wrist before clasping our hands together. It certainly had been an interesting evening, but I survived it, with him. Ethan had seen a side of my life that I didn’t share with anyone. I relished in the fact that I had showed it to him.
CHAPTER NINE
Tipping Point
Ethan and I drove to work separately the next day. I spent most of my time going through everything in the presentation that needed to be fine-tuned before reviewing what Ethan had inserted over the last couple of weeks. I still felt like there was another reason I was working solely with him, but I didn’t press it. My intuition wasn’t exactly what it used to be. I was preparing to leave when Ethan’s phone rang. His mood instantly shifted when he saw the number. I cringed and turned off my laptop. I dreaded that phone ringing about as much as he did. Every time it happened, the call always seemed to enrage him.
Ethan picked up on the third ring and snapped, “What Colin?”
I kept my eyes off him and slid the laptop over to the corner of his desk before grabbing my purse. My eyes skimmed the room as I waited for Ethan to blow up. He had been listening for several minutes without saying a word, so it was due any second. I cautiously looked up from the floor, since I couldn’t justifiably keep my focus there much longer. Ethan stood behind his desk with a finger up for me to wait. I wasn’t planning on leaving without saying goodbye, but it was clear he had something to tell me.
“Yes, it won’t be an issue. The proposal is finished,” Ethan said evenly.
His face blanked before flaming a deep shade of red. I decided it’d probably be best for me to take a seat. I sat and stared at my hands. They always became amazingly interesting whenever Ethan was like this. It was precisely why I avoided asking him any questions about the company.
“No, Mia comes with me. She’s on my service until I say otherwise,” Ethan barked.
I looked up and quickly saw the fury in his eyes. My heart rate jumped up a few notches as my stomach started tying itself together.
“It’s not negotiable Colin,” Ethan yelled before slamming the phone down.
Ethan turned his back to me as he took steady breaths. I stopped breathing entirely. As he turned around slowly, I could see he was doing his best to appear unaffected, but his body betrayed him. His muscles remained tense, and the vein in his forehead was beating in time with his rigid breaths. He placed his palms down on the desk and worked his mouth into a contrite smile.
“Go home and pack a bag. We’re leaving for a business trip out west. I’ll need you to be at my apartment by eight so that we can make our flight,” Ethan commanded.
A whirlwind of emotions ran through me. The most pressing was irritation. I had little patience for anyone barking orders at me like I was a foot solider. It was bad enough that a malevolent asshole was manipulating me. To have my boyfriend be that way with me was more than I was willing to tolerate. I remained unmoving with my arms crossed. Ethan’s forehead scrunched to display an unmistakable crest in the center. It always gave a clue to his level of frustration, and he was a step away from being completely infuriated.
“You should pack some clothes for free time too,” Ethan said, his tone softening slightly.
Ethan and I stood glaring at each other for a moment before he relented. He sat down in his chair, but averted his eyes from me. “I’d rather have you ask what you want to know before I completely lose my temper with you,” he said coolly, running his fingers along the edge of his desk.
“Tell me what’s going on, because demanding me to do shit has never really got you anywhere. It’s right up there with
you making decisions for me,” I shot back.
He tapped his fingers together as if he was about to patiently explain something to a child. “We’ve polished off the proposal. The meeting date has yet to be set. Until then, I’m in between deals. There’s a potential client out west. It’s perfect timing for me to do the traveling for the company. You’re under my direction, so you’ll accompany me,” Ethan replied nonchalantly.
“Are you going to tell me something useful, or do you want me to keep getting angrier?” I asked, through clenched teeth.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this when I asked you to come with me,” Ethan muttered.
“Get to the point. Why don’t you start with why you were talking about me with Colin?”
Ethan narrowed his eyes. “He wanted you to stay here, but as you heard, I said no.”
I curled my fists together and asked, “Why did he want me to stay here?”
“It doesn’t matter. I refuse to leave town without you when I know Harrison is out there watching your every move,” Ethan bit back.
I raised an eyebrow at his tone, but his face had me withering just as quick. Ethan was nearing his wrath zone. Color crept up his neck, and the muscles in his jaw were twitching nonstop as he clenched it. “Mia, I saw your phone the other day. Harrison has left very little room for me to stay on the sidelines for much longer. It’s precisely why you will not stay here without me.”
My chest was so tight that my breathing was almost non-existent. “Ethan, I told you when you came back that Harrison was threatening me. He’s sporadic when he does it. I rarely discuss it with you because you get like this,” I pointed out bitterly.
Ethan rolled back in his chair before standing up in haste. “You promised you’d stop withholding stuff from me, but you’re still doing it. When are you going to believe in me? When are you finally going to let that wall fall so we can get past this point? You say you believe I’d never do anything to hurt you, but your actions say otherwise.”
My heart was slashed by the rawness of his words. The only thing that kept me from crying was my anger with his acidic tone. I felt like he’d tried to silence me in the same way he’d spoken to Colin. Frankly, I didn’t care for it. I inhaled deeply to focus on one emotion, settling on my ire with him.
“I’m not going anywhere with you until you start being honest with me about things around here. I’m over you acting like this. You’re a prick to me every time something about that meeting comes up. I want a real answer for once. Let’s start with why Colin would even care about my whereabouts,” I snarled.
“I’d rather not boil over with you right now so please let it be until we’re away. I give you my word that I’ll answer any questions that you have about this place,” Ethan fired back.
The expression on his face told me that it was a ‘take it or leave it’ offer.
“You better not be lying to me,” I sniped.
Ethan gritted his teeth and said, “I’m not. If you ask something, I’ll answer it as truthfully as I can, but I won’t tell you anything that could endanger you.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea? Harrison warned me not to leave town after Miami. He could act on all his threats if I go with you now,” I pointed out.
A chill ran up my spine that sent shivers through my entire body.
“It’d only spell out that I know what’s going on if you stay here alone when he damn well knows you’re working with me. If Harrison knows what’s good for him, he’ll refrain from bothering you while we’re out of town,” Ethan said icily.
Holy shit! By the look on his face, I’d say he was about a step away from murdering Harrison. It makes me wonder even more what he’s really capable of and what his plans are.
“Ethan, I don’t like this either way. Do you even realize you didn’t bother to ask me? You just shouted out an order. I’m here under the pretense of being an employee, but I’m your girlfriend in reality.”
“Will you please go home and pack now?” Ethan asked, exasperated.
“Fine,” I shot back.
“I deserve your anger … but Mia, I’m not entirely thrilled with you either. It’s not easy for me to handle this situation with Harrison or have you here when I know you shouldn’t be, especially when you won’t let me do anything about it. You keep forgetting that you started everything on a lie. I chose to forgive you,” Ethan bit back.
I looked away while fighting off tears. I hated being reminded of that fact. It was the biggest mistake I had ever made. The frigidness, accompanied by my self-disgust, moved front and center to dispel the fury that had been commanding me. I grabbed my stuff from the floor and headed for the door.
“Mia, wait,” Ethan breathed.
I reached forward to open the door. “I need to go.”
“I know you do, but I wanted to tell you something before you left.”
I released the handle as my head fell against the closed door. Ethan approached and rested his hands on my hips. He took a deep breath before stepping away to open the door.
“I love you,” he said lightly.
“I love you too,” I mumbled.
His hands tightened around me as he urged me to look at him before I left. I turned around to meet his tense gaze. He gripped a hand around my neck and nudged me closer to him. His lips came to mine and parted them slightly for a gentle kiss. After a minute, I pulled away and continued out the door. I had no desire to linger for any more words that could ignite us – and not in a good way.
When I got home, I took a moment to gather myself before getting out of my car. I didn’t have to check the mirror to know that my face would give away my mood. I really needed to get my ass upstairs and pack anyway. The whole idea of going made my stomach turn. Everything screamed at me that this would probably push Harrison over the edge. I was flirting with trouble, but then again, not going could be just as dangerous. I didn’t have a good feeling about it, especially after having such a monumental fight with Ethan. We were so busy screaming at each other that I didn’t bother asking how long we were going to be gone. I went for my phone to text him.
How long will this trip be?
While I waited for his response, I grabbed my purse and headed towards the house. Jackson was on a couch outside, strumming on his guitar. His knees poked out of his ripped jeans. The tattoos on his upper chest were visible from his large V-neck SinSanity shirt. His hair fell lazily into his eyes as he concentrated on a new chord. As soon as I hit the stairs, Jackson gazed up with a smile. It faded as he took me in. He set his guitar aside and patted the spot next to him. Seeing the concern in his eyes, I sat willingly.
“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
I opened my mouth, but my phone vibrated with a new text.
We’ll return on Sunday.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I muttered, irritated.
“What’s going on Mia? Why are you so upset?” Jackson pressed.
“I’m leaving tonight on a business trip with Ethan,” I answered stiffly.
Jackson turned to me with a sharp look in his eyes. “I asked why you’re upset. You seem to forget that I know you too. Tell me what’s eating at you. Every time you come home from that place you have the same look of defeat in your eyes. It kills me to see it, knowing that you stay there because you feel a need to protect the rest of us.”
I exhaled shakily. “That company is terrible. I know Ethan’s not horrible and he’s on his way out, but Sean and Colin are evil assholes that will continue to corrupt everything they touch. Tonight, I came up in conversation between Ethan and Colin. Ethan wouldn’t tell me why.”
Jackson ran his hands repeatedly through his hair. “I still believe that there’s a bigger reason Harrison went after you Mia. I wish you’d consider letting Jayden look into it.” I opened my mouth to argue, but his eyes narrowed. “Jayden could answer most of these questions. I’ve never met anyone that is as selfless as you. You keep lo
oking at this entire matter like it was your mistake, but what you fail to see is that you were preyed on by an extremely powerful man. I don’t think for a second it was a coincidence,” Jackson contended.
I wrapped my hands around myself to still my somersaulting stomach. The street lamps sprang to life as the sun disappeared. A car turned around the corner, but slowed down as it hit our street. As it drove past our house, my breath hitched because it was the same black Benz I spotted weeks ago on my run. My eyes drifted to my lap as I worked to ease the panic slithering through my body.
“You promised to tell us the truth. What’s with that car?” Jackson asked, arching an eyebrow.
“I saw it a few weeks ago. I think it was following me, but I can’t be sure. Seeing it now I’m assuming I was right,” I admitted.
Jackson’s face whipped to the right to follow the Benz, but it had turned off our road. He curled his hands tightly together before facing me again and said, “Mia, it’s another sign. You need to start digging for some answers.”
I looked away. The desperation to find those answers was fighting to win against the heavy doubt that kept me from doing it. “I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said Jackson. I just don’t trust myself to go down the right path to find those answers. I’ll end up hurting someone. I refuse to let that happen,” I said stubbornly.
“Mia, I’m going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me. Are you scared to find out what’s going on because you might be linked to it, or are you holding back because it’ll expose a side of Ethan you don’t want to admit is possible?”
I glimpsed at Jackson and fidgeted with my necklace. His hair was swept across his eyes, but it didn’t hide the deep-rooted worry behind them. “It terrifies me that Harrison has proven that he knows parts of my life that aren’t public knowledge. It also scares the hell out of me that I know there’s corruption in Ethan’s company, but I’m not sure of the depth of it.”
“What about Ethan? He doesn’t seem shady. Why is he there?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. We rarely speak about it because all we end up doing is fighting.”