Chapter 23

Jenna

I ROLLED OVER AND REACHED for Ethan, only he wasn’t there. When my eyes finally adjusted to make out the bright red 3:17 on the clock, I sat up, trying to make out the eerie shapes in the darkness. My mind always played tricks on me this time of night, creating an instant sense of dread. I reached for the lamp on my nightstand, amazed at how just a little bit of light chased away any irrational thoughts. My feet hit the cold hardwood floor, and I slipped on my sweatshirt that was lying on the chair. Darkness greeted me when I opened my bedroom door to the long hallway with a million thoughts racing through my head. Had Ethan gone in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye? Or maybe he’d just gone for a walk on the beach to clear his head. I knew he was stressed over the deadline his publisher had placed on him. I crept down the stairs, searching for some form of life, but there was none. I was just about to look out the front door for his car when a faint light in the dining room caught my eye.

“Ethan.” I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him sitting at the table in the darkness with just the glow of his laptop.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. I just rolled over and you weren’t there...and I missed you.” I moved closer.

“Oh, I just woke up and had some thoughts I wanted to type out before I forgot them.”

“That’s great! Is this for a new story?”

“Yeah, but this one isn’t going to be the one I submit for the deadline. This one is going to get the proper attention it deserves.”

I smiled, happy to see him showing a little enthusiasm once again for something he was so good at.

“That’s awesome!”

He nodded. “And I actually think I came up with something to appease my publisher.”

“Really? Can you tell me about it?” I asked, taking a seat next to him.

“About two years ago, I started this story. I was about halfway into it, and I ditched it. I wasn’t happy with the way it was going. I wanted to take some time to sit on it and see if I could rework some things. That was around the time Darrah and I were really at each other’s throats. She was accusing me of spending too much of my time writing, while Edward was on my case to get it done. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I deleted it, all seventy thousand plus words that I’d done. I thought I had some of it saved to my laptop, but I must’ve gotten rid of that too. It’s been so long since I even opened this damn thing, I’m surprised there aren’t cobwebs growing in it.”

“What about a flash drive? Is there a chance that you could have saved it to one?”

“I probably did, but in the heat of one of my fights with Darrah, she wigged out and threw all my flash drives in the fireplace.”

“Oh, man. That sucks.”

“Yeah, well…like I said, I wasn’t happy with the writing, but now that I have the premise, I think I can put something together.”

“Well, can you share the premise with me or do I have to wait like everyone else?” I grinned.

“How’s this sound? Let me do a few chapters and then I’ll pass them by you first to get your expert opinion on them.”

“Wow, I’m honored. Jonathan Reed wants my feeble little opinion on his work?”

“No, Ethan Banks does.” He smiled.

“Well, either way, I would love to be given that opportunity. But I have to warn you, I’m a very mean editor,” I joked.

“The meaner the better.” He raised an eyebrow. “But somehow, I think I could win you over.”

“Nope. There will be no special treatment, Mr. Reed. I—”

He leaned over and pressed his lips against mine and I melted.

“That’s not fair,” I whispered, throwing my head back as he kissed my neck.

I reached over and closed his laptop, falling into his lap and surrendering.

***

The morning faded into afternoon, and I was holding out hope that Ethan would be sticking around for a little while longer. “I know it’s like bedlam here with the plumbers running in and out and all of the other construction going on, but why don’t you just stay and write? You can sit on the beach during the day with your laptop, and then by dinnertime everything starts to quiet down.”

He took my hand in his and pressed his forehead against mine. “I’d love to, but there’s one distraction I can’t ignore.”

“What’s that?” I asked, willing to alleviate whatever it was, if it meant he’d stay.

“You.”

I shook my head and smiled in defeat, realizing how selfish it was of me to want him to stay with me when he had such a strict deadline to meet. “Fine. You win,” I relented.

“So, today is Tuesday.” He stared into space, deep in thought. “If I write nonstop between now and Friday, I think I could be right on schedule to take a break and come see you again this weekend.”

“That sounds wonderful.” He wasn’t even gone yet and I was already counting the hours until I’d see him again. My heart sank when he put on his coat and grabbed his things. Each time I was with him, it was harder and harder to say goodbye. “Oh, wait!” I darted into the kitchen and grabbed the little care package I’d made for him. “I made some blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, and some baked ziti for you to take back with you for some writing fuel.”

A genuine smile spread across his face. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do this.”

“What can I say? You’re cute. Go write your brains out, so you can get back here this weekend, and I can start reading some of your chapters.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I walked out to the front porch with him, wishing I could freeze time. He took my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. “You better leave before I kidnap you and hold you hostage. Hey…now there’s an idea for a book! Oh, wait, it’s already been done.” I chuckled.

“I’ll text you later.”

“K. Drive safely.”

He brushed my forehead with his lips and headed down the steps to his car. The cool, brisk air sent a chill through me as I stood on the porch reveling in the intense connection I had with the man who’d just driven away. It seemed so bizarre to think that a little over a month ago I was ready to spend forever with someone else. Now here I was, consumed with this beautiful, damaged soul who was becoming a bigger part of my life than I could have ever imagined. Was it crazy? Maybe. Would it end in heartache? Possibly. But as screwed up as it all seemed, my heart was powerless to stop it.