Chapter 31

Jenna

I PLACED THE BREAKFAST tray I was holding on the night table and watched Ethan, so at peace as he slept. The pain he was riddled with last night seemed to have faded away, and I was hoping it would never return. I sat down on the side of the bed, and he stirred. Unable to resist any longer, I touched my lips to his forehead and his sleepy eyes peeled open. A beautiful smile stretched across his face as he gazed up at me, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.

“What time is it?” he asked as he sat up.

“After nine.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Because you were tired, and I wanted to surprise you with this.” I got up and grabbed the tray of pancakes and placed it on his lap.

“Jenna, you didn’t have to do this.”

“I know, but I wanted to. Besides, I washed the clothes you had on yesterday and they’re in the dryer now. I didn’t think you’d want to walk around naked in front of the guys working downstairs.”

He shook his head and let out a chuckle. “I suppose there could be worse places to be than trapped naked in a beautiful woman’s bed.”

“That’s the spirt!” I laughed, grabbing a cup of coffee from the tray and taking a seat next to him on the bed.

“So, I was wondering…after you get some clothes on, would you want to go with me to pick out a Christmas tree? I could really use your big, strong muscles to carry it inside for me.” I slid my hand down his bicep.

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” he teased, taking a piece of pancake on the fork and feeding it to me.

“Hey, they came out pretty good, if I do say so myself.” I rested my head on his shoulder and opened my mouth when he held the fork up to my mouth for another bite. “So, since I’m holding my breath, dying to read your story...”

“Oh, shoot. Sorry, I kind of forgot to send the chapters to you.”

“It’s fine. I know you had a lot going on yesterday, but can you at least tell me what it’s about?”

“I suppose, since I made you wait this long.”

I smiled and waited in anticipation

“It starts out in West Africa. This American guy is backpacking there and inadvertently witnesses a human sacrifice of one of the native tribes.”

I took a sip of my coffee and listened intently, something about this story seeming so familiar to me.

“So, part of the voodoo of the tribe is, the last person the sacrificed person makes eye contact with will be doomed to be possessed by their spirt for the rest of their life, and it can come in many different forms—human, animal, insect. Years later, this guy is now back in the United States, and still has nightmares about what he’d witnessed all those years ago, but has moved on with his life...”

He continued talking, but my mind was going at a rapid pace. I’d remembered a story very similar to that coming across my desk not too long ago, and I couldn’t figure out for the life of me who the author was. I didn’t want to say anything to Ethan until I was one hundred percent sure. I could have been wrong. After a while all the stories started to mesh into one, and I was hoping that was the case with this one.

“Wow! That sounds really good.” I tried to remain as upbeat as possible. “So, how do you like my pancakes?” I asked, switching subjects.

“They’re okay.”

My eyes widened, and he chuckled.

“They’re the best pancakes I’ve ever tasted.”

“Oh no, now you’re just being patronizing.” I pretended to pout.

“I’m being serious.”

“Just remember, Ethan Banks, I have your clothes.” I raised an eyebrow and smirked.

***

While Ethan showered, I sent Amelia a text to call me when she was available. I wanted to pick her brain and see if Ethan’s new storyline rang any bells with her. I hated to disappoint him when he was making such great progress, but if there was a similar story, I wanted him to know about it. I smiled when Ethan’s arms wrapped around my waist as I stood at the kitchen sink cleaning up the breakfast dishes. He lifted my hair and kissed the back of my neck and my insides instantly yearned for him.

“You clean up nice.” I turned around to face him, running my hand along the razor stubble on his cheek.

“So, I guess it’s official?”

“What?” I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

“I now have a toothbrush at your place.”

I laughed. “Yeah, what type of relationship status would you say that makes us?”

“I’m not sure, but I’d like to think…” He planted a kiss on my forehead. “That maybe it means you’re my girlfriend.”

I couldn’t hold back my smile. “Ethan Banks, are you asking me to go steady?”

He shook his head and laughed. “If this were the nineteen-fifties then yes, but considering it’s not…I guess I’m just asking you to be my girl.”

I inched closer to him, whispering in his ear, “As long as you promise to be my guy.”

“I think you already know the answer to that.” I looped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. “Come on. Let’s go get you a Christmas tree before we start something we can’t stop. Something that will give these guys more to talk about than me walking around naked.”

“Fine. You prude,” I teased.

“Hey, I’m all up for putting on a show.” He called my bluff.

“Let’s go get the tree.” I pulled on his arm and led him out the door.

***

“And what are you planning on decorating this tree with?” Ethan asked after struggling for some time to get it straight in the stand.

“I’m pretty sure my aunt has some old decorations in the attic, but I’m kinda creeped out to go up there by myself. Attics and basements scare me.” I crinkled my nose.

“Let’s go, chicken!”

“You’re my hero, you know that?”

“And that tree is still crooked,” he replied as we exited the parlor and he stood in the doorway and looked it over. We were halfway up the stairs when his phone rang from inside his back pocket. His face paled when he pulled it out and looked at the screen. “Ah, fuck…it’s my sister.

“Yeah, Helene,” he answered as he took a seat on the step. I wasn’t sure if I should give him privacy or be there for him, knowing more than likely the reasoning of her call. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his tone flat and listless.

I’ll be in my bedroom, I mouthed to him and then darted up the stairs. I took a seat on my bed, waiting in anticipation for Ethan to wrap up his conversation. He’d been in such good spirts today and this was going to be another blow to him. My heart raced when I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs as my mind scrambled with the right words to say to him.

“Ready?” he asked as he stood in my bedroom doorway.

I nodded, wanting to ask him what that phone call entailed, but judging by his cool, calm demeanor, it wasn’t what I thought it was about.

“Oh, yeah.” I stood up and met him in the doorway. “Is everything okay with your father?”

“He died.”

My eyes widened over his matter-of-fact tone.

“Oh, Ethan, I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “Don’t be. I’m not. Where’s the entrance to the attic?”

I was speechless for a moment. I knew he hated his father, but I still thought he’d show a little emotion over hearing the news of his death. “Oh...it’s the last door on the left,” I replied, finally snapping out of it.

He walked ahead of me, and I was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. Maybe he truly didn’t care about his father’s passing, but something told me he was burying it deep inside him with all the other pain he’d experienced in life, and it would only be a matter of time before it all came to the surface.