Ethan
Why the hell did I make this bet with Lexi? How the hell did I forget her teasing when first met? The worst part about it now is we sleep in the same bed, so last night was fucking painful.
Plating up breakfast, I look over as I see Lexi walking over to me. She stops for a moment and looks at me, and I can’t help but smile.
“I know what you’re doing.” She starts walking over, looking at the table. “You’re walking around without a top on, and a beautiful breakfast set out… Are you romancing me, Mr. Knight?” she asks as she sits down, pulling her chair into the table.
“I’m only showing you how much I love you,” I reply, sitting down in front of her.
She nods her head at me. “So, the loving words and lovely breakfast is just to show me you love me, not to get me all,” she licks her lips, “wet, and excited?” She whispers the last part.
“Oh, and you just had to sleep naked last night,” I reply.
“It was hot last night,” she says with a smile. It was not hot last night, and the fact that she kept bringing her ass closer and closer to me did not help me at all.
“Of course it was,” I say, filling her mug up with coffee.
This girl is the biggest tease I think I've ever met, but she's a tease that tows the line, but doesn’t cross it. She plays to win every single time.
I watch her undoing the top few buttons of my shirt that she's wearing. “I think that it’s getting a little hot again,” she says, looking up at me through her eyelashes. She bites her bottom lip to keep from smiling.
Leaning on the table, I look at her as she eats her breakfast. “You make me happy, and when you lose, I’m going to show you just much,” I tell her, and she starts laughing.
“I’m not losing.” She dips her finger into the whipped cream and brings it to her lips. “Why haven’t you licked this off me yet?” she asks, licking her lips very slowly.
My eyes follow as her finger moves down her neck to her collarbone. When she suddenly stops, I look up at her face and see at her grinning at me.
“I’m going to get dressed,” I say as I stand up. I haven’t eaten yet, but I would rather do without food than have a fucking hard-on all day.
“The fun was just beginning,” Lexi shouts over to me, causing me to stop and look back at her. “I was about to cave.”
Shaking my head, I continue to walk over to my room. There's no way she was about to cave; that woman is a lot stronger than I am. I’m the one that will cave tonight if she keeps going like this.
I take my phone out of my pocket as it begins ringing. “Hello, Mom.”
“Ethan, please tell me you haven’t forgotten, and that you aren’t leaving me with them?” she asks as I walk into the closet.
“No, I've not forgotten. How can I forget our happy family reunion?” I say, letting out a little laugh.
“I just want to let you know that Tanya has asked Travis to be here, and before you say anything, I've told him to stay away from you.”
That’s all I need right now. Two people I don’t want to breathe the same air as me, and then my best friend—who I’m still unhappy with. My sister wants him there, so what can I say?
“If she wants him there, then that’s fine.” I end the call, not wanting to hear anything else at the moment. I’m already worried about what today will bring and I don’t need to hear my mother tell me how she’s proud that I’m not taking my anger out on him.
Sitting on the bed, I rub my forehead, trying to ease the tension.
“Let’s put a pin in the teasing for a minute,” I hear Lexi say as I feel her hand on my back as she moves in front of me. I move back a little so she can sit on my lap, as she slides her finger along my cheek. “What are you thinking about?”
I look at her for a moment. She said no teasing, which means she wants to talk, but I don’t know how to talk about today. I don’t even know what I’m going to hear.
“I’m thinking I’m about to see a man that I’ve hated for years and a woman that only wanted me for my money, and I how I don’t think I can face them.” I rest my head on her shoulder. “I know it makes me sound weak, but—”
“Ethan, that doesn’t show you as weak. It shows a man with a heart who got hurt and isn’t about to let them do it again,” Lexi cuts in, and I look at her. “You don’t always have to be this strong man in front of me. I love the strong Ethan, and I love the soft Ethan.”
I never thought I would meet someone who wanted to be with me no matter what. Money or no money, strong or not, she wants to be with me.
Pulling her in for a kiss, I tangle my hands in her hair. “I think you have seen the real me from the start,” I tell her. My phone takes this opportunity to start ringing. Looking down I see Selena’s name on the screen.
“Unpinned now.” Lexi gives me a wink and walks away from me.
“Yes,” I answer the call as I watch Lexi slowly undressing in front of me. My eyes are moving along her body as she throws her shirt on the floor.
“All the paperwork has been sent over for the Washington mall, would you like me to bring it over?”
“Not today. Keep your phone on you in case I need something.” Throwing the phone on the bed, I smile as Lexi stands in front of me, naked, holding two dresses.
“So, Mr. Knight. Hot girlfriend in red or a nice summer simple dress?” she asks, and I smile, wondering how she thinks that I’m even looking at the dresses when she's standing there naked in front of me. “Ethan!”
“Sorry, I was thinking about what to do with your sexy ass.” I finally look at the dresses. “Do you not have jeans and a t-shirt?” I ask her. Even though she looks amazing in dresses, I want her to start dressing more casual around me.
“I do. I just got used to wearing these.”
“Well, I want you to feel comfortable to wear what you want,” I say, walking over to her and pulling her closer before grabbing her naked ass. “After two days, being naked around the apartment would work fantastic.” Leaning down I begin kissing her neck. She knows my weakness, but I know hers, too. The soft spot on her neck always makes her weak in the knees.
“Et-Ethan.” My name comes out shaky from her lips as her hands move to my waist and up my shirt. Quickly, she takes a step back from me. “Nicely played Mr. Knight, nicely played,” she says, then walks away.
I’m so close to breaking her, but I need her to make the first move to show that I can hold out, and she wants it just as bad as I do.
***
I was quiet on the way to my mom’s house, but I didn’t have anything good to say and I’m not about to let my anger for them out on her.
“About time you got here,” Tanya says, and I look over at her standing next to Travis. Lexi walks over to them but I ignore them and walk over to my mom.
“Are you still not talking to him?” My mom asks as I kiss her on the cheek. “He wants to speak to you. Just give him a minute.” I look over at the three of them talking. Tanya and Lexi are laughing about something.
“I’m not ready to talk to him yet, and today is going to be bad enough without adding to it,” I tell my mom as I walk over to the bar to fill a glass with whiskey.
The two people I’m coming face-to-face with have made me hate people, and trust no one. I drank more after what they did than I ever did before. Today is not the day I need to be talking to Travis about trust.
I look over at the door as the bell rings, then watch Lexi walk over to me. I nod to my mom to let her know I’m ready.
“I’m with you all the way.” Lexi says, plant a small kiss on my lips. “Don’t lose your temper,” she tells me as I hear footsteps getting closer to us.
I see my mom take them to the dinner table. Leaning on the bar, I pull Lexi closer to me so that she stands between my legs. “I've not seen them since I found them together, and I've nothing but hate for them,” I tell her, resting my forehead against hers.
“You don’t have to talk to them,” she whispers to me.
“So they can just keep calling me, ruining my mood with you?” I ask, then glance at my mom as she watches me with Lexi. “I’m just not sure if I can listen to what they want to say,” I tell Lexi as I straighten. I take her hand in mine and lead her toward the dining room. “Let’s get this over with.”
Walking over to the dinner table, I look at everyone. Angie and Edward are sitting on the far side with Tanya and Travis sitting two seats away, leaving me with the furthest away from them both.
Sitting down, I pull Lexi’s chair closer to mine. She looks over at me, but says nothing and sits down. My mom sits on the other side of me, and I lock eyes with the man I've hated for years.
“What do you want?” Ten minutes of just staring at each other is only making me more annoyed with them. Tell me what you want, and get the fuck out of my face. “You want money—tell me why.”
“Ethan,” Angie starts, “I… We just want—”
“I don’t want to hear, ‘we’re sorry, it was a mistake.’ Just tell me why you want six hundred thousand dollars, then get the fuck out of my life,” I shout at them both, mainly looking at Edward, but putting my finger up to stop either one from speaking. “What was it you said to my mother when you left her with two kids and took every dime we had?” I look at him, waiting for an answer. “Let me refresh your memory. You told my mother that she was not worth the money you made, that we weren’t worth the money you made, and to never ask you for any because you wanted nothing to do with us.” I slap my hand on the table. “And look at how the tables have turned.”
“Ethan—”
“You know what? I don’t even want to hear your voice,” I spit at Edward, “your little bitch can talk for you.” I look over at Angie.
Ethan– Call Selena. I want to know how Edward and Emily are connected.
I send Travis a message, but don’t look over at him. I hear his chair moving and then footsteps leaving the room, and I look over at Lexi as she looks where he’s walking to. Her eyes meet mine, and without having to say a word, she knows that he’s okay, and places her hand on my leg.
“When you threw me out, your dad took me in and we continued—”
“I didn’t ask for the details,” I shout at her. If I wanted details I would have called her and asked why she did it, but I didn’t care then, and I don’t care now.
“I got pregnant. You have a half-brother. He's been ill, and to pay for his medical bills, we need money—money that we don’t have.” She stops and looks at Edward for a moment, and my eyes move to Tanya as she leaves the room. “He was born with congenital heart defects and now needs open heart surgery, but we can’t afford it,” Angie finishes and looks over at me.
I feel Travis’ hand on my shoulder. He leans down towards my ear. “Selena found out they got married six months ago, and now the man has no money,” he whispers and sits back down with Tanya next to him.
“I know Emily has money, why not ask her?” I look Edward in the eyes. I know how much money she has.
“She—”
“I didn’t ask you,” I snap, glaring at Angie. “I asked him.” I jab my finger to Edward.
“She paid for the first surgery, but it didn’t work. We have to do it again, and—”
I put my finger up to stop him from talking. “You’ve told me what you want and why, now get out.” Pushing my chair away from the table, I walk over to the bar and fill my glass with whiskey.
I might look calm as though their news didn’t bother me, but it’s done nothing but make me hate them more. They fucked each other behind my back and then had a kid.
Lexi walks over to me, but there’s no confidence in her stride. It’s as though she’s walking in eggshells, unsure what I'll say to her. She stops in front of me, “Travis is on the phone with Selena to see if what they're saying is true,” she says, quietly.
Finishing my whiskey, I place the glass on the bar. “Do you think I’m a monster for telling them to leave?” I ask.
Why is it bothering me that I don’t want to help them? He didn’t care when he left us, and she didn’t care when she jumped in bed with him while married to me, so why should I care what happens to them? But, I do because it involves a small helpless child that didn’t ask to be brought into this world, or into this mess.
“No, far from it. That was a lot to take in. You need time to think about all of it.” She steps closer to me. I pull her into me, not for a kiss, but for a hug. I just need someone to hold me right now. “I’m right here,” she whispers into my chest as she wraps her arms around me.
“Ethan,” I hear my mom behind Lexi. “I think we need to talk.” I give her a nod.
I look at Lexi and she shakes her head. “Don’t. Don’t look at me like that. I can’t tell you what to do. This is your decision, and only yours,” she tells me, and yes, that was what I was about to ask her. I knew she wouldn’t give me a selfish answer—it was going to be the right answer.
“I don’t know what that is,” I tell her.
“You don’t know it now, but you will. I know the heart you hide inside here, and I know it'll choose the right thing,” she says pointing to my chest. I never thought I would have someone like her in my life. I figured I was only ever going to get the selfish bitches that wanted me for my money, but then Lexi shows up and wants me for my heart. If nothing else comes out of this whole thing, I know I won’t let her go, and I won’t lose her to anyone.
Selena sent everything over that she could find on the boy. His name is Edward Junior, and what they told us the story checked out. His next surgery is in six weeks. They'll be billed after the surgery, so no one knows exactly how much it'll cost just yet.
“I don’t think you should give them any money,” Tanya tells me. She’s always said she would never forgive Edward for what he did.
My eyes move to Lexi, cleaning up in the kitchen after lunch. She hasn’t said anything on the subject, and I don’t think she will, either. This is my family drama, why bring her into it?
“Ethan, what are you thinking?” My mom asks, but I keep my eyes trained on Lexi. What is it about this woman that nothing else matters to me in the world when I’m looking at her?
“I think that child has no idea how fucked up his parents are. Is it right for me to take out my anger on a two-year-old?” I look at my mom. “What type of man would I be if I let a little boy suffer?” I turn my eyes away from her, ashamed at where my thoughts go next. “But, I hate them so much that I want them to hurt as much as they’ve hurt me—hurt all of us.” I rub my forehead, wanting this to be over.
“Deep down, you know the right thing to do. You just have to man up and put your anger to the side,” my mom says as she rubs my shoulder.
“I made everyone some coffee.” Lexi puts the tray on the table, putting coffee mugs in front of everyone. I put my hand on her lower back and she looks up at me. “I figured this is going to be a long day, so I’ll make dinner for everyone. I just need to go grab a few things first.”
“We can order,” I tell her. My mom taps me on the leg, and I turn to her. She gives me that looks that tells me I’ve done something wrong. I turn to Lexi. “Travis will go with you, and you come right back here.”
“Okay,” she agrees. I pull her down to sit on my leg, resting my head against hers.
“Do you want to tell me what you think?” I ask her again.
“Ethan, again, this is your decision. But, whatever you decide, I'll support you.” She looks back at me. “Your decision,” she tells me again, running her fingers through my hair.
Tonight is going to be a lot of going back and forth for me. Should I be the same monster as them, or just put my pride to the side, give them the money, and tell them not to ever contact me again?