Page 96 of Ethan's Sky
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t think aboutyour feelingswhen my world imploded!” I shout back. “Forgive me, Ethan. My best friend died. I was being ripped away from the only family I have left, and from the man Ithoughtwas my forever.Keeping everyone’s secrets. When all I wanted to do was shout the truth to anyone who would listen. I was a little busy trying to keep my own shit together. Fighting my own battles…alone.My apologies for not being there whenyou needed me.I was a little busy trying to put myself back together.I gave you everything I could. Did everything to make sure you wouldn’t be alone. But none of it matters now.”
Telling him what you did won’t mean a damn thing to him. You’re a whore, Sky. A worthless whore.
“Then tell me about it, Sky? Tell me what happened. What did you do?” he demands. “Give me something. Tell me, let me share the burden. I want to understand. You think I wanted things to end up like this between us?”
My shoulders are pulled up to my ears. I can’t tell if it’s the temperature dropping or the intensity in his glare making me tremble.
“Wait here,” He orders then runs to his bike and comes back with a hoodie, tossing it at me he says, “Put this on. You’re freezing.” I don’t argue for once.
“Regardless of whether it’s what Gabe or Ghost think, I’m not running. They can’t make me leave this time.” I change the subject.
“Theydon’twant you to leave.”
“No? Only you then, huh?” His face falls. He shakes his head, about to say something, but I cut him off. “God, I’m so tired of running, Ethan.” I sniffle, mentally kicking myself for letting him see me cry. I use the sleeve of his shirt to wipe my face, scrunching my face when I realize I may have smeared snot on his sleeve.Oh, well. Serves him right for calling me a whore.
“You’re not going anywhere. You made a promise to George,” he shrugs. “I heard your phone conversation with him. It was recorded on the dashcam in the cab of his truck. You promised him and I’m not letting you go back on your word. You’re staying in Oak Ridge.” He states it like he has some actual say in what I do. “You’ll probably catch hell from Pres when we get back to the clubhouse for disobeying an order.”
“I’m not a club member. Gabe doesn’t get to order me around. Besides, when he realizes it’s the Devil’s Order who are after me, he’d be smart to sever all ties with me. It’s the best way to avoid a war. I don’t want anyone else hurt.”
My gaze drops to the ground, rubbing a hole in the grass with my foot.
“What about you being hurt? You know that’s what those assholes want.”
“You don’t care what happens to me, Ethan! Stop trying to convince me you’ve suddenly had a change of heart.”
“But what if it’s true?” My eyes shoot to his, and the truth staring back at me has me looking away. I hide my nose in the sleeve of his hoodie trying to mask my face.
“There’s my shy girl.” My eyes snap back to his. He’s staring at me with a soft expression and a devilish smirk.
“I’m no one’sgirl. We’ve already discussed this. I’m no one’s ol’ lady, or girlfriend, orwhore.”
His hands come up in a placating manner. His smile falls, replaced with an expression of remorse.Good. Asshole.
“Look, Sky, I shouldn’t have said those things. I was angry.” He takes two steps forward. I take two steps back. He gets the hint and stands still. “You show up out of nowhere after years with my Mountain Heights brothers in tow, all gushing about you and acting like they know you. Only the woman they’re describing, she’s not the Skyler I knew. They act like you’re one of them. Like your happiness is the most important thing toallof them. Only ol’ ladies, steady women, and club royalty get treated with such high regard. Hell, you busted up a club whore’s jaw, and have assaulted a brothertwiceand they’reproud of you!Were it anyone else they would’ve had dire consequences. You say you belong to no one, yet they treat you as if you belong to all of them and it pisses me off.” He throws his arms in the air, exasperated.
“You don’t understand what being part of the Kings means if seeing your brothers take care of me pisses you off,” I scoff. “Eli is an old friend of Daddy and Ghost’s. He sees me asfamily. They all do.” My chest shakes as I pull in a stuttered breath. “At least they did, before I brought the Devil’s to their front door.”
“You still don’t get it. They don’t give a shit about the Devil’s or any other asshole who thinks they can come after you. They’re going to protect you because like it or not, you belong to the Kings of Fury. But the part you seem to be missing isIam supposed to be the man making sure you’re happy and cared for.Even if they hadn’t already sworn their loyalty to you, they’d protect you because you mean something to me. You were always meant to be mine. And you may not believe me now, but you and me, it’s happening. We have to get through some shit, but the outcome remains. You are mine, Skyler.”
“You don’t mean it. You can’t do everything in your power to push me away, then suddenly change your mind and demand I believe you. You hate me!”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I don’t hate you, Sunshine. I’ve never really hated you. I hated what you did. What happened. But not you. I wanted to hate you. I wanted to forget what we had, to make the pain stop, but nothing I did worked. We were supposed to get married, have our own family, but you took the opportunity away and won’t tell me why. I have a right to be angry, but I don’t hate you, Sky. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I wish you would tell me what the hell happened that night to make you run away frommeso we can work our shit out and get back to the way it’s supposed to be!”
Should I tell him about the baby? Won’t it add to his anger? His pain. Another thing I’ve taken from him.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.” I whispered, overcome with too many emotions. Love, hate, fear, disappointment. But the one thing I felt I didn’t dare trust, was hope. I wanted to believe his words. I hoped there was a chance he was telling the truth, but hope can be a fickle bitch. It can be shattered all too easily.
Ethan is pacing back and forth a few steps, his hands on his hips. I can see the tension in his muscles. His clenched jaw. The creases in his forehead as he scowls. He’s breathing deep trying to remain calm, but I can see it in his eyes, he’s warring with his emotions too. Hanging on by a sheer thread.
“How could I not be mad, Skyler? Cash talks like you two are fuck buddies. You say you’re not.” He’s becoming more animated with each passing word. “Kieran can’t stop talking about how feisty you are and what a great fighter you could be with a little more training despite the fact you used to hate fighting! Not to mention me not wanting you in my gym. Anna and Violet love the hell out of you. Gabe and Eli have your back at every turn. Don’t you see? Everyone lovesmy girl,”he growls, coming toe to toe with me. Our eyes locked on one another as he says, “but she won’t even fucking talk to me and it’s fucking killing me, baby,” he says it so quietly, standing so close, I feel his breath caress my lips. I close my eyes against the urge to tip up on my toes and kiss him.
“She accepts love from everyone else, but my own woman, my Sunshine, she won’t accept love from me.”
“I told you. I’m no one’s girl.”
Ethan steps back, scrubs his hands down his face and back around the nape of his neck. Furious, confused, I’m not sure which he’s feeling, maybe both. He puts enough space between us studying my face. The sting of rejection evident in his eyes. He tries to hide it, but I see it plain as fucking day. Seconds later, it’s replaced with something else.
Determination.
