She chuckles and shakes her head. “You’re going to be the death of me, Ethan Freeman,” she says quietly.
Chapter 21
Addison
Ethan’s family is amazing, and I can see he inherited his charm from his mother. The whole night I’ve felt at ease. The only time I felt a bit tense is when they asked me about my family. Ethan was amazing, though, and jumped in for me, explaining that they aren’t around anymore. His mom gave me a sympathetic look as Ethan took my hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the back of it. I was thankful for his support.
We are still sitting at the table, our empty bowls of ice cream in front of us. His oldest sister, Liz, is in the middle of telling us a story about the time Ethan discovered his penis could grow. He was three, and when his mom told him to get his hands out of his pants, he yelled out that he was making his penis big, for all to hear.
I look over to him as I belly laugh, and he has the good grace to blush. “Geez, it’s not like I knew better,” he grumbles as his face heats up. He chuckles and takes the teasing like a champ. “Why the hell would you choose to tell herthatstory anyway?” he asks.
“I could tell her about the time Mom walked in—”
“Okay, that’s enough out of you. Storytime is over,” he huffs, cutting her off mid-sentence.
I lean in close to him so only he can hear. “Maybe when we get back you can show me how you grow your penis.” He lets a low growl pass his lips and kisses my cheek.
I miss this. I miss the teasing and the laughter of being with family. I have the girls, and we always have a great time, and they are definitely my family, but it’s not the same. I don’t have anyone to bring up childhood memories I’ve forgotten about. My heart constricts as I start thinking about my brother. Would I have been able to embarrass him in front of a girlfriend the same way Ethan’s sisters are?
Girlfriend?Is that what I am, or am I just a girl he’s having sex with?I pull my brows together thinking about it. It’s been two weeks since he found out I’m Ember, and in that time, we’ve each given one another multiple orgasms and lots of sex. But we haven’t put a label on it. So, am I just his friend with benefits?
Friends with benefits never goes over well. There have been way too many romantic comedies made about that, and they always end up discovering true feelings for one another. I know how I feel about Ethan, and being with him these past few weeks has solidified that. I feel the pull to him even stronger now, especially because I don’t have to hide.
Everyone is still talking as I excuse myself to use the bathroom. I walk down the hall his mom pointed me to and stop to admire the pictures hanging on the wall. So many family portraits and candid moments of the kids on vacations and in the yard playing.
I don’t have any of these. Nothing left of my family to reminisce on.
Ethan comes up behind me, and I’m so lost in my own thoughts I don’t hear him until he wraps his arms around my waist and places his chin on my shoulder. I wipe at a stray tear that has managed to find its way down my cheek.
“Will you take me?” His deep baritone voice cuts through the fog in my mind.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Take you where?” My eyes are still glued to Ethan’s college graduation picture with his mom. She looks so proud of him, practically beaming standing next to him as they smile for the camera. He’s in his cap and gown, holding his diploma.
“Your hometown. To meet your family.”
I turn to look him in the eyes, searching for any sort of hidden motive. Why would he want to come with me? Why would he want to watch me fall apart like I do every year at their graves, begging for answers even after all this time?
“Please? You got to meet mine. It’s only fair I can meet yours.”
I blink and swallow again, finding it hard to get a deep breath in. “Wouldn’t you rather meet my aunt and uncle? They’re still alive. They took me in after the fire.”
He shrugs. “I want to meet whoever you want me to. If you want to introduce me to your aunt and uncle, I’d like that.” He tucks some hair behind my ear and places his hand on my shoulder. “I want you, Addy. I want to be there for you, to know all your secrets. I’ll take the good and the bad as long as it means you’re mine.”
Mine.The one word sends a thrill down my spine, settling deep within my core.I’ve been yours since long before you even knew I existed.“What are your plans for next weekend? Maybe my boss will let me take a long weekend and we can road trip it. It’s only about a seven-hour drive to Virginia.” I wrap my arms around his waist, dropping my head to his chest.
“Or maybe we can just take a plane and be there in only an hour and a half. I can have my secretary arrange it.” I scoff and act offended, but when he smiles, I know he’s giving me a hard time. “You tell me where, and I’ll book the tickets. I’m sure I can convince your boss to give you a well-earned weekend off.”
I give him a sad smile. “Thank you.” I start running through the list of things I will need to bring and arrangements I’ll need to make. “I just need to tell the girls so someone can cover my shift.” I kiss his cheek, and he tenses under my touch. I pull back slowly to look into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he says with a tight smile. “Why don’t you go use the bathroom, and then we can get out of here?”
He turns me around, and I hurry down the hall into the bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror and smile at my flushed reflection. Feeling like I must be in a dream, I pinch my arm and wince with the bite of the sting.Nope, this is real.Ethan is real, and he’s even more amazing than I thought.
We say our goodbyes, and his mom pulls me in for a tight hug. She says quietly in my ear, “Don’t let him boss you around. He’s a good man and needs someone strong like you to keep him straight.” She kisses my cheek as she lets go of me, and I want to cry all over again. I nod and smile at her.
After trying to end my life, I lost touch with my aunt and uncle. Not because I don’t love them, or because I’m not appreciative of them taking me in, but I didn’t want to be a burden. Ethan’s mom reminded me how much I miss having my family around. Maybe it’s time to try to mend the relationship with them, too. After all, without them, there are no Snyders left besides me.
“Addy, call me anytime you want more embarrassing stories of my brother to hang over his head. It’s not every day he brings a girl home, so you must be pretty special,” Liz says. I look at Stephanie and see she’s smiling and nodding, too.
