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***
I have no idea how long I sit on the floor, thinking about how to get out of the situation I find myself in. I hardly notice Baxter rubbing against my knees for attention, nor do I notice my phone ringing in my bedroom. I ignore it all. It’s not important, not when myself and my mom are in very real danger.
When I hear a knock at the door, however, reality comes screaming back to me. My heart seizes in my chest. Has my father already decided to make his move?
“Birdie?” a familiar voice calls from the other side of the door.
Oh, god. It’s not my father.
“Birdie, answer the door. I know you’re in there.” A beat of silence, and then, “I’m worried about you.”
It dawns on me that I missed his calls. I don’t know what time it is. I haven’t even had the chance to change. Because of my father’s gift, I fell into an emotional void and I let my evening get away from me.
What else will he take from me if I give him the chance?
I hear Ethan shift on the other side of the door. “Don’t make me break this door down, baby. I’ll do it if you don’t let me in so I can see that you’re okay.”
His voice raises goosebumps on my arms while putting it me at ease. I stumble to the door and unlock it.
I am not prepared for what I see when my eyes settle on the man waiting to be let inside.
Ethan stands before, looking suave and handsome in a charcoal gray suit. His white shirt has the top few buttons undone, no tie in sight. The effect is breathtaking. I thought he was handsome earlier in his rugged work clothes, but this is something else entirely. His blue eyes glint down at me angrily, his jaw tight as he steps into the apartment and looms over me.
“Birdie, what’s wrong?” he growls. I instinctively take a step back, even though I want nothing more than to leap into his arms and let him tell me everything will be okay. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, heat creeping up my neck. “I—erm—”
He furrows his brow as he assesses me. “Have you been crying?”
When he points it out, I feel my throat begin to close with emotion. A sob wracks my body as he immediately reaches out to pull me into his chest. His warmth engulfs me, making me feel truly safe for the first time in hours. It’s like his massive body has the ability to shield me and hide me away from the world.
What I wouldn’t give for that kind of thing right now.
“Baby,” he murmurs soothingly. He tilts my face up to his and starts to brush the tears away. “It’s alright. I’ve got you now.”
Is it really alright like he says it is?
Not only have I ruined whatever evening he had planned for us, I’ve been found by my insidious father. That sure doesn’t feel like everything’s alright. It may never be alright again.
Finally, I put my hands on his chest and put space between us. The loss of his warmth makes my blood go cold. “I think we need to cancel. I’m sorry.”
The look Ethan gives me is dark and severe, his jaw even ticks with something that seems like annoyance. Somehow, it doesn’tscare me. I know that his irritation isn’t really directed at me, but whatever is making me want to cancel.
“Why?” he asks evenly. The single word makes me want to take it all back. I wish I could. At this point, I need to pack a bag and get out of my apartment more than anything else—I can’t let myself get distracted at a time like this.
But as I look at him in his suit, his eyes piercing through me, searching for my reasoning … I realize that he’s already more than a distraction. I already like him more than I should. It’s crazy, but I feel like Baxter getting out earlier brought us together for a reason. It feels like fate.
Too bad my past has other plans for me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he got caught in the crossfire.
“Something came up,” I tell him quietly.
“Something more important than me?” he rasps at me, taking a step closer.
“Yes—wait, no—” How am I supposed to tell him this? Should I even tell him anything? “It’s complicated.”
He’s close enough now that I have to take a step back. It’s just like a few hours ago, though it feels more like it’s been days.
“Try me, Birdie. I’m a complicated man.”
