Page 70 of Some Kinda Romance

34

SERENITY

After a day spent scrambling to catch up but being unsuccessful thanks to my head being in the clouds, I was more than relieved to get home. Dash was a frigging dreamboat, but I was going to have to do something about my brain if I was going to keep seeing him.

If I couldn’t figure out a way to stop daydreaming while I was supposed to be working, I was never going to have another productive day. Even now, as frustrated as I was with myself, I was smiling as I headed to my bedroom to change into comfy clothes.

I hadn’t been able to stop doing it since I’d left him this morning, and at this rate, I was sure that at least half the people who worked for me thought I was a loon. What was worse was that I was okay with it.

They could think whatever they wanted as long as I got to keep trying things with Dash St. Clair. Distant knocking at my front door pulled me out of my thoughts just as I’d finished changing and I frowned. Julie had a date tonight, so I knew it couldn’t be her, and a grin suddenly spread on my face when I realized that meant it could be Dash.

Rushing to the door, I looked through the peephole, my hopes crashing and burning when I saw who was waiting on the other side. I flung the door open, scowling at my ex and wishing that I’d never married him to begin with.

“Why are you here?”

“You haven’t been answering my calls,” he said evenly. “I wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

“I’m better than ever, actually.” I crossed my arms over my chest when I saw that glint of steel in his eyes that told me the switch had flipped.

“Well, I’m glad you’re doing so well while you’re destroying my fucking company.”

I sighed. “I should’ve known you’d come up with something snarky to say. I don’t want to hear it, Ethan. Leave.”

“No.” He took a step forward, his pulse suddenly hammering under his jaw as he narrowed his eyes at me. “My company is being hurt by your antics with St. Clair and I won’t stand for it. I didn’t give it to you so that you could run it into the ground, Serenity.”

“You didn’t give it to me at all. A judge did and it’s no longer your company anyhow. It’s beyond me why you care about what I’m doing to it.”

“Just let me come back,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “I can save it. I can save my fucking company before you kill it completely.”

“Fuck off,” I snapped, starting to close the door when the elevator opened at the other end of the hall.

Dash walked off. Ethan saw him at the same time I did, and he laughed, rocking back on his heels and glancing between us with disbelief tightening his features. “This is unbelievable. Unfuckingbelievable.”

Dash had flowers in his hand, a huge bouquet featuring all the brightest summer blooms, but he lowered it to his side as he strode confidently toward us. Part of me was relieved he was here, but the other was apprehensive.

Ethan wouldn’t like this one bit, and he was sure to make me feel his dissatisfaction somehow. My stomach flipped as I considered the possibilities. He’d already used the pictures of Dash and me, but he’d have something else—find something else—and when he did, it would be worse than the pictures.

“Leave,” Dash said to him once he reached us, his voice strong and firm. “As far as I know, you’re not welcome here, Ethan.”

My ex went dangerously still, only a muscle in one of his eyes twitching as he stared at Dash. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t start swinging his fists and throwing punches. In a fight, I was pretty sure Dash would win since I knew for a fact Ethan had never been involved in one, but his deathly silence, not even his chest moving to breathe, was far more intimidating to me.

“I tried to warn you,” he said quietly as he turned to me. “You didn’t listen, so you’ve left me no choice. It’s time to come after the both of you now.”

Dash chuckled. “Whatever, man. Just leave me out of your drama, okay? I didn’t ask for it and I sure as hell don’t have time to deal with it.”

As he said it, my eyes narrowed of their own accord and shock filtered through my system. Oh, so now he’s trying to distance himself? Coward.

The relief that he’d shown up evaporated. Clearly, he wasn’t going to stand up for me or defend me in any way. This fight was still my own, which was fine. It always had been. At least now I knew that hadn’t changed.

Ethan held my gaze steadily, his as narrow as my own before he nodded, spun around, and stalked away. With him gone, Dash stepped forward and held the flowers out to me. “Well, the unexpected strikes again, but maybe these will help cheer you up.”

Throat working to hold back a scream, I scoffed at him. He didn’t even seem to realize what he’d done and that made me even madder. Anger raced like lava through my veins as I plucked the bouquet from his hand.

“Thank you for throwing me under the bus there,” I snapped, reaching for the door with my free hand and about to shut it in his face.

He frowned, his head cocking. “Throwing you under the bus? How’d I do that?”

“You could’ve defended me just a little instead of only worrying about keeping yourself out of it,” I fumed. “You keep telling me that you support me and that you have my back, but you don’t. The only person you watch for when push comes to shove is yourself.”