Page 80 of Enchanted

Chapter 22

Ethan

Iknew axe throwing was going to go disastrously. But the last thing I’d expected was to be terrible at it while rocking a major hard-on.

All my blood had rushed south as soon as Rami sent the first axe flying. It stayed there as he rained one weapon after the other on the target. Apparently I had a very specific kink involving sexy men throwing sharp objects.

Or maybe it was just Rami that it applied to.

I thought maybe it’d go down during my turn, but no such luck. The only thing that did surprise me was how much my stamina and fitness had improved. Just a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have been able to manage the hike, let alone go straight into another physical activity.

That wasn’t the only surprise to be had.

Rami politely waved Owen off when it came to helping me position my arms correctly, instead standing behind me, my back pressed to his chest as he wrapped his long fingers around my wrist, showing me the correct action.

I tried to listen. Really, I tried.

But my axe fell limply to the ground, several feet from the target. Along with every one I threw after that.

Despite my incompetence, Rami had the patience of a saint. He quietly corrected my stance, whispered words of encouragement, and commiserated with me when they all fell short.

Between Rami’s close proximity and attention, I was hard as steel. Seriously, I was starting to worry about my blood pressure. If I fainted because of an erection, I might die from sheer humiliation.

This is what you survived for—new experiences.

I kept reminding myself of that, but really, all I cared about was Rami. He was what I was enjoying about today. How he’d gone to the shop to buy groceries to feed me. New clothes so I didn’t have to keep wearing the same outfit. The speed with which he’d grabbed my shoulders during Harry’s erratic driving. The genuine interest he’d shown in my photos on the hike.

All before we even got to the axe throwing.

The situation in my boxers didn’t improve after the activity. When we got back to the cottage, I half expected Rami to lead me straight to a bedroom. Instead, he suggested the hot tub.

We lounged in there for hours, talking about everything and nothing. I told Rami about life in California, and he described the chaos that existed in his home. We discovered a shared love of paranormal horror books, and swapped recommendations, then followed that with a long debate about whether or not ghosts existed.

I shouldn’t have been hard during our conversation, but I was. How long did an erection have to last before you should go to the hospital? I had to be nearing that limit.

It didn’t help that Rami took up so much of the tiny hot tub that it was near impossible to stop from touching him even if I tried.

And I wasn’t trying.

Neither of us drew attention to where my foot was looped around his ankle. Or where his little finger linked with mine. We just focused on the conversation, learning all we could about each other.

When I started to shiver, Rami suggested food. Evidently, he’d also picked up dinner while he was at the shop this morning. I tried to offer to help him cook, but he just grinned before telling me to take a shower.

I shouldn’t fall for Rami.

But fuck, he was making it hard not to.

In the shower, I finally had a moment to myself. Time to try and organise my thoughts and feelings. Deep down, I knew that what was growing between Rami and me wasn’t just friendship. That line I’d tried to draw grew blurrier with every hour spent in his company. It shouldn’t. I should have morals. Standards. I shouldn’t be doing this so soon after Dave.

Or maybe you should. You almost died. You have a second chance at living, so why not grab it with both hands? Why are you wasting time when you don’t know how much you have left?

The realisation had me dropping the shampoo bottle. It missed my foot, but squirted shampoo up the wall. Sighing, I twisted the showerhead to rinse it off. Maybe I’d been looking at this whole situation wrong. I’d been too focused on not knowing what my future held to think about what was happening in the present. I’d been given the gift of time, but who knew how long that would be? For all I knew, the cancer had returned already, creeping silently through my cells and claiming them for its own.

Do you really want to miss out on this with Rami? Do you want to be on your deathbed, regretting that you didn’t make the most of whatever this is?

No. No, I didn’t.

A queasy sensation went through me as I considered the main reason I’d kept everyone at a distance while I’d been sick. Going through cancer treatment was hard enough—experiencing someone you loved doing so was equally tough.