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“I love you, baby girl,” he said into her hair. “Merry Christmas.”
The sound of Kyra crying tears of joy filled the room and it took everything I had not to cry right along with her.
CHAPTER THIRTY - ETHAN
I shoved my hands into my damn coat pocket, fingering the two gifts I had for Kyra. I was hoping to catch her before she walked back into the fucking room but we were all so focused on Mark’s answer that she slipped in before I could catch her. Now, she was hugging her father’s neck while we all stood there in shock and I felt like I was intruding on a private moment meant for just the two of them.
So, I left the room.
I went out to the nurse’s station to get some air. Well, not fresh air, but air nonetheless. That room was fucking crowded with all the men in it and my mind started to whirl with all the things that had just happened. We got Mark’s permission. Which meant we’d be moving out of our home. Which meant we’d be leaving behind the secrets and the laughter that had buried itself into the walls over the years.
We’d be leaving our childhood home that held so many memories for us.
I thought about Mom. What she would’ve thought about all of us doing something like this. I thought about all the holidays we’d spent without her and how empty those first few had been. The plane crash was fucking devastating. I hated remembering that day. I hated every damn thing about what occurred that day. Kyra called sobbing before we even knew what the fuck was going on and I could still remember the way Chance screamed when he turned on the television.
I remembered the way I drove like a bat out of hell to get to the airport. I remembered Harper on my fucking tail, trying to get me to come back home as I barreled through the airport. I didn’t know what the hell I thought I was going to do in the damn airport but I knew I couldn’t just sit in that fucking house.
Sit there and listen to how some plane crashed in a damn field and left no survivors.
Mom and Dad loved Kyra. That much was for sure. But did they love her enough to accept something like this? Obviously, Mark did, which meant Mom probably would. She was always a sucker for romance and shit like that. Dad was the quiet one. Always kept to himself, like Harper did. I always used to think about how weird he fucking was. How he didn’t wanna get out and enjoy life and go on rides with me and shit when I offered.
He had a bike and I couldn’t understand why he’d have a bike but not ride the damn thing.
I later came to find out the fucking thing didn’t work. That was my way of coping with the death of my dad. We didn’t talk about it. The brothers never fucking mentioned it. That was just how we were. It was too much for us. Their deaths were partially why we’re all so damn successful now because we all threw ourselves into fucking work to deal with it.
I told myself that when I was done with Dad’s motorcycle, I’d sell it and be over it. But instead, I kept his bike as my own and sold the one I’d bought with my own damn money.
I just wasn’t ready to give it away.
As I fingered the gifts in my pockets, I couldn’t help but wish the two of them were here.
“
Ethan?”
Kyra’s voice shocked me and I whipped around, taking in the beautiful aura that draped around her.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “It’s just, the room’s a bit crowded, you know?”
“I know, trust me,” she said.
“Oh, I have some things for you,” I said.
“You do?” she asked.
“Yeah. Took me a little while to figure out what to get you, but…”
I pulled out one of the little gift-wrapped boxes from my pocket and handed it over to her. Her brown eyes were sparkling with joy as she took the gift, fingering it softly before she began removing the wrapping paper. She did it as delicately as possible, making sure not to rip the damn thing. I watched her in amusement, grinning down at her as the small gift came into view.
She popped open the box to reveal the charm bracelet and I heard her gasp when she saw it.
“That’s one of my presents,” I said.
“One of them?” she asked. “Always having to outdo everyone.”
“Always,” I said, winking.
