AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Reagan looped her arm through mine and pulled me into the kitchen. The whole house was decorated with twinkling white lights and smelled of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies; it was my favorite time of the year.
“Come on. I waited on you before getting into the peanut butter balls.”
She opened the red and white snowman container, and the smell of peanut butter wafted up to my nose.
My stomach growled. “Starting with dessert first, huh?” I teased, setting my purse on the counter.
Reagan winked and handed me a one of the sugary-sweet confectioneries. “Like always.”
We tapped our chocolate-covered balls against each other, and I tossed mine into my mouth; it tasted like heaven. Reagan smiled and it warmed my heart. There was something different about her. Maybe it was the red sweater she had on or the shimmer in her blonde hair. Either way, she looked amazing.
“There’s something different about you,” I said to her. “I can’t put my finger on it. It’s almost like you’re glowing.”
Biting her lip, she looked around as if she was making sure no one was nearby. “What’s going on?” I coaxed, grabbing her hand. “Are you pregnant?”
Her smile widened, and she leaned in close. “Not yet, but Braden and I decided to start trying. I’m so excited I can’t contain it.”
“What about your career? Are you going to stop fighting?”
She picked up another peanut butter ball. “Professionally, yes, when I finally do get pregnant. But after that, I’m going to concentrate on coaching. It’s what I really want to do.”
Pulling her to me, I hugged her hard. “Oh, Reagan, I’m so happy for you.”
“Shh, don’t say anything,” she whispered. “We want to surprise everyone when it happens.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.” Letting her go, I stepped back and glanced through the entryway to the living room. Ethan still hadn’t shown up. “I’m going to run to the restroom,” I said to her, grabbing my purse. “I’ll be right back.”
I didn’t have to use the bathroom, but I wanted to sneak away for a few minutes to collect my thoughts. A part of me was angry at Ethan, but mostly I was confused. I figured the past few weeks away from him would erase him from my mind, but it only enhanced things. He hadn’t called or texted the entire time I was gone. But, then again, I didn’t communicate with him either. I had no doubt he’d moved on to other women, which was probably why he hadn’t bothered to call.
When I walked by the bathroom next to the kitchen, someone was in there, so I decided to sneak away upstairs. I stopped outside the upstairs bathroom and glanced over my shoulder at the room across from me. There was a shimmer of light that felt as if it was beckoning me closer. It was my favorite room in the house.
When I stepped inside, my breath caught in my lungs. I’d never been in there at night to see how magical the ocean truly was in the darkness. The room was nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows. In the distance, the moon lit up the sky, making the black water below shimmer like diamonds. The moon also lit up the room, its glow giving me the perfect amount of light; it was relaxing.
There was a couch and two loveseats facing the windows, but I didn’t want to sit. So instead, I placed my purse on the sofa and walked to the windows to peer out. Over to the left, I could see the Ferris wheel lights on the Santa Monica Pier. My parents used to take Braden and me there all the time when we were kids, when things were simpler. There were many times I wanted to go back, but it wouldn’t be the same. Too many people knew who I was. If I could be a normal person for a day, I’d pay whatever price it took just to experience the freedom.
“I found you.”
Ethan’s low, smooth voice made my heart jump in my chest. Hearing him now made my feelings for him come back with a vengeance. I wanted to turn around and look at him, but I couldn’t do it. I kept my focus out the windows even though I could see his reflection. He had on jeans and a light blue T-shirt that matched his eyes. His dark hair looked like he’d just run his hands through it, but it was sexy.
“Here I am,” I said, tearing my eyes away from his reflection.
“How have you been?” he asked, his voice drawing closer. My skin broke out in shivers, almost as if my body anxiously waited to feel his touch.
“I’m fine. You?”
Stopping next to me, I could smell his cologne and feel the heat of his skin. “Not good, if I’m being honest.” The words came out angry.
I jerked my head toward him, my chest tightening at the sight of his crystal blue eyes; there was so much emotion in them. I knew the second I looked into them, I’d lose myself.
“Not good? What is that supposed to mean?” The words came out breathless.
Ethan stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. “I didn’t want to do this now, but I can’t wait any longer. The past few weeks have been driving me fucking mental.”
“Why?”
His gaze shifted to my lips, then back to my eyes. “Because I want you, Peyton. I’m tired of playing games. You might be okay with our one night together, and that’s fine, but you should know it’s not what I want. Maybe it was at the beginning, but not anymore.”
My whole body trembled, and all I could do was stare at him. That was the last thing I expected to hear come from his lips. Ethan cupped my cheeks and peered down at me.
