AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And besides,” I added, “Braden will kill you if he finds out we slept together.”
Ethan snorted. “That fucker married my sister last night. He’s not going to say shit.”
“Still,” I said, wishing I could move away from him. Hell, who was I kidding? I wanted to jump back into bed with him. “I have to go.”
Ethan leaned in as if he was going to kiss me but stopped and stepped back. Relief washed through me, but also disappointment. In my mind, I could see it all play out like in the movies, but in this scene, I’d have him crush me in his arms and demand I stay. Maybe that was why I was an actress and not a screenwriter. I didn’t know if I’d be able to leave if Ethan touched me again.
“Okay,” Ethan said, lifting his hands in the air, “As you said, it’s over.”
My heart quickened again. “Thank you.”
The dismay grew in my chest, and I made sure not to let it show on my face. What did I want from him? For him to demand I stay and be his? That was ridiculous. It was supposed to be easy to leave him, and that was exactly where I needed my mind to be.
I fumbled for the door handle and opened the door wide. “I’m leaving for California today. Be safe on your trip back, whenever that is.”
He didn’t shy away from the door even though he was stark naked. “You be safe too. Maybe I’ll see you when I get home.”
I stepped out into the hallway. “Doubtful. But you take care now.”
Turning away from him, I strolled down the hall to the elevator. I needed all the distance from him I could get.
CHAPTER2
PEYTON
When I got to my room, I took a shower, put on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, and packed up my suitcase. I had my ballcap and sunglasses ready beside my purse. It was the only disguise I had to help me get through the airport without being noticed. Vegas was fun, with many memories I probably needed to forget, but I was ready to return to California and relax.
My phone vibrated on the bed, and Marisa’s name flashed across the screen. It just occurred to me that I’d forgotten to call her back. That was one of the reasons why I couldn’t be with Ethan; I could never think straight with him around.
“Hey,” I answered. “I’m sorry I didn’t call back. It was a crazy night.”
Marisa laughed. “Yeah, I see that. You’re all over the internet. Please tell me you didn’t get married.”
“No,” I burst out. “It was my brother and Reagan.”
She blew out a sigh. “Thank God. It was hard to tell, judging by the pictures. There were so many of you waltzing into that wedding chapel. But just a heads up, there are some stories speculating that it was you. So, I suggest not doing anything scandalous in the next few weeks. The paparazzi will be all over you like flies on shit.”
“Great,” I grumbled, “Just what I need.”
The only thing saving me was that it wasn’t the first time I’d been seen with the group I was in last night. So, it wasn’t out of the ordinary. The world knows about my fighter family, especially since my mother and father were MMA legends. Now my brother and best friend were too. Hell, all my friends were. I knew how to fight. I might be a little rusty, but my mom made sure to start training me from the time I could walk. In the end, fighting for titles wasn’t my passion. Did it bring me joy to know I could kick someone’s ass if I needed to? Of course.
With a heavy sigh, I sat down on the bed. “There weren’t any photos of me and anyone particular was there?”
“No,” she answered and then paused, “wait, is there something I should know?”
“Definitely not,” I replied quickly. “Everyone I was with are my childhood friends. You know this already. I just don’t want to drag them into the tabloids for something I do.”
“No worries. I’ll let the world know it wasn’t you getting hitched in that chapel. You’ll break a lot of hearts when you finally do walk down the aisle, though.”
I laughed. “I’ve got a long time before that happens.”
Marisa giggled. “Let’s hope so. Your career is at an all-time high right now. Your new movie will hit theaters in four months, and you’re already getting interest for several other projects. Not to mention, you have awards shows and other red-carpet events lined up.”
My schedule was always packed. I was surprised I even had time to breathe. But luckily, I had a couple of months off. “It’s good I have some time to rest before all of that.”
“Yep, so enjoy it, babe. I bet you’re excited about spending Christmas at home for the first time in years, right?”
Was I? After last night, I wasn’t so sure about that. Now that my brother and Reagan were married, I’d have no choice but to be around Ethan. That was dangerous territory.
