AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But you have to go,” I whispered. “And then you can come back.”
“Yes.” He pressed a finger under my chin and tilted my head back so I could look him in the eyes. His face was serious and uncertain, and a small line had developed between his eyebrows. “You do want me to come back, then?”
For the past week, we hadn’t talked much about the future, though we both knew we couldn’t avoid the subject forever. I knew Ethan was giving me time to decide for myself what I wanted, and I appreciated him not pushing the subject. At this point, however, I already knew what I wanted. I decided I wasn’t going to cower away from my feelings. Not this time. I was in this with both feet, come what may.
“If you don’t come back, I’m going to track you down myself.” I smiled impishly up at him. “I know I’m…gun shy about…this.” I motioned between the two of us, not sure how to phrase what I was thinking. “But I don’t want you to leave. I know you have to, and I’ll be okay, but I don’t want you to go.” I forced myself to be vulnerable, to tell him what I was feeling. He deserved that much. “I like having you here. I like you.”
Ethan gently ran his fingers through my hair. “Ami.If you want me here, nothing in all the universe is going to stop me from coming back. I want to be with you, too.”
I closed my eyes against the rush of emotion that swelled up in my chest. “I’m a mess, you know that, right? You’ve seen by now that I’m not the best person to get into a relationship with. Are you sure about this?”
Without hesitation, Ethan dropped his lips to mine. I melted against him even more, savoring the faint maple taste of his lips. “You aren’t a mess,” he murmured against my lips. “Stop putting yourself down. I think you are perfect just the way you are.”
“You always know what to say.” I kissed him again, rubbing my hands up and down his back. “I think you’re the perfect one. How did I get lucky enough to meet you?”
He chuckled and kissed my ear. “You got kidnapped, remember? This must be the universe’s way of apologizing to you for that.”
“Ugh, do you two have to do that out in the open?” Alexi’s voice echoed from behind Ethan. While she might have sounded disgusted, there was a hint of warmth underneath it.
“Just be glad we’re still wearing clothes.” I stuck my tongue out at her so she wouldn’t see me smile.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Hey, Ethan?”
There was a serious note in her voice. Ethan reluctantly released me so he could face her. “Yes?”
Alexi shifted back and forth on her feet as she studied him with thoughtful eyes. “Julia deserves to be happy. If you hurt her, I’m going to kill you.”
“Lex!” I couldn’t keep the exasperation out of my voice.
Ethan grinned and squeezed my shoulder. “No, she’s right,ami.You deserve to be happy.” He nodded at Alexi. “I’m going to do my best, Lexi. I promise.”
She didn’t look like she was one hundred percent sold on his truthfulness, but I think she believed him. “Good. I’m going to hold you to that.”
My cheeks flamed, and I turned away from both of them. “You two are so embarrassing.”
Ethan planted a kiss on my neck. “I could be even more embarrassing.”
“Gross.” Alexi huffed and stomped off. “You’re supposed to do that stuff when I’mnotaround.”
I wanted to yell some sort of retort back to her, but Ethan was distracting me too much. His hand settled against my stomach and pulled me against him. “I mean it,ami. I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered.
I let out a breathy sigh and nodded. I believed him. I wasn’t sure why he picked me, why he liked me, but I believed him. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. “Okay.”
Knowing he was leaving the next day, I savored my time with him as much as I could. Even though I had been in relationships before, everything felt new and different with Ethan. I wanted to be around him, all the time. I’d never felt like this about another person, and it scared me. But I wasn’t a coward, and I wasn’t going to run away from him.
Ethan made me feel safe. He made me feel appreciated and beautiful and worth something. I had spent so much of my life focused on other people and doing what I had to do to survive and protect others that the idea of having something that was just for myself felt weird. It didn’t feel bad, but it felt uncomfortable. I felt like I was stretching and growing as a person, and it was scary. But no matter what, I had Ethan there with me, and as long as he was there, everything would turn out okay in the end.
When the next day finally came, Ethan and I took a shuttle back to Viridis so he could get his ship.Nightfalllooked practically brand new since so much bodywork had to be done. I still couldn’t believe they had fixed it all so quickly, but Ethan assured me that when Centric Enterprises wanted something done, it got done.
Ethan smiled broadly when he saw the ship. “Nowthatlooks much better.”
The door opened and Andy appeared with a smile on his face. “Ethan. Greetings.”
Ethan’s smile widened. “Andy! I’m glad to see you charged again.”
Andy tilted his head slightly. “Thank you. I am fully functional and at your service. Greetings, Agent Carter.”
A warm smile settled on my face. “Hello, Andy.”
