AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A day that included makeup sex, so it can’t have been all bad.”
She lets out a soft laugh. “True. Thanks, Mick. You always make me feel better.”
“Ditto times infinity.”
I’m not quite ready to end the call, so I launch into a completely inane topic that has nothing to do with guys. Well, real guys anyway. “Hey, have you watchedThe Night Agentyet?”
She gasps. “Yes! And how hot is he? And so protective of Rose. I seriously would have binged the entire thing in one sitting if I hadn’t had to go to work in the morning.”
“I know. I was obsessed with the show. We ended up watching until like three the other morning. I could barely focus in class the next day, but worth it.” I sing the last two words, then start laughing as she gushes over the twists she didn’t see coming.
We unpack the show in detail, then move on toCitadel, which is another show peppered with hot men and heart-clutching action. I’m so absorbed in our breakdown that I nearly miss the fact that practice has ended and the guys are trailing past me, giving me little waves and smiles as they leave the arena.
Ethan is taking his sweet time showering, so I linger on the phone with Rachel until I see him coming.
“Hey, I better get going. Ethan’s practice is done.” I smile at him as he walks toward me, but then my stomach pinches. Why does he look so nervous?
“Okay.” Rachel’s voice is back to the sweet, cheerful one I’m used to. “Thanks again for making me feel so much better. I seriously love you, bestie.”
“I love you too. Now go have more makeup sex with your man.”
She giggles. “You have a good night too.”
I mumble goodbye, not wanting to tell her that I’m suddenly worried about my night. What is up with that tight look on Ethan’s face?
I slip my phone away as Ethan stops at the bottom of the stands, obviously waiting for me. His jaw clenches, and he looks out over the ice as I gather my stuff and trot down the stairs.
I’m three steps away when he turns to grin up at me. His smile is too tight.
“What’s the matter?” Gripping my bag strap, I stop where I am, afraid to get too close. Not because I think he’ll hurt me, just because I can feel a serious conversation coming, and I freaking hate those.
Shit, Rachel helped me de-stress after the library incident, and now Ethan’s gonna want to unpack it.
“Listen, I’m good. We don’t have to talk about my afternoon. Let’s just?—”
“I have to tell you something.” His voice is deep and husky.
And now that pinching fear is taking chunks out of my stomach.
I tense, just waiting for those words to pop out of his mouth.“This isn’t working. I’ll find you another place to live. We can’t be together. I don’t love you anymore.”
I’m so blinded by my panic that I nearly miss what he actually says.
“Wait. What?” I blink and try to hear him past the buzzing in my ears.
He winces and runs a hand over the back of his wet hair. His gaze glimmers with a hint of apology. “Please don’t be mad with me, okay? I just want to help you.”
“What did you do?” I need him to repeat it, to say it again so I can make sure I heard him correctly.
His face wrinkles with confusion, and he finally says it, says the one thing I never thought he would. “I found your dad, and… he wants to see you.”
CHAPTER54
ETHAN
Watching the blood drain from Mikayla’s face kills me. I knew she was gonna be mad about this. Even though the news is fucking great, it’s gonna take her a minute to get there. But I couldn’t sit on this.
I only just got off the phone with her father. It took me a little time to find him. Ten days, to be exact. I’ve been scouring the Internet, working my way through a bunch of Michael Hydes with no success. But not today. This morning, I left a message for the owner of the Luna Luxury Resort in Northern California. The guy is loaded, the son-in-law of some business mogul who builds resorts all over the world. Michael Hyde designed this boutique getaway hotel in Northern California and has grown it into a world-class escape that’s frequented by the rich and famous. There’s no way he doesn’t have the money to pay for Mikayla’s education.
