Ethan glanced up from the papers on his table as Marcus strolled into his office. He ignored the grin on the lawyer’s face and returned to his papers with a scowl. He needed to speak to Laura about letting people into his office when he’d given specific instructions otherwise.
“Whatever it is, I’m not in the mood.”
“What’s eating you?” Marcus retorted, leaning on a corner of the desk. “Laura tells me you’ve been like a bear with a sore head for the past week and you’ve ripped into several employees which is quite unlike you. Spill man, let Uncle Marc make it better.”
“I’m working, Marcus.” His jaw clenched harder. “Go away.”
“Yeah, no. Are you going to tell me or do I have to sit here till you get over yourself?”
Right. He was going to open his mouth and admit to his friend that he was pissed because Erin had done a runner after spending the night in his apartment and hadn’t bothered to call after a whole bloody week. He’d rather spend a day in hell first.
Jesus! What got him more than her obvious revenge was that annoying pain whenever he thought about her. For fuck’s sake, he’d practically invented the game, had always held the winning hand.
Why did he suddenly feel like the biggest loser?
Ethan raised his head to level a glare that had sent many a man fleeing for safety. But Marcus merely grinned wider, not in the least bit intimidated.
“Save that look for someone who gives a shit man,” Marcus scoffed. “You forget that I’ve known you since senior year, I don’t scare easy.”
Ethan sighed and leaned back in his chair looking exasperated.
“Much as I’d like to crank up the estrogen and ‘share my feelings’ with you, I actually have a deadline to meet, so do me a favor and go do something productive.”
Marcus chuckled at the description but stood up anyway, though his eyes held a hint of mischief. “Fine, fine, don’t tell me about it, brood all you want. But I need a favor.”
“No.”
“Jesus man! You didn’t even wait to hear it.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Your favors always manage to get us both in trouble, so I’ll pass.”
“Yeah, but we always have fun first.” Marcus grinned, “And what you need my friend, is fun! You need to unwind, meet some girls.”
“I don’t need to unwind.” Ethan cut in, though his lips twitched in a barely suppressed smile. “What I need is for you to get lost so I can do some work.”
Marcus held up both hands placating. “I’m taking this girl I met out for dinner tonight.”
“Good for you.”
Marcus shot him a look. “Yeah, but there’s a problem. She insists on bringing her friend who’s new in town and so I’d like you to come with me.”
“Not a chance in Hell.” Ethan scoffed. And he meant it.
He winced at the memory of the last time he’d acted as a distraction while Marcus had flirted with her friend. He’d earned himself a crazy stalker for his trouble, and it had taken three miserable months and a restraining order to rid himself of her. He’d rather have a vasectomy without an aesthesia before he did that again.
“The friend is hot if you’re scared you’ll have to -”
“Forget it. I don’t care if she’s Scarlett Johansson, I’ve got work to do tonight.”
“You owe me, you know.”
Ethan raised an incredulous eyebrow at his friend. “That so? Last time I checked, you owed me a favor.”
“Wait a minute,” his expression turned suspicious and he leaned on the table and eyeballed his friend, who returned the look with exasperation. “Your foul mood wouldn’t have anything to do with Erin now, would it?”
Ethan stared back, careful to keep his expression neutral, he couldn’t afford to let Marcus know the truth. “I thought we were talking about favors?”
“Forget that, I’ll take Pete instead.” Marcus dismissed the question with a wave and smirked, “What’d she do this time? Steal another client?”
Ethan snorted, but kept silent.
“She refused to sleep with you? What?”
Suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion sweep through him, Ethan sighed and rubbed at his eyes, his stomach rumbled, reminding him that he’d not eaten a thing since last night.
He stood and reached for his jacket. “Tell you what? I refuse to sit through an evening playing your wingman, but let’s do lunch instead. And you’re buying.”
****
Erin tossed the charred remains of the eggs into the trash and sighed. So much for her culinary skills.
She crossed to the fridge but a quick glance at the contents and she shut it, leaning against the door in exhaustion. She needed sleep, food and fresh air but in the past week, had gotten very little since all her focus had been helping Nicky through the crisis. Though with each passing day, Nicky had retreated further and further into her shell, not talking, not eating and definitely not sleeping. She’d maintained a stony silence even when the apartment had been overrun with both their parents, all demanding to know the reason why Ryan had called off the wedding. Erin had been left with the responsibility of making the necessary arrangements for a cancelled wedding, fielding questions from Nicky and Ryan’s parents.
Thankfully, Ryan had not told anyone the reasons for the breakup so that at least was a point in their favor.
The phone drew Erin from her thoughts and she crossed to the living room to answer it. It turned out to be yet another call from Nicky’s mum, wanting to know how she was. She replaced the receiver and plopped down on the couch to ease her aching legs.
“Was it Ryan?” Nicky appeared at the doorway to the bedroom, still clad in her pajamas, looking pale, bloodshot eyes fixed on Erin hopefully. “Did he finally call?”
“No Nicks, I’m sorry.” Erin slowly turned her head to look at her cousin, feeling a wave of pity at the devastation on her face.
“Oh…” Nicky nodded, though her shoulders slumped. “I… I… just hoped he would…”
She broke off, swallowing convulsively and came to join Erin on the couch. She curled up her legs, bringing her chin to rest on her knees.
“What am I going to do? He hates me.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t,” she pulled Nicky into a hug. “He just needs some time, that’s all.”
Nicky sniffed back tears. “I miss him so much, just wish he’d give me another chance. I don’t care about the wedding… I don’t care if he never wants to marry me… I just want him back… I need him back.”
Erin sighed, absently stroking her back. “I know Nicks, I know.”
There was silence for a few moments while both women were lost in their own private thoughts. As usual, her mind strayed to Ethan and Erin wondered what he would be doing right now or if he even thought about her at all. In the past week, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about him, had always cut her thoughts anytime they strayed to him, and it always inevitably did. Perhaps it was because she felt irrationally guilty about her feelings for him.
“Is there any ice cream left?” Nicky asked, breaking the silence.
“No, we’re out.” Erin pulled away and rose, stretching her stiff limbs. “I could run to the store and get some.”
Nicky gave her a watery smile in return and nodded. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll only be gone for a few minutes, will you be okay?”
“Yeah… I’ll be fine.”
The supermarket was out of Nicky’s favorite brand so Erin set off at the brisk pace towards the next one five blocks away. The cool air and loud noises were a welcome change from the cramped silence of Nicky’s apartment and Erin felt her spirits lift with each step. For once, her mind dwelt issues other than Nicky’s breakup, focusing instead on work.
She reached the supermarket, and thankfully, they had the brand in stock. As she retraced her steps back to the apartment, her mind wandered back to Ethan as it inevitably did whenever she let her guard down.
Someone grabbed her arm and she gave a small scream, her body instinctively going into defense mode. Heart racing, she whirled to face her assailant and her heart rate sped up even further for completely different reasons.
The very object of her thoughts stood on the crowded sidewalk, giving her a dark look. His gaze swept over her, taking in her body encased in black jeans and a sparkly black top underneath her coat. Erin felt a wave of self-consciousness sweep through her at the casual attire and she bit her lip, wishing she’d taken more care with her appearance before leaving the apartment.
She collected herself with a small shake.
“Ethan,” she exclaimed unable to stop the silly smile that stole over her face, his touch sending pleasurable tingles down her spine. “What are you doing here?”
He made no reply, merely tightening his grip and the next thing he was steering her away from the sidewalk towards an open café she’d passed a few moments ago. Caught off guard, Erin let him lead, her free arm clutching her purchases, his very presence scrambling her thoughts in disconcerting waves.
Ethan steered them towards a table just outside the café and drew a chair for her.
“Sit.”
The command was delivered in a tight voice and still disconcerted, Erin meekly obeyed. He took the paper bag from her and set it on the table, then pulled out a chair of his own.
Erin opened her mouth to speak, but he shot a look that ordered her to silence. She watched his jaw work, a familiar sign that he was struggling to keep his temper in check.
Puzzled, Erin clasped her hands together on the table, feeling bolts of apprehension run through her as she ran through and discarded a million reasons for his anger. Had he found out the truth about Nicky? Was he angry at her for covering for her cousin? Was that why he hadn’t called all week.
“Ethan, what is it?” She asked, deciding to brave his forbidding look. If he wanted to chew her out in public, she was more than capable of giving as good as she got.
He shot her a look of disbelief.
“You’re actually asking me that?” His voice was tight and controlled, barely containing the anger that threatened to explode to the surface.
“Well, I’m not a mind reader, so yes, I think I have a right to ask why you look as though you would like to strangle me.”
“I would like to strangle you.” He shot back, his stare shooting icy blue daggers at her. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Erin sighed, feeling the return of the headache that had plagued her all day. Disappointment and anger nipped at the edges of her temper. She should have known better than to expect concern from Ethan, any other guy would have called asking about the message’s content, after all, it wasn’t everyday a woman left a hurried message saying she had to leave because of a family crisis. But not Ethan.
No, instead he would rather glare and threaten body harm. She pushed back her chair and rose.
“You’re not making any sense. And I’m not in the mood to deal with one of your tantrums, so if you haven’t got anything meaningful to say, I’m gonna go…”
“Sit down.” He growled, his gaze promising dire consequences if she didn’t, but Erin refused to let him intimidate her.
“No, I won’t.” She shot back, losing her temper. “I don’t care for your threats and you can bloody well go to hell you selfish bastard.”
He stood, his six foot plus frame easily towering over her. She raised her chin and glared up at him, both of them oblivious to the curious looks they were getting.
Then he scoffed, the fury in his eyes changing to mockery. “How nice of you to show some guts at last. Perhaps you should have had the guts to wait till I was actually in the building before pulling your cowardly revenge stunt.”
Erin gaped at him in shock. “Revenge? Cowardly? Are you freaking kidding me?” He thought her leaving to go look after her cousin – who by the way was in hysterics because of being caught cheating – was cowardly? Was he mad?
“What the hell are you talking about?” Erin felt like tearing her hair out in frustration. “If you’re referring to that morning at your place, I didn’t pull any stunt. I had to leave. Surely, the note would have explained that?”
He went very still, his eyes narrowing to slits as he watched her. “What note?”
Erin rubbed at her tired eyes, suddenly wishing to be anywhere but here. “I left you a note explaining why I had to leave. Didn’t you see it?”
Ethan raked a hand through his hair and blew out a breath as her words sank in. “I didn’t see anything, I came back and you were gone and so…”
“You assumed I’d tricked you.” Erin finished for him. Somehow, the thought that he’d been ready to assume the worst when all he’d had to do was to pick up a phone and find out why she’d left, depressed her. Maybe she’d allowed herself to be deluded into thinking Ethan cared for her, had foolishly nursed the hope that their relationship could eventually develop into something more meaningful than the need for revenge.
How could I have let this happen? She thought to herself, heart heavy with hurt.
Ethan reached out to lightly touch her elbow, causing her gaze to return to his. The anger was gone, to be replaced by something akin to regret.
“I’m sorry.”
Erin lowered her gaze, unwilling for him to see any vulnerability in them. She needed to end this before she completely lost her head… and her heart. She merely nodded and picked up the paper bag, still not looking at him.
“I have to go. Nicky’s waiting.”
She turned and walked away, but she could still feel his eyes burning holes into her back.