Page 79 of Ethan's Sky

“You don’t hate him,” Cash says, lifting Skyler’s chin to look at him. I growl, not liking how casually he touches her. Like he has every right.

“No, I don’t. I never did.” The words are whispered. But I hear them. Something in my gut twisted.

“Shit,” Cash groans, hugging her against his chest once more. I’m two seconds from stepping out and grabbing the fucker to get him off her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugs.

“You know, this means I can’t hurt him because you’ll hate me. And that shit won’t fly with me.”

He fucking wishes.

“It doesn’t matter. What’s been lost…,” she pulls out of his hold, wiping my face, cursing softly under my breath. My hand instinctively goes to my stomach. My eyes meet Cash’s, “…can’t be brought back to life.” She wipes the tears from her face,taking several deep breaths. “There’s nothing you could’ve done to change anything. Ethan feels what he feels and …I-I’ll get over it, eventually.”

“Why don’t you come crash at the clubhouse tonight? You can sleep in the room they set up for me. I don’t think you should be alone tonight.”

“Hard pass.” Cash laughs at her response. “I’m fine. Go see Eli. I have my overgrown, babysitter who’s probably waiting for you to go inside so he can follow me home.”

Cash gives her one last hug. “Sky.” He calls back over his shoulder, one hand on the door handle. “I know about the promise you made, but I also know George wouldn’t want you to suffer. If he knew how being here hurts, you. How every time you see Ethan with another woman, or in the same room, it tears you apart. If George could see the pain etched on your face, the way it dims the light in your eyes. He wouldn’t want it for you. You know I’m right.”

“It doesn’t matter how much it hurts. It’s always hurt. Even when I was in Mountain Heights. The only difference now is my location. The pain never went away, Cash. I learned to live with it. It’ll take some time, but I’ll learn to do it again. I do know I won’t leave my parents again. Leaving Oak Ridge is not an option for me.”

Cash nods. “Just think about it, okay?” Once he’s inside, I run up behind Sky, grabbing her arm and spinning her, putting her back against her truck. I feel the sharp sting of metal cutting through my skin. Looking down, I see she’s jabbed her key into my forearm.

I release her arm. She drops her keys. I’m shouting her name, but she’s scrambling on the ground for her keys not hearing a damn thing I’m saying.

“What the fuck, Skyler?” Finally, she hears me, looking up from the ground confusion etched on her face.

“Ethan? Oh my God!What the hell are you doing?”

“Bleeding,” I groan pulling a black bandana from my back pocket, wrapping it around my forearm to cover up the blood.

She reaches to help. One hand on my arm, the other snatching the rag, tying it around my arm. It’s not a deep cut, but I let her doctor me up, watching her closely. Her face is a myriad of emotions, but I can’t make sense of any of them.

I place my hands on her hips, my body heats up with the proximity as I watch her.

What’s happening?

She pulls the knot tight causing me to flinch. She steps back out of my grip. “There.”

“You’re not even going to say sorry?” I ask, smirking. It wasn’t hard enough of a stab to do any real damage, only meant to stun me into letting go. There’s not even that much blood. She’s smart. Doing what she had to. If I’d been a real attacker, the move might’ve been enough to get her a few seconds to get away.

“Sorry, not sorry.” She replies, turning away, reaching to open the door of her truck. I slam my hand against it, not letting her get away from me that easily.

“You know, usually I’m the one doing the poking when I’m with a woman,” I can’t resist messing with her.

Her eyes narrow. She’s scrutinizing me, trying to figure out my game. Hell, I’m still not sure myself. I take the time to study her face further. Red rimmed eyes. A pink tint to her cheeks, the slight sway in her stance.

“Are you drunk, Sky?”

“What? No.” She looks scared, ready to flee. “You should’ve remembered I don’t like being touched without permission.” Maybe she’s worried I’m going to retaliate for the key she jabbed into my arm.

Skyler tries to turn toward the handle, probably looking to escape. I grip her hips from behind, pulling her back into me. Her luscious ass pushing into my cock. I groan at the feel of her against me.

Mayday! Mayday!

I step in closer, pushing myself into her back. My mouth is next to her ear. “You used to like my touch,” I say, my voice thick and gravely.

“I used to like a lot of things about you.”

---