Page 177 of Vows We Never Made
“Hush, big boy,” I whisper. “Just a little thunder.”
But although rain pelts the house with a steady patter, there’s no sign of thunder or lightning.
I listen carefully until I hear footsteps instead.
Closer, closer, pinging my nerves with panic.
Crap, there’s a security system here, right?
I never gave it a second thought before settling on the sofa because I didn’t want to sleep in Ethan’s bed. No intruder should get in unless they know the code or disarm the system.
My heart crawls up my throat and adrenaline pounds fear through my veins.
My breath catches.
Soon, I’m fumbling with my phone, making sure I have 9-1-1 on lock just in case, when a silhouette appears in the doorway.
Lightning rips then, illuminating him in the flash.
My scream catches in my throat.
No stranger, though.
I’d recognize that figure anywhere.
All broad shoulders, bristling muscle, the way he holds his arms by his sides like he’s spoiling for a fight with a mountain lion any second.
“Ethan?” My voice is thick with sleep. “Is that you?”
He doesn’t say anything, just turns and heads down the hall.
Swallowing, I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and follow, aware that the temperature has dropped and I’m wearing nothing but skimpy pj’s.
He wasn’t supposed to be home tonight.
Weird scenarios start flashing through my mind.
He’s here to apologize—but that doesn’t make sense because he would havesaidsomething.
That means something’s wrong. But what?
There’s no other reason why he’d be back so soon.
Unless unexpected business came up with Blackthorn Holdings?
But that still doesn’t quite make sense. The Portland office is small. If there was a major issue, he’d probably hunker down in New York and fight it out.
I find him at the bar downstairs, tossing back a glass of bourbon and pouring himself another a second later.
He doesn’t look up when I stop a few feet away from him.
“Ethan?” I reach for the bottle, but he drags it back jealously. “What’s going on?”
“Go back to bed, Hattie. Everything’s fine.”
He can see I wasn’t in bed.
Surely, heknowsI’m not sleeping well, and maybe I’m not in the mood to just go to bed and let things go.
