Page 29 of Watch Me
“We’ve offered to watch them while they go out tonight,” Shannon chimedin.
“I have to get the boys back by eight,” Ethan stated. It wasseven.
“Drop them off and then meet us at the bar,” Ashtyn suggested. “You live right down the street.”
Ethan looked over at me again. I shrugged. “It could be fun.”
His gaze moved to Carter. “Don’t look at us,” Carter protested. “I’m on call, remember?”
“If I’m going, you’re going,” Ethan stated. “You can come sing and shit.”
“We’re in!” Rachel exclaimed, not waiting for her husband toanswer.
“Then it’s settled. We’re all going,” Rhysdeclared.
I left with Ethan to drop the boys off. While he went to the door at Jessica’s, I waited in the truck. Jessica was at the door again, talking to Ethan with her arms crossed. They talked longer than I would have liked, but they had kids together, and I couldn’t let it get tome.
After several minutes, Ethan finally slid back into the cab. “Everything okay?” Iasked.
He chuckled and started the engine. “She’s jealous.”
“Of me?”
“Of us.”
“But she divorced you,” I reminded him—as though he needed thatreminder.
He started to drive down the street. “She doesn’t want to see me happy.”
I smirked, looking over at him as the streetlights cast an orange glow into the truck, one after the other. “You’re happy?”
He grinned, laced our fingers, and then kissed the back of my hand. “More than happy, Buttercup.”
“Me, too.”
We were silent for a few moments before Ethan let go of my hand and pulled over into another subdivision.
“What—”
“I need … I need to tell you something.” He put the truck into park and cut theengine.
I swallowed. “Okay?”
He turned slightly to face me the best he could, given he was still strapped into his seatbelt. I was instantly nervous. We’d had just had an amazing dinner with his family and were on our way to hang out with his siblings and their spouses. This was what I’d imagined life would be like with Ethan Valor. But then the longer I waited for him to speak, the more I second-guessed everything. He’d just told me that he was happy, but why did he seem nervous? Did he want to break my heart like I had brokenhis?
Ethan grabbed my hand again. “This isn’t where I wanted to do this, but I can’t wait any longer.”
I swallowed again, looking down at my lap. “Just tell me. We’re both adults. I can handle it.”
“I’m not breaking up with you.”
My gaze darted to his. I could barely see his eyes in the dark of night, but there was enough light that I could see that he was smiling. My heart instantly started to slow as a wave of relief washed over me. “You’re not?”
“God, no.” He shook hishead.
“Then, why are you nervous? Why are we on the side of the road?”
“I just can’t hold it in anymore. I need to tell you …” He took a deepbreath.
