Chapter 23

“That was for pushing Sarah into the pool you little bitch!” The girl cried out as I wiped the liquid from my eyes. She kept berating me as I stood there, not sure what I could do. I let her scream at me, I technically pull Sarah into the pool with me.

Did I deserve this?

Tears started pricking at my lash line, threatening to spill down my cheeks, as all of Sarah’s fans started shouting at me. They weren’t happy that I ignored them to talk to the side of the group that wanted to see me. They hated me for pushing Sarah. They shrieked at me for marrying Ethan.

I let them yell, starting to shake from the whole ordeal.

Ethan was heading to work at the same time that the drink was thrown in my face. He was driving his car when he saw the crowd in front of my shop. Out of curiosity, he pulled over to see what was happening.

When he approached, I was frozen in place as the brown drink dripped from the strands of my hair all over my work clothes. I sniffled, not having noticed him yet, with my head down.

“What is going on here?” He demanded loudly. Silence followed. The girls stopped shouting.

Hearing his voice, my head shot up and I saw his angry expression. He was staying calm on the surface, but his irises were ablaze with outrage.

“We - uh - well,” The girl holding an empty cup in front of me started stuttering, looking between myself and the cup in her hand. She tried to hide the evidence behind her back.

“Leave.” He commanded with a low tone.

She ducked her head and scurried off without another word; just a scared teenager.

Ethan looked at the rest of the group, taking in the fans versus antifan situation of it all, and sighed heavily.

“Your support is very admirable,” He announced diplomatically. “But you should all go home, go to school - go wherever you need to be right now.”

The girls scattered like a flock of startled birds.

“Are you okay?” He ran his hand from my shoulder down the length of my arm, rubbing it comfortingly. I didn’t know if it was because I was scared or if I was so happy that Ethan was there, but I started crying. Loudly.

“I didn’t know what to do!” I wailed and he pulled me into him in an embrace. I sobbed against his chest, coffee and tears staining yet another suit.

He soothingly pat my back and shushed my crying, holding me until I started to calm myself and pull away.

“Do you feel better?” He asked, holding me at arm’s length. He tilted his head so that he could look me in my eyes, which I know were puffy and gross.

“Yes,” I sniffed and looked down at our stained clothes. “I’m sorry I ruined your outfit.”

Ethan looked down as if it had only just occurred to him and he let out a breathy laugh.

“It’s okay,” He sighed with a smile. “I’m glad I was here to save you.”

He was teasing me now, and I was a little grateful for it. It meant he wasn’t truly angry or upset with me.

“Me too!” I giggled and wiped the remaining tears from my face. “Guess I’ll go home and change, the shop can wait an hour or two before opening.”

I turned to leave, but Ethan grabbed my wrist to keep me from going anywhere.

“I’ll help you clean up at my office. Tristan will run and get you some new clothes.”

I stared up at him, blinking in surprise.

“Are you sure?” I asked, gesturing down the road. “The house is less than an hour walk away.”

Ethan rolled his eyes playfully, “And my office is a two second walk. Please?”

I could never tell him no. I realized it was becoming my greatest flaw.

I agreed to let him take me up to his office on the top floor. He shielded my body from his coworkers, glaring at them if their eyes lingered too long on the two of us. They usually got the hint and looked away quickly.

In the office, Ethan had his own private bathroom. He turned and got closer to me, grabbing my hips with a firm grip.

“Hold onto my shoulders real quick,” He ordered. I blushed, not understanding what he was planning to do. I listened nonetheless.

He lifted me up just enough for me to take a seat on the bathroom counter. He nudged my knees open, my mind drifted back to the first night at the hotel during the gala. The way he pulled me into his lap and held me close. The blush on my face grew as I remembered the way his body felt against mine.

I was shocked by my flashback when a warm cloth was pressed against my face.

Ethan stood between my knees to get close, but not in a passionate way like before. His eyes were focused on me, wiping away the streaks of sugar, milk, and coffee from my forehead and cheeks. His gray eyes flicked over my skin.

He was so focused.

From so close, I noticed things about him I never bothered to before. He had a small scar right above his left brow bone, his skin was clear and free of blemishes, and a bit of stubble lined his chin. His hair looked so soft, too. I resisted the urge to run my hands through it just to feel.

“What?” He asked.

Shocked, I made eye contact with him and he was watching my face. If I wasn’t already blushing like a madman, I’d be redder than a tomato.

“Nothing,” I squeaked, embarrassed at being caught admiring him. “Just looking at you.”

His eyes softened at my confession, that teasing glint he always had fading away. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, eyes looking back and forth between my own.

He broke eye contact, the tiniest bit of pink dusted his cheeks.

“You’ve got some coffee on your neck, I’ll check to see if Tristan has found any clothes for you yet.” He cleared his throat and gave me the privacy to finish cleaning myself off.

My stomach dropped when he shut the door behind him, I wasn’t used to him running away after a small show of intimacy. I thought we’d grown close enough over the last few weeks to justify it. Maybe I misread his actions before.

I finished washing the coffee from my skin, though it was still in my hair and clothes. Tristan knocked on the door and handed me an entirely new outfit.

I thought he was going to the house to pick up my clothes. No, Ethan sent him money and had him buy me an ensemble.

I shook my head with a smile and changed. I left the bathroom, wanting to show off the new clothes to Ethan, but Tristan told me he had to go make an important phone call before his meeting.

With a sigh, I asked Tristan to tell him thank you for me. I left Blue Moon Group’s building and walked next door to open up the shop, finally.

A few of the waitresses were waiting for me outside the locked doors with confused expressions. I sheepishly apologized and promised them it wouldn’t happen again.

The work day went by quickly. I sent my workers home early to make up for the weird morning, and worked in solitude to close up for the night.

While mopping the kitchen, the bell above the door chimed signaling someone had entered the dining room. I poked my head around to tell whoever it was that we were closed, but the air left my body when I saw who it was.

Sarah was standing in the middle of the dining room with her arms crossed, glaring at me.