Chapter 47

I stared between Ethan and Baron, they were sizing each other up. No one said anything, except for the photographer who was chattering away about retrying the picture.

“No, no!” He tsked, “Readers want some spice, not cheeky kisses!”

Ethan looked back at me, a question in his eyes. I nodded, not sure what I was actually answering, and he pulled me into a deep kiss. Nothing like the peck I thought we would share. He grabbed the back of my head with one hand, wrapped his other around the small part of my back, and pulled me into him so deeply I thought we might meld together.

The camera clicks, the kids gag and giggle, and Ethan pulls away with a self-satisfied smirk. I, on the other hand, am seeing stars and trying to catch my breath.

I looked back at Baron. He was no longer frozen, but he refused to catch my eye. He greeted the children, and even shook hands with Ethan.

“Ava,” He greeted me warmly, and it took me off guard. I never told Baron I was married - I don’t even think I hinted at it. If he was shocked at all, he didn’t show it. Instead he played the perfect gentleman and ignored it all. He stopped to give a weird look at the camera, but that was the extent of his shown discomfort.

Maybe I was thinking too much into things. Maybe I thought he would react the way I would react if I found out he was married and was doing a photoshoot in our place of work to promote the relationship. You know, weird things like that.

We end the day at the children’s home by handing out bags of the cookies I baked the night before to the kids. Their faces light up and they beam at the chocolate chip bundles of joy. I smiled at them, watching them run off and show their treats to Baron and Mrs. Hudson.

Before Ethan and I leave, I hand them both their own bags.

When Ethan and I got home, he rounded on me. His face was calm, deceivingly disinterested, as he looked at me in the eyes and asked a question.

“Who was that?”

I tried to seem as casual as possible. I had nothing to hide, afterall, “That was just my coworker. Baron.”

Ethan didn’t look convinced that that’s all there was to it. Maybe it was the way I was acting, the guilty look on my face. Why was I guilty?

I’d done nothing wrong. Especially considering he might be running around with Olivia behind my back.

Plus, Ethan and I didn’t have a real relationship either, I didn’t owe him anything.

Ethan pretends he doesn’t care, I pretend like I have something to be ashamed for, and we both go our separate ways for the day.

The rest of the week, I spend most of my time with Baron at the orphanage. It’s so much easier there. No expectations from me, no one wants me to be anyone but myself.

The kids had been asking if Ethan was coming back anytime soon.

“He’s working very hard right now,” I chided as they all let out groans and boos. “He will be back when he has some time, though. I promise.”

Part of me didn’t want Ethan to come back yet. This was one place I had where he wasn’t completely involved. Even when I worked at the bakery, I still technically answered Ethan. This was my one individual endeavor.

Baron didn’t act any different, either.

“Ava,” He greeted warmly. “How have you been?”

He didn’t ask me any questions, and didn't expect any answers. A little part of me hated it. I wanted him to be curious, I wanted him to ask about me and Ethan. But everyday, he smiled and talked casually.

I wanted his attention because that would mean he was my friend, and I desperately needed a friend.

--

Ethan filled our social schedule to the brim at the request of Mars. With each new interview, party, or red carpet event the amount of paparazzi that hounded us doubled and tripled.

I was followed to the orphanage by a crazy man asking me for pictures and autographs, so Ethan started insisting I get driven to and from by a chauffeur.

One day, I got ready and looked out the window. There were thirty people with cameras and microphones standing on the lawn, milling about and waiting for us to emerge.

The thought of going out there alone made the hairs on my arms prickle with anxiety.

Ethan saw me looking out the window. He came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.

“That’s a lot of vultures,” He joked, looking out at the reporters.

I nodded.

“Why don’t you come to work with me today?” He asked, and I turned to face him with a quirky brow. “You haven’t been since you stopped bringing lunch over, and it would be fun to have you lingering around to keep me company.”

His teasing tone made me chuckle, but I wasn’t sure if I should accept. I did want to visit the children and Baron.

Ethan, though, looked at me with a little pout. His best attempt at puppy dog eyes, I guess. They worked.

“Alright,” I relented and a ginormous grin stretched across his face showing off the dimples in his cheeks.

He grabbed my hand and led me to his car, hidden away in the garage behind the house.

“A getaway car,” He smirked, and I playfully rolled my eyes. Despite being as stoic and icy as he seemed, he was a bit of a goof.

When we got to his office, he let me lounge on his couch, running errands every hour or so to keep me occupied.

We ate the lunch I packed us together, and he even let me observe one of his business meetings.

“Hello, everyone,” He greeted at the head of the table. I stood behind him, quietly and seriously playing the part to be his perfect Luna. “This is my wife, Ava.”

The businessmen and women smiled and waved at me. I nodded my head and watched the meeting unfold. Ethan was so commanding, so large, so determined.

A heat pooled in my stomach when he took off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his button up shirt to reveal his muscled forearms.

I bit my lip and tried to cool any blush creeping onto my face.

Towards the end of the day, Ethan asked me to grab a couple of things from the copier on the second floor.

I was on my way back up, giddy and delighted to actually be of use to him today, when I passed Mars in the elevator.

“Ava,” He acknowledged me, seemingly in a good mood.

I smiled at him as he exited and I got on. I was still sure he didn’t like me, but at least we could be cordial.

The doors closed, and the elevator rose back up to the very top floor of the building. When the doors opened, I stepped foot directly into Ethan’s office and I dropped everything I was holding.

Papers went fluttering to the floor, swooping and diving in all sorts of different directions. But I didn’t care, I couldn’t.

Laying on Ethan’s desk, wearing nothing but a lingerie babydoll dress, was Olivia.

Her legs were exposed to the very tops of her thighs and her neckline was low enough to leave little to the imagination.

“Oh my god!” I screamed. She looked up at me and scrambled off the desk. The skirt swished and revealed far too much of her for my taste and she screamed back at me.

“Oh no Ava, no I’m sorry!”