Chapter Eighteen
We want to make her ours…forever.
~ Ethan
THE BUSTLING SOUNDS of the city had Chloé opening her eyes and gripping her head, which pounded like someone had taken a jackhammer to it.
The morning sun was bright and slipping through the curtains, and on any other day she’d appreciate that—today, however, was not that day. Damn champagne.
She rubbed at her temple and stretched beneath the covers, and that was when she realized there was someone missing from their bed.
Ethan stirred beside her, his eyes closed as he slept peacefully, and the sight finally pulled a smile from her. He was such a serious man, a controlled man—in many ways he reminded her of her papa, but the one spot in which they differed? Ethan had no trouble sleeping.
Her papa had gotten better over the years. But she remembered many nights where she’d wake to find him working on some case or just sitting and relaxing in front of the glow of his aquarium.
She couldn’t imagine not being able to sleep. She was such a grump when she didn’t get her eight hours, and when she looked to the empty pillow on the other side of her, she wondered what had woken Zayne after such a late night.
Gently pushing the covers back, she was careful not to disturb Ethan as she climbed out of bed. She grabbed the robe she’d packed and slipped into it and then headed for the stairs, deciding that going down wasn’t half as hard as coming up them, and that way Ethan could sleep a little longer.
She walked down the stairs, trailing her hand over the shiny wood rail, and when she reached the third floor, she immediately knew he wasn’t there. It was too quiet and too…proper to be a place Zayne would go to relax. So she continued on to the main floor.
As she passed the bookcase, she looked around the living room, searching out the balcony doors. They were wide open, and as she got closer, she spotted Zayne bent at the waist with his arms resting on the rail as he stared out at the city below.
He’d pulled on a pair of jeans but nothing more, and the image of him standing there was just as breathtaking as the view he was looking at—and just like that, her headache was the last thing on her mind.
“Zayne?” She stopped by the door, not wanting to intrude if he was looking to be left alone. But he straightened and turned to face her, an inviting smile lifting his lips.
“Hey there, Red. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You didn’t. But when I realized you were gone, I thought I’d come and find you.”
She stepped out into the crisp morning air. It was cool but not cold. He reached out and took her hand, drawing her into his arms.
“Hmm, now this is the way to wake up.” He lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss she felt all the way to her toes. “Would you like some coffee? I made a pot.”
Chloé glanced at the table they’d been drinking champagne around last night, and sure enough, there was a coffee press now in its place.
“A coffee would be heaven sent.”
Zayne chuckled. “Regretting the champagne?”
“Maybe that last glass.”
He took her hand and led her over to one of the seats, then, after pouring her a cup, moved back to lean up against the rail. “Did you sleep well?”
“I sure did.” Chloé blew on the steaming liquid. “You?”
“Yep. I would’ve stayed that way too if my phone hadn’t woken me up.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Zayne nodded, but then a frown formed on his brow. “Actually, no, that’s a lie.”
Chloé put her cup down and got to her feet. “What happened? Should I go and get Ethan?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Let him sleep. It’s nothing really, just something that happened with the senator.”
Chloé’s stomach dropped, the mention of Zayne’s father enough to ruin any morning. Then her mind began to race at all the possibilities.
Had the press found out who she was? Had they gone after her or her fathers? That was the reason they’d left. The reporters hanging around The Office, waiting to see if she would show up at Ethan and Zayne’s place. Maybe they’d finally worked it all out.
She searched Zayne’s face for any clues as to whether he was angry or upset, but neither of those emotions were there. If anything, he looked…resigned. Which made no sense in any of those scenarios.
“Zayne? Do you want to talk about it?”
He drew his phone out of the pocket of his jeans and held it out to her. Chloé walked over and took it from him, and the headline that jumped off the page made the breath leave her body.
SENATOR RANDALL COPELAND PUBLICLY DISOWNS SON IN PRIMETIME NEWS INTERVIEW
She didn’t have to read any more of the gossipy article to know that the senator’s reason for doing this would be a sick breakdown of all of Zayne’s supposed sins. These vultures lived off this kind of scandal, and Senator Copeland having a queer son was just fodder to fill their pages.
“Zayne…” She looked up to find him staring off over her shoulder into the apartment, and took a step forward to place a hand on his naked chest. It was warm and solid, his heart beating under her palm, and when his eyes finally met hers, the resignation there broke her heart. “I’m so sorry.”
He covered her hand with his, a tight smile on his lips. “It’s okay. Really. I’m actually surprised he didn’t do it years ago.”
“But still, no one wants to wake up to something like this.”
He shrugged and turned back to look out over the city. They stood there in silence for a few minutes before Zayne said, “You know what the worst part is?”
Chloé studied his set jaw and narrowed eyes. “What’s that?”
“That I don’t care. That he pushed me so far away, for so long, that I’m actually relieved he’s cut ties. I’m happy . So did he win? Does that mean I’m as fucked up as he is?”
“No. It does not.”
* * *
ZAYNE TURNED TO find Ethan standing in the doorway in his black robe, and damn it was good to see him there.
When his phone first started blowing up this morning with notifications about his father, Zayne hadn’t wanted to disturb the amazing time they were having with the senator’s bullshit.
But opening up to Chloé just now, and seeing Ethan standing in front of him all serious and strong, had made the burden suddenly feel less heavy.
“You’re awake.” Chloé crossed over to Ethan and greeted him with a kiss, and Zayne had a feeling she was as happy to see him as he was. There was just something so calming and reassuring about Ethan. He had an innate ability to make you feel…safe.
“I am.” Ethan brushed a hand over her hair, then turned his attention back to Zayne. “Imagine my surprise when I realized everyone else was too.”
“I just figured you must’ve needed the sleep,” Zayne said.
“Over my being there when you found out your father is the lowest form of human a person can actually be?”
Zayne’s lips twitched, despite the seriousness of Ethan’s words. “Yeah, despite all of that.”
“When did it happen?” Ethan asked.
“Last night. Fucker made a big splash of it going on national news. Using me one last time to bolster his ratings.”
“ Bolster them?” Chloé sounded appalled. “Who would want to vote for anyone after hearing that?”
“His delusional constituents.” Ethan shook his head. “It plays right into their hands. Tossing aside the heathen child.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“That’s my father.” Zayne’s eyes came back to Ethan’s. “Or not anymore. Wow…” He let out a breath. “I really expected to be more upset over this.”
“I don’t see why.” Ethan moved to stand beside him, resting against the rail. “The senator’s been treating you like garbage for years. I think relief is a normal response to being rid of that kind hate in your life. That doesn’t make you fucked up or evil—it makes you human.”
“You’re right.”
Ethan winked at him. “I’m always right.”
Zayne chuckled and bumped shoulders with him. “Maybe I should send him a thank-you note.”
“He’s not worth the money you’d spend to post it.”
“True.” Zayne reached out and tugged Chloé in against him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “On the plus side, it’s a new scandal, sooo the gorgeous redhead is out of the news—and lucky for her, she’ll never have to deal with the senator again.”
“I think that’s lucky for all of us,” Ethan pointed out.
“You’re right.” Zayne rested his chin on Chloé’s head. “Good riddance, I say, and let this be the last time we ever speak his name.”
“You’ll get no complaints from me.”
“Me either,” Chloé agreed, then screwed up her nose. “Do you want me to go and make a fresh pot of coffee? That one’s gotta be cold by now.”
“Why don’t we all head in? I want to grab one of those croissants anyway.” Zayne picked up the coffee press and his cup as they all headed back inside.
“Zayne?” Chloé said, stopping just inside the living room. “Are you sure you still feel like going for a picnic for lunch, or—”
“Definitely.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to go and start getting some food put together for it while I make the coffee. Did Gilles end up being able to finding a basket?”
Ethan nodded. “He did. He said it was on the kitchen table.”
“Perfect.” She leaned in to kiss both their cheeks. “I’ll see you two in a bit.”
Ethan eyed her exit and shook his head. “She’s not half as stealthy as she thinks she is.”
“No, she isn’t.” Zayne walked over to the couch and fell down into it, and Ethan followed then stopped in front of him.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t take the opportunity she’s given us to ask—are you really okay?”
A grin tugged at Zayne’s lips as he looked up. “You think I was lying out there?”
“No.” Ethan sat down beside him. “But sometimes we think we’re all right when really we’re not.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Definitely.”
Zayne reached for Ethan’s hand and interlaced their fingers. “I’m okay, for now. If that changes, I’ll tell you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Ethan settled back into the couch and drew him into his side. “It’s interesting, isn’t it, that neither of us have a father we can go to or count on, and yet the person that walked into our lives has three.”
A bark of unexpected laughter left Zayne. “One for each of us, huh?”