Chapter 31 #2
Fortunately, the staff didn’t kick me out. They let me sit in the restaurant until a black Bentley pulled up fifteen minutes later. At the sight of it, I leapt up and hurried outside.
Ethan was already out of the car, coming towards me. Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms. He caught me and held me close. Relieved, I buried my face in his neck and inhaled his now familiar scent. Combined with his touch, it felt like a balm for my nerves.
My heartbeat and breathing both began to steady, because being held by Ethan made me feel warm and safe. He didn’t let go until I was ready.
“Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” He looked me up and down. “Are you OK?”
I nodded, still a little dazed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, nothing actually happened.”
He gave a sigh of relief and scanned my body again, as if to make sure I really hadn’t been hurt. Then he looked around. “Did you see the guy following you?”
“No, it was dark and I was too panicked to look closely.” I always felt uneasy when men I didn’t know walked behind me at night.
It was normal for women, sadly. But this time had felt different, more menacing.
“It was probably nothing,” I said, trying to calm myself down. “I shouldn’t have called you.”
“I’m glad you did.”
Ethan held the passenger door of the Bentley open for me.
Inside the car, it was warm and cosy. I fastened my seat belt and sank deep into the seat while Ethan walked around to the driver’s side.
Only then did I notice that he was dressed casually and wearing his glasses rather than his usual contact lenses.
“Were you spending the night at home?” I asked as he started the engine. I knew he had been watching the anime earlier, but I’d assumed he had plans afterwards. It was term break, after all.
“No, I was at Logan’s with Henry.”
My eyes widened. Ethan hadn’t told me much about his middle brother, but he’d shared enough for me to know what a big deal it was that he’d seen him. “Why didn’t you say? I would have called someone else.”
“Like I said, I’m glad you called me.”
“Didn’t you have a nice time at Logan’s?”
“Yes, but I like being there for you.” He reached across the centre console for my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. “Besides, Logan and I hardly know each other, and I think a dinner is enough to start with.”
I squeezed his hand. “Will you be seeing him more often?”
“I hope so,” he replied, stopping at a red light. He glanced at me. “Shall I drive you home, or do you want to come back to the hotel with me?”
I didn’t need to think long. “To the hotel.”
Shortly after, Ethan parked Henry’s Bentley in The Darlington’s underground car park and texted Henry to take a taxi home. We walked to the lifts holding hands and rode up to the private floor.
Ethan’s penthouse was pitch-black. He activated his smart-home system, and several lights instantly came on, bathing his flat in a warm glow.
The TV also switched on—it was paused, but I immediately recognised the still from Sk8 the Infinity and couldn’t help smiling.
It was sweet that Ethan had taken the time to watch one of my favourite anime shows.
“Do you want a drink?” he asked, slipping off his shoes. “Or if you’re hungry, I can call down to the kitchen.”
“No, thanks. I just want to go to bed.”
Now that my tension had drained from me, I mostly felt exhausted. Partly because of the man who may or may not have been following me, and partly because of my fight with Rose.
Ethan led me to his bedroom and pulled one of his T-shirts from the walk-in wardrobe. “This will be more comfortable to sleep in.”
“Thanks. Can I use your bathroom?”
He frowned, as if unsure where the question had come from. And to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure myself. I had used his bathroom plenty of times before. I felt out of sorts, but he was kind enough to not make a big deal of it. “Sure, make yourself at home. Spare toothbrushes are under the sink.”
I clutched his T-shirt to my chest and flitted to the en suite bathroom, where I laid it on the lowered toilet seat.
I pulled my phone from my pocket to message my parents so they wouldn’t worry.
Then I stripped down to my underwear and slipped into Ethan’s T-shirt, before removing my makeup with water and his cleanser.
When I emerged from the bathroom, my teeth freshly brushed, Ethan was sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked up, his eyes lingering on my bare legs. His T-shirt came just short of my thighs, and when I moved, a flash of my underwear was on show.
He swallowed. “Are you done?”
“Yeah, it’s all yours.”
He got up and came over. I stepped aside to let him pass, but he stopped right next to me. His eyes, which had been fixed on my legs, were now on my face. “My T-shirt really suits you.”
I stroked the soft fabric. “It’s a nice shirt.”
“It’s not the shirt I’m into,” he replied and gave me a lingering kiss, before disappearing into the bathroom.
I got into bed and pulled the duvet up to my nose, burrowing in. It was soft and cosy, and the bed linen smelled fresh.
I hadn’t planned on falling asleep, but when the mattress shifted beneath me and I opened my eyes, I realised I must have drifted off. Ethan had returned from the bathroom and turned off all the lights except for the bedside lamp on his side of the bed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“And I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” I said, rolling onto my side. Ethan did the same, so we were facing each other. Since the only light in the room was behind him, his face was almost entirely in shadow. “I owe you for tonight.”
“You don’t.”
“I do. You left Henry and Logan for me.”
“Like I said, I was happy to do it,” Ethan murmured. “But are you sure you’re OK? You seem a bit distracted.”
“I had a fight with Rose.” Sooner or later, I’d have to tell Ethan about the threatening letter, but I was still putting it off, afraid he might try to stop our investigation if he found out.
But I couldn’t stop. Not now, when it seemed like we were only one phone call from Edgar away from finding out who had killed Amy.
“What was the fight about?”
“You,” I replied. I didn’t want to lie. “She doesn’t like you.”
“Because I used to be mean to you?”
“No, because you’re a Darlington.”
He nodded, as if he understood Rose. Which he probably did—perhaps even better than either he or Rose realised right now. If they would only talk to each other, really talk, they’d see that they had more in common than they thought, bound by their hatred of Mr. Darlington.
“And what did you say to Rose?”
“That I like you, and I enjoy spending time with you,” I replied honestly. I had no reason to hide it, not anymore.
Ethan reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, brushing my cheek as he did so. His fingers touched me so lightly that they sent a shiver through me, despite the warmth of the bed. “I like you too.”
My heart skipped a beat. “So I’m more than just a chambermaid fantasy to you?”
Ethan laughed, a bright, unguarded sound that felt as though it could chase away the darkness. “God, Grace, yes. You’re so much more than just a fantasy to me. You’re a dream come true.”
His words pierced me. I felt them in every fibre of my body, yet I couldn’t say anything in return.
I didn’t know how to respond to such a beautiful, intimate confession.
But I didn’t have to speak. The fact that I’d called him tonight—not Kate, not Rose, not my parents—said more than my words ever could.
“Come here, Dreamgirl.”
The endearment made my knees go even weaker. But before I could move, his hand was already at the back of my neck, drawing me towards him. His warm breath brushed against my lips, and then he kissed me, tenderly, almost lovingly.
And in that moment, I realised I couldn’t give Ethan my broken heart.
He’d already stolen it.