Chapter 19
CALLIE
Ididn’t even feel my feet hitting the floor as I rushed toward the elevator.
My vision tunneled so much it made the edges of my sight shimmer.
All I knew was that if I stayed in that penthouse one second longer with her voice still echoing in my head, I was going to break apart in ways I wouldn’t recover from.
I didn’t grab shoes. Or my purse. The only thing my mind could process was escape, the elevator button blurring beneath my thumb.
“Callie, stop.”
Ethan’s voice sliced through the panic. I froze but didn’t turn. My shoulders shook, and my breath caught somewhere between a sob and a gasp.
“Please.” His footsteps slowed behind me. “Don’t go.”
I stared at the brushed metal elevator doors, focusing on the faint reflection of my own shaking silhouette.
“The only person who gives a damn about Prescott money is her.” He was directly behind me now but not touching. “Not me. Or you.”
I folded my arms over my belly as if I could shield the baby from my chaotic emotions.
“I’m choosing you,” he continued, his voice breaking. “I’m choosing our family. Not my mother. Never again.”
A small, broken sound escaped me. Anger, fear, and longing tangled together in my chest.
“You don’t have to look at me. Not until you’re ready. Just don’t walk away.”
My eyes squeezed shut, and my fingers trembled as I braced myself against the wall.
“I’ll stay,” I whispered, barely audible. “But that’s all I can promise right now.”
I expected him to try to pull me back into the penthouse with promises and apologies. Instead, he turned and went to war with his mother.
“You’re not welcome in our life. Ever again.”
His words sliced through the air like a blade, colder than I’d ever heard him before.
I slowly turned, feeling like I wasn’t alone in this fight for the first time.
Margot’s eyes widened with a flash of real fear before she masked it with a brittle smirk. “You’ll regret choosing her.”
Ethan didn’t hesitate. “The only thing I regret is every second I let you near her.”
Margot recoiled as though he’d struck her, shaking her head in disbelief. But Ethan didn’t give her time to recover. He gestured toward the elevator.
“Get out.”
When she didn’t immediately move, he pointed at the elevator. “Leave, Mother. And don’t come back.”
She sputtered, flailing for control she no longer possessed, before finally storming toward me. I stepped closer to Ethan without thinking, drawn to the safety that had once felt impossible.
He pressed the call button, and none of us spoke while we waited. When the doors slid open, Margot stepped inside, shaking with fury.
Ethan met her eyes one last time. “If you show up again, I will find a way to decrease your monthly distributions from the trust. There has to be a loophole somewhere in the agreement, and I’ll spend however long it takes to find it.”
The doors closed on her stunned expression.
He exhaled slowly, then yanked his phone from his pocket.
“Ethan, you don’t have to—”
“I do.”
He hit a contact and put the call on speaker, letting the ringing echo through the entryway so I could hear every word.
The building manager answered. “Mr. Prescott! How can I—”
“How did my mother get upstairs?” Ethan demanded. “Her access was revoked weeks ago. Review the security feed. I want names of every single employee who facilitated it.”
“I—I’ll look immediately, sir.”
“This is a breach of security.” Ethan’s tone never wavered. “And if it ever happens again, I’ll put the penthouse on the market and personally inform every resident, board member, and investor I know that this building cannot be trusted to protect its tenants.”
There was a small, terrified pause. “Yes, sir. Understood. I’ll take care of it right away. Margot Prescott will be added to a heightened-threat list. If she sets foot on the property again, security will contact the police.”
“Good.” Ethan ended the call without another word.
I stared at my husband, shocked that he’d actually severed every thread Margot wrapped around us. This was beyond no-contact. He would literally have his mother arrested before letting her hurt us again.
And that realization loosened the knot that had lived in my chest for far too long.
Ethan turned toward me and did something even more unexpected. He dropped to his knees.
“I’m so sorry.” He braced his hands on his thighs.
“I know you deserve more than just words, so I’ve been focusing on the actions I could do to try to make up for the hurt I caused.
I’m in therapy three times a week. Couples therapy with you.
And my own sessions because I needed someone to help me untangle my relationship with my mother.
I’ve limited her resources and blocked her number, email, and social media accounts. Every line of contact.”
My knees shook, but I couldn’t move.
His throat worked as he swallowed. “I’ve honored every boundary you set at home. Not once have I pushed for more.”
That was true. Each small respect felt like a stitch pulling my heart back together.
“I changed my work schedule and delegated everything Gage would let me hand off. No more drowning myself in responsibilities that let me avoid what truly mattered. I also updated my will. Except for the stipend my mother already receives from the trust, everything goes to you and the baby. If anything ever happens to me, you’ll never have to fight for a cent. ”
My vision blurred.
He pulled a folder from his briefcase. “And this is a list of houses. Places where we could build something that isn’t poisoned by memories of my mother. You don’t have to say yes to any of them. I just needed to show you I’m planning a life with you.”
My knees felt weak, and I grabbed his shoulder to steady myself.
“If you need me to change my number, I will. If you want me to sell anything my mother ever touched, I’ll do it tomorrow. Tell me the price of making you feel safe, and I’ll gladly pay it.”
My lips trembled as the truth rose from somewhere deep inside me. “I was so scared you’d choose her over us.”
He exhaled like that confession gutted him. Then he stood, his hands hovered near my arms until I leaned in. Only then did his fingers curl gently around my elbows.
“I love you so damn much, Callie. You’re my family now. You and this child.”
The wall I’d built inside finally crumbled, and I collapsed against him. His arms wrapped around me instantly. I pressed my face to his chest, sobbing into his suit while his hands cradled the back of my head as though I was something precious.
“I love you too,” I cried into him. “I never stopped. I just needed to know you’d fight for us harder than anyone else.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I will. For the rest of my life.”
Tilting my head back and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, I believed him.
His lips crashed into mine then, like he was pouring every unspoken apology into the kiss. I gasped against his mouth, my fingers tangling in his hair as the world narrowed to just the two of us.
Ethan scooped me up, carrying me to our bedroom. He laid me down gently on our bed, the one we'd shared before everything shattered. “Let me worship you like I should’ve every night.”
I nodded, my breath hitching as he peeled off my shirt, his hands shaking like it was our first time. “Ethan.”
“Shh, sweetheart.” He kissed my collarbone before trailing lower, his lips feather-light against my skin. “I've got you.”
He undid my bra with one practiced flick, his mouth closing over my nipple immediately. He was gentle at first, but then he teased with his teeth, a sharp nip that sent lightning through me. My breasts were already sensitive from the pregnancy, every lick and bite amplified.
“Oh, yes,” I moaned, my hands fisting the duvet.
He switched to the other side, his hand palming the first, rolling the pebbled peak between his fingers.
“Always so beautiful,” he whispered against my skin. “But carrying our baby, you’re a goddess.”
His free hand slid down, hooking into my leggings and panties, tugging them off in one smooth motion. I was bare beneath him, exposed and aching, but his gaze was pure adoration. He kissed my inner thigh, his breath hot against my core. “I’ve missed this. Missed you.”
So had I, but before I could respond, his mouth was on me. His tongue was flattened as he lapped at my clit in slow, deliberate strokes.
I cried out, my hips bucking, but he pinned me down with one arm across my waist. “Easy, baby. Let me take my time.”
I threaded my fingers through his hair while he worshiped me like a man starved, alternating between long licks and gentle sucks. His fingers circled my entrance before dipping inside. One, then two, curling to hit that spot that made stars explode behind my eyelids.
The pressure built fast, my body hypersensitive from hormones and weeks of denial. “Ethan, please.”
“Come for me,” he growled against my damp flesh, his voice vibrating through my core. “Let go, sweetheart.”
I shattered, my thighs clamping around his head as waves crashed over me, my cries echoing off the walls. He didn’t stop, eating me through my release and drawing out every tremor until I was boneless and gasping.
But Ethan wasn’t done. He kissed his way up my body, lingering on my belly to press soft, reverent presses there. Splaying his hand wide, he rasped, “Our baby. I love you both so much.”
Tears pricked my eyes again as he met my gaze, his own glossy. “You’re both mine, forever.”
He stripped out of his suit then, his dick springing free when his dress pants and boxer briefs hit the floor. His shaft was hard, thick, and already leaking at the tip. I reached for him, wrapping my hand around his length and stroking slowly.
He groaned, his head falling back. “Fuck, Callie.”
“I need you,” I whispered, guiding him to my entrance.
He pushed in slowly, inch by inch, his eyes locked on mine. The stretch was exquisite, filling me completely. “So tight. Perfect.”
We moved together then. Slowly at first, a rhythm of healing, his thrusts deep and measured. But need built fast, and his hips snapped harder as I wrapped my legs around him.
“More,” I begged, my nails digging into his back.
He flipped us suddenly, pulling me on top. “Ride me, sweetheart. Take what you need.”
I ground down, circling my hips and chasing that edge. His hands gripped my thighs, guiding but not controlling. “That's it. Come again for me.”
The angle hit everything perfectly—his dick dragging against that spot inside and his thumb finding my clit. The awed look on his face sent me tumbling over the edge, clenching around him, my vision whiting out as pleasure ripped through me.
He followed moments later, thrusting up hard, spilling inside me as he groaned, “Fuck, Callie.”
His arms wrapped around me, holding me close as we trembled together. We stayed like that, tangled and breathless, his hand stroking my back.
“I love you,” he whispered against my hair. “You’ll never have to doubt it again because I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it.”
“I know,” I murmured, finally believing.