Chapter thirty six

Chapter thirty six


Ethan

There were different conversations that needed to be had in one's life. I was pretty sure hooking up with an ex fell on the top of the list. All it took was one look from Millie and I was running to her like a loyal dog going home to his master. Because that's what been balls deep inside her had felt like. Home.

We didn't talk much this morning, partly because I didn't want to break the current bubble we were in. I wanted to enjoy these moments with her before everything undoubtedly went to shit in a few months.

So after lying in bed with her until the crack of the morning, I had left under the guise of work. So now, here I was, at the hideout, planning a party and pretending everything was okay with my life.

ETHAN: What if, hear me out, we hire strippers and turn it into a strip show? It would be perfect for the location she chose.

OLIVER: This is why no one puts you in charge of planning things. (eye roll emoji)

ETHAN: Hey! I'm a great party planner. You'd think you'd be more grateful after I gave you the best bachelor's party ever.

ETHAN: @xavier_carson back me up here, man.

XAVIER: you hired a helicopter and flew us to the middle of the ocean. I got seasick for days. That's hardly a great party.

ETHAN: Okayyy so there was one hiccup with my plan, the rest of the party went great. At least, Dallas thought so when I told her. The both of us have boring taste.

ETHAN: Anyway, we're moving off topic. Strippers or not?

OLIVER: Ethan Hart, you are not hiring strippers for my wife's best friend's birthday (stern face emoji)

XAVIER: Not even under the guise of a birthday gift, Ethan. You'd better listen to me of you'd be thrown out, I promise.

Oh, I heard him alright, but that didn't mean I'd listen. The only person who can convince me was the birthday girl.

I exited the group chat and clicked on Lisa's phone number. After the girls complained about her been MIA for the past couple of weeks, she'd decided to come down to New York to celebrate her birthday. And I couldn't be happier.

I liked birthdays and I liked Lisa. The both of us had clicked since the moment I picked her up from the airport during her first visit to New York. She loved parties and was loud, like me. The group hated it whenever we teamed up because there's bound to be chaos when that happens.

More than that, Lisa was the first person to notice the tension between Millie and I all those years ago. She'd taken one look at the both of us an concluded we were a couple. We denied it of course, but it had been the most awkward car ride of my life.

I smiled at the memory. I typed a quick message to her, asking her about the preparations for her birthday. The only thing I knew was that it would be at Dallas and Oliver's cabin. They'd let her borrow it for the party.

Just as I hit send, the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air. I immediately knew who it was since we were the only two down here. Kane opened the door a second later, blood splattered on his clothes. He paused when he saw me, clearly not expecting it before dipping his head slightly.

I swept my gaze over him and sighed.
“Please tell me you didn't kill our friend.”

“I didn't kill our friend.” He said, his tone laced with dry amusement.

“Kane.” I gave him a stern look and the amusement vanished from his features.

He drew a long sigh. “I didn't, okay? I left him alive. For now.”

“But not in good condition, I presume.” The only response I got from him was a slight tilt of his lips before he slumped on the chair. He was definitely in a mood.

Normally, I would leave him to it, just like he would do for me, but something about almost dying seem to change the way I dismissed things. Life is too short to ignore someone in pain.

I was about to ask him when my phone vibrated. I picked it up to see a message from Lisa, telling me more details about her birthday.

A swimsuit party. Everyone was allowed to bring a plus one, the more the merrier. Although, I was pretty certain that clause was meant for just me, and maybe Tabitha.

I was almost certain Xavier wasn't bringing anyone. Jenna too. She'd most likely show up alone. But if course, as ths life of the party, I was definitely bringing someone fun. Maybe not a girl because then it would give the wrong idea.

What if Millie brought someone?

My chest tightened at the thought and I suddenly wished it never happens. I shook the thought away and placed my phone down. I lifted my gaze to see Kane staring at me with an unreadable expression.

I raised an eyebrow and he simply smirked. He doing even pretend that he wasn't looking. I could feel the tension rolling off him.

“Are you gonna get changed or just leave blood on the chair?”

“Sorry, boss.” he muttered, but made no attempt to stand up. And there was that cockiness again. “Probably the latter.”

I sighed. “If you weren't so good at your job, I would have fired you a long time ago. You're literally the worst employee ever. Why would you get blood on company's property?”

This time, he really chuckled and some of the tension eased of him. It was probably the first time I'd heard a real laugh from him in all the years we've worked together. It was also probably the first time we were having a conversation that doesn't revolve around work or our next target.

“You're a great boss.” he said. My lips parted, because it was also the first time Kane had ever spoken to me with the tiniest bit of emotion.

I guess the surprise must be quite evidence on my face because his softened.

“You remind me of someone I used to know.” Immediately the words left his mouth, he looked away, his face hardening. It was obvious that he hadn't meant to say that so I decided not to ask who it was.

I asked another question instead, one he would probably not answer to, but it was worth a shot.

“Are you okay?”

Kane's body immediately went so stiff I wasn't sure he was breathing. If I wasn't staring at him, I would have probably missed it, or thought he hadn't heard me because he still didn't look at me.

A several beats passed and just when I thought he wasn't going to respond, he said, “I will be.”

His voice was low, almost like he was telling himself instead of me. I stared at him, really stared at him, and he seemed exhausted. Of life, himself, and whatever it was he had going on.

I had been in that position, wanting someone, anyone to understand what I was going through, but also scared of what it meant if they ever found out.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

His gaze darted to me, a wave of surprise crossed his features. I wondered the last time anyone had asked him that.

“I don't think I should…” he sucked in a breath, cutting himself off mid sentence. “You know that feeling when you found something you've been searching for your whole life, something that was responsible for everything, but then you realize you can't hurt it because then it would lead to another problem you don't want. So you just feel…stuck. And now, you've grown an attachment to it.”

Kane seem frustrated. He was trying and failing to use words to describe his situation, which always meant there was more to it.

I knew Kane enough that he wouldn't reveal much details about his situation. I could find out about it if I wanted, but for some reasons, it felt like invasion. It was ridiculous because I've never been one to care about invading someone's life. Invading was the literal foundation of my career.

“Are you trying to figure out your attachment to this thing?” I asked.

He shook his head vehemently. “It's probably best not to. It would just complicate things even more.”

“So what it is you want? You can't continue to beat yourself up.”

He gave me a pointed look and my gaze dropped to his bloodied shirt. He dipped his head slightly in confirmation and I immediately knew what he wanted. A distraction from his problem.

It was why he had been going down to the basement to beat Billy every day till he passes out. But Billy didn't seem like enough distraction.

Fortunately for him, I was the king of distraction. And I had the perfect thing in mind to pull him out of his current mood.

I was about to break a promise that I made to myself.

“How do you feel about going to a party?”