Perfectly Toxic (The Sterling Shore Series Book 9) (16 page)

Chapter 32

ETHAN

It’s her day off, which I learned after braving the hospital again. Fortunately I didn’t have to run into the linebacker devil woman to figure that out.

Just as I decide to drive by her house, I see her red Acura pass me, and I follow her all the way to her driveway because I’ve gotten pathetic like that.

I didn’t give her the chance to explain, but now I’m demanding that she listen to my explanation. My hypocrisy really shouldn’t surprise her by now.

Weirdly, Allie is the one who steps out of the Acura when I get out of the car, and she puts her hands on her hips as she stares at me.

“Why are you driving Bella’s car?” I ask, as though I have the right to.

I mean, her car is in the driveway. Why not drive it?

“Because mine was full of things from the school play Angel is putting on, and I needed to pick up some things for Bella.”

I really don’t know what to say to that, but Allie doesn’t look like she wants me to just walk into Bella’s house without some sort of explanation.

“I take it you’re the roses and nightie sender? I kind of had a feeling it was you,” she states flatly.

We really suck at sneaking around.

“Um… Any chance you could withhold that information from Wren? I’d like to tell him myself.”

She doesn’t show any emotion as she leans against the back of Bella’s car.

“Considering how poorly she received those gifts, I don’t think she’s into you anymore. What’d you do?”

“What makes you assume I’m the one who did something?” I immediately shoot back a little angrily.

Did I mention I suck at talking to people? I’m used to cutthroat businessmen and women. Not regular people.

Allie doesn’t back down though or even seem the least bit intimidated.

“Because Bella has a habit of picking guys who don’t appreciate her. She’s too good for the jerks who treat her like shit on a side dish. You’re not going in there unless you tell me what you did.”

Groaning, I run a hand through my hair, and I do tell her. Because apparently Allie isn’t the meek woman I thought she was. Right now, she’s a vicious guard dog waiting for a reason to bite.

When I finish laying out the minor misunderstanding, she looks pissed.

“How many girls party at your house?” she asks randomly.

“Hell if I know. Why?”

“Because Bella has one guy at her house who answers her phone, and you react like that? Just go, Ethan. She deserves someone who isn’t looking for a reason to break her, and you’re an idiot and a hypocrite.”

She pushes off from the car and moves around to the back door of the car. I catch the door before she can open it fully, and I glare at her.

“I have my reasons for reacting the way I did. It won’t happen again. And I’m not telling you my reasons until I explain things to Bella.”

“Well, not today. She’s sick. And I’m talking high fever, barely able to move, flu-like sick. She needs to see a doctor, but she won’t. Never does. A nurse who doesn’t see the doctor… Yeah, it’s irony, but it’s Bella. And I’m staying until she feels better.”

Bella’s sick? Shit.

“I’ll stay. You don’t need to stay and get sick, considering you have a kid.”

She snorts before jerking the door. I let it go, and she leans in and grabs some bags that I snatch out of her hands.

“I mean it, Allie. You can poke your chest out like you’re big and bad, but I have no qualms about ignoring you and pretending you don’t exist. It’s not like you’re strong enough to stop me from going in there. I’m staying with her, and when she feels up to talking, I’ll explain what went down.”

She eyes me like she’s deciding whether or not she wants to stab me or slap me. Heh. I feel kind of sorry for Wren now.

“Look, Wren’s already worried you’re ready to bail on him. If you start staying here, he’s going to panic even more.”

Her eyes soften, and she takes a breath. “I’m never going to bail on him. Why does he think that?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, but he didn’t want me around Bella because he was worried I’d fuck up—”

“Like you did,” she interrupts.

“—and then you’d be upset with him,” I finish, acting like she didn’t butt in.

“I’m never going to be upset with him over something
you
did. I don’t know you and I don’t care to at this moment.”

“Well, good, because I don’t really like talking to women unless it’s about business. They tend to want to talk about feelings and shit, and that’s just too chick for me.”

She arches an unamused eyebrow while glaring at me.

“Except Bella,” I amend. “I like talking to Bella. And Brin’s cool when she’s talking about something evil she wants to do to Rye.”

Her lips twitch, but she doesn’t allow herself to smile. Finally, she blows out a long breath.

“Are you messing with her head?”

“Pretty sure she’s the one messing with mine,” I admit.

Again, she tries not to smile.

“Bella’s not an easy one to get close to. She’s friends with everyone, but close with very few.”

“I’m aware. It took a lot of stalking just to get her to warm up to me the first time,” I confess. This time, she laughs.

“I’ll wait out here. If she doesn’t want you here, I’ll be staying. But I’ll give you a chance to see if she’ll let you prove yourself.”

She thrusts a few more bags at me, and I struggle to collect them all as fast as she’s handing them to me. Holy shit. Did she buy out the grocery store? And why do chicks think you have to get it all in one load?

“Her favorite soups are in there. Keep her hydrated. If her fever gets too high, take her to a doctor, even if you have to take her kicking and screaming.”

As she rattles off a bunch of other instructions, I start struggling under the weight of the entire fucking store she bought. But I stay patient until she’s finished. She gives me one last wary glance before moving toward the door.

“Ten minutes. I’ll wait out here for ten minutes. Then I’m coming in.”

Instead of arguing, I let her open the door for me, and I walk into the dark house. Every single curtain is closed, which Allie said to make sure I kept them closed, since Bella has a headache.

I can barely see what I’m doing as I put the bags down on the ground and stumble my way toward the living room. Fucking eh.

As soon as I enter the living room, Bella jerks upright, going still, even though it’s hard to see her. In the next second, she squeals and grabs something before launching it, and I curse when a hammer slams into my head from across the room.

“Motherfucker!” I snap, grabbing my head that is still pounding.

That damn thing hits the ground and starts vibrating against the tile, dancing in a circle at my feet. That’s when I realize I didn’t just get hit by a hammer. Is that… Is that a fucking… No way…

Chapter 33

BELLA

A noise startles me, and I jolt awake in time to see a shadowy figure looming near the entrance of my living room. That’s way too big to be Allie.

Groggy and worried I’m still dreaming, I shriek and grab the first thing I can before throwing it across the room with all my strength.
Thank you, adrenaline. Save my life while you’re working.

“Motherfucker!” the man yells, and I scramble back on the couch as my Magic Wand hits the ground and starts rattling on the floor.

As my eyes adjust to the dark, I stare in horrified fascination as Ethan comes into view. He’s clutching his head where I nailed him with my… Oh shit.

“Did you really just hit me with a damn vibrator?” he asks, sounding more confused than angry.

I cover my mouth with my hands, trying not to laugh.

“It was the first thing I could grab.”

He mutters something under his breath as he grabs the dancing vibrator from the floor and shuts it off. I’m somewhat wondering when the damn thing got cut on.

“Allie said you were sick, but judging by the power from that throw, I’m questioning if she’s out of her mind,” he grumbles, still rubbing his head as he studies my vibrator with far too much interest, even turning on a light.

“I am sick,” I defend, squinting against the dim light. “But when some guy breaks into my house, the fight-or-flight response kicks in with some
oomph
. What the hell are you doing in my house?”

I clutch my chest as my breathing tries to slow down, along with my furiously pounding heart. The more the initial terror wears off, the more everything on me starts to hurt.

“Why is this thing so heavy? It’s at least ten pounds or something. And how does this go inside—”

“You are
not
asking questions about my vibrator. And it doesn’t go inside you. It’s a clit stimu—
No
. No. I’m not explaining it to you. What the hell, Ethan?”

He pushes a button, and the wand is turned on to full, knock-your-clit-off speed, and his eyebrows go up like he’s fascinated.

“No way can my tongue ever move that quick. Would this not be painful?”

“I don’t use it on full speed.” I slap my head, then groan when I realize my head hurts too much for that. “Damn it, why are you here?” I ask again.

“Holy shit. What kind of batteries does this thing take? Is this spot for it to plug into the wall or something?”

“Ethan!” I snap. “Why are you here?”

He turns off the vibrator—finally—and tosses it aside, even though I can tell he’s still much too intrigued by it.

“Allie said you’re sick, so I’m here to help. Otherwise she’s staying. In fact, she’s waiting outside, probably listening to us talk about your massive, somewhat emasculating vibrator. I’m starting to question if your orgasms with me have been real.”

He smirks, letting me know he’s fucking with me.

“Why are
you
here?” I ask for the millionth time. Okay, so maybe it’s not really a million, but it feels like it.

I whimper as I slide back down on the couch, my body being punished for all the energy he’s made me use.

He shuts the light off before coming closer, still not answering my question. It registers too late that he said Allie was outside.

Ah shit. She’s going to be so pissed at me for not telling her about Ethan sooner.

Ethan’s hand feels like fire against my forehead, and I glare at him.

“Fucking shit, Bella. You need a doctor. You’re burning up.”

“It’s a fever. It always feels hotter than it is. My temp is hitting 102, and then it breaks, hence the reason I’m a sweaty, gross mess. I need you to go.”

He frowns as he pulls his hand down.

“You should let me take you to the doctor.”

“It’s a virus. Everyone at the hospital has had it, and I was stupid to think I’d escape, despite the copious amounts of Vitamin C that I’ve been popping. It has flu-like symptoms the first day, and soon the vomiting will commence.
Yay me
. The point is, there’s not really anything they can give you. It just has to run its course. Now go away.”

He lets his gaze drop to my very embarrassing shirt—yes, the one he left here. I’m wearing it right now. I hate myself.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t mention it. “If I go, then Allie will insist on staying. And she’s got a little girl who might catch… whatever you have.”

“That’s low,” I growl, still glaring at him.

He wisely restrains a smile. “I’m not above fighting dirty. I doubt you want to risk Angel getting sick, and Allie is pretty determined to stick around if no one else is here to take care of you.”

“Then tell her you’ll stay and leave shortly after she does,” I grumble, whimpering as the chills set in. Oh, I hate being sick. Stupid virus. Stupid Ethan. Stupid shirt I don’t want him seeing me wear like a stupid, stupid girl with a stupid crush.

Mentally, I count the amount of times ‘stupid’ crosses my mind, and get sidetracked with that until I notice Ethan wrapping a blanket around me.

“Now you’re sweating and shaking,” he says, stating the obvious as I shiver.

“Fever just broke.” I curl into the blanket, searching for warmth now that I’m freezing. “You’re going to get sick. You really should go.”

“And let Allie get sick instead?” he muses. “No. Besides, I don’t get sick.”

“Everyone gets sick,” I grumble, tired of his ego at this point. It’s no longer charming.

“I haven’t gotten sick like this ever. Swear. My immune system is epic or something. My mom’s the same way.”

When a horrible chill wracks my body, I scowl at him. “If it’s possible, I hate you a little more for that.”

He smiles openly this time. “Rest. I’ll get you something to drink.”

“Don’t be nice to me. It’s easier to be mad at you when you’re not being nice,” I tell him as he stands up and smiles bigger.

“I have my motives for being nice.”

“You’re not getting laid,” I tell him before wiping my nose on the back of my hand, then grimacing when I realize how disgusting that has to look. I hate him seeing me like this. I’m supposed to be sexy and awesome when he sees me so he knows what he’s missing.

“Yeah, so not trying to get laid right now,” he says, still freaking grinning. “But I hope you’ll hear me out if I prove I’m not as big of an asshole as you think I am at the moment.”

When I start to open my mouth, he goes on.

“Not saying you don’t have a right to think that—because you do. Consider this my redemption. Lie down. I’ll put up all the shit Allie bought you.”

Before I can argue, Allie is stepping into view, her eyes moving between us warily.

“You want him to stay, or should I get Wren over here to toss him out?” Allie asks me, even though her eyes are on Ethan.

Ethan smirks before rolling his eyes.

“Apparently you think Wren is stronger than he is,” he quips in his rumble of a voice.

“He did break his brother’s nose,” I point out helpfully. “Twice, I think.”

“And Keith’s nose too,” Allie adds.

Ethan grunts out a laugh before walking into the kitchen, and the full weight of Allie’s stare lands on me.

“So how long has that been going on?” she asks, even though she doesn’t seem the least bit surprised.

Should have known I couldn’t keep anything from her.

“Not very long at all, to be honest. Certainly not long enough for him to take care of me while I look like death’s bitch on a bad hair day.”

She snorts out a laugh while sitting down on a chair.

“You want me to stay, or do you want him to stay?”

I really don’t want him to stay, but I sure as hell don’t want Allie to stay and get sick. She’s already been exposed to me for too long.

“He’ll do,” I grumble, watching as a smile breaks across her face.

“Then I’m going home. When you feel better, I’m totally going to let you have it for not telling me about this sooner.”

There’s not even a hint of anger in her tone, which just makes me feel worse.

“I love you,” I say to her, even though it sounds stuffy and pitiful.

“Yeah. Yeah. That’s not going to save you from my wrath, but I love you too. I’ll hug you when you’re not contagious.”

I flip her off, and she laughs while walking out. I hear her and Ethan talking in the kitchen, along with some rustling of bags, but I can’t make out their words. It takes too much effort to strain and hear, so I just lie back down, staring at the TV that’s on something random.

When I hear the door shut, I look over, watching as Ethan walks back into the room.

“Is she always so protective?” he asks, confusing me.

Deciding not to ask a bunch of questions while stuck in a hazy cloud of this stupid virus, I roll over onto my belly as the worst of the chills subside.

Ethan takes my silence as a hint, but I’m happy when a bottle of water is suddenly beside me. Leaning up, I drink just a little, staying on my stomach as Ethan moves back into the kitchen.

I hear a little clanking and clattering before a delicious smell hits my nose. I love Allie.

My favorite comfort food is chicken noodle mixed with beef broth and vegetable soup, and I can smell it from here. Even though it’s disgusting when I’m healthy, it’s the best thing ever when I’m sick.

Ethan walks in, carrying a steaming bowl of my awesomely weird wonder, and I watch with some satisfaction as he keeps a straight face. He puts the bowl down on the table, and I study him.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re impossibly stubborn?” I ask him as he sits down on the couch and pulls the coffee table closer to me.

“All the time. Then again, I did start running a very powerful business at the ripe old age of eighteen. I had to be stubborn just to endure it.”

He picks up the remote, pulling up my DVR, and he starts my show that he bitched about the night he left.

I’m trying to keep up with him, but he makes it hard to do.

“Okay, spill it. Go ahead and give me your explanation, since that’s the real reason you’re here.”

He eyes me, glancing down at the back of my t-shirt—
his
t-shirt, rather. He clears his throat while turning his attention to the TV.

“I’ll talk to you when you’re feeling better. Eat your soup and go to sleep.”

“I get that you used to be a boss, but stop being so bossy.”

He smiles, but he still doesn’t look at me.

“So explain why you ignored me instead of being an adult and asking me about who answered my phone. For all you knew, it could have been Wren.”

“I would have recognized Wren’s voice,” he says without missing a beat.

“Like you recognized Maverick’s?” I prod, yawning as the retort leaves my mouth and steals some of the snarky zing it should have had.

He tenses for a second before blowing out a breath. “I’ve talked to Wren on the phone a lot. Maverick… Not so much.”

“I’d recognize Ash’s voice over the phone, and I’ve only talked to her on the phone a few times.”

“Heat of the moment, Bella. Things are different in the heat of the moment. Shut up and eat your soup.”

“Stop telling me to shut up, because everyone will tell you that doesn’t actually work. Tell me what happened so I can decide whether or not it’s okay for you to continue sitting here, seeing me at my worst.”

“If this is your worst, then I definitely want another chance.” His lips tilt in a lopsided smile, and some stupid little fluttering thing happens in my stomach. Damn those butterflies.

Ethan Noles being sweet is a really bad thing for me.

“Explain. My patience is starting to unravel.”

“Eat your damn gross soup.”

My lips twist in a wry grin, and he shakes his head while sitting back, looking flustered.

“You’ve had a lot of relationships, right?” he asks me randomly while pulling my feet in his lap.

I roll over onto my back, glancing at my soup. It still looks too hot to eat, considering the amount of steam rising from it.

“Thanks for reminding me how terrible I am at this,” I say, looking back at Ethan, who groans while scrubbing his face with his hands.

“I meant you know how to have a relationship. Bella, I haven’t done anything like this since high school, and it didn’t end too well back then.”

I sit up so quickly that it feels like the Hulk just punched through the front of my skull. When I curse and clutch my head, Ethan is suddenly beside me, gently lowering me back down.

“I’ll put the soup up. Just go to sleep, Bella. You can’t get better without rest, food, and lots of fluids. Allie’s orders.”

I scowl at him. “You expect me to believe you haven’t had sex with anyone since high school?”

His eyebrows go up. “I didn’t say I haven’t fucked anyone. I said I haven’t done anything like this. Hell, I haven’t had time.”