Page 142 of Master of My Heart

“Okay.”

He gave her one last smile, then headed out to the living room where Ethan and Jayson were sitting.

“She okay?” Jayson asked.

Chase sighed. “I think so. She’s... She learned a lot this afternoon. About the Brotherhood and stuff.”

Jayson nodded. “So she knows what she’s getting into with you?”

“Yeah, something like that.” He didn’t want to tell Jayson about all the danger she was in. It was enough that he accepted Ethan’s presence.

“I can imagine that’s pretty overwhelming. Do you think she’ll be okay with everything you have to do?”

“I honestly don’t know. We’re going out on Friday. Maybe we can talk about it then. I hope.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

The next morning, Sabrina woke with the sun. Physically, she felt better. Mentally and emotionally, she was still torn about Chase. If she were honest with herself, she might admit that, more than anything in the world, she wanted to be with him. Yes, she loved dancing, especially in Boston. Martin was amazing and her fellow dancers were wonderful. It was all she’d ever dreamed. But the fundamental reason she’d come here was to be with Chase. Even though she kept pushing the desire aside, it was still there, a glowing flame in her chest that came alive when he was around.

On one hand, he seemed to be encouraging her to be with Richard and take her place by his side as that Mistress thing. On the other, he’d asked her out, saying he wanted to finish their date from the other night. Would he ask her out if he didn’t want to be with her? Yes, he was the type of guy who would keep his promise, even if he didn’t want to. But was that what he was doing? Deep down, she didn’t think so. He seemed to genuinely care for her.

No, not seem. He did. She sensed it in him, in his heart. It was unlike anything she’d ever detected in a man before.

She sighed. This whole place was full of men unlike any she’d encountered in a very long time. Chase, Jayson, Ethan, Richard, Tom, her fellow dancers at the company... They were all good people. It was the only way to describe them. Men like her dad. It had been so long since she’d been around good people, she’d forgotten they existed.

She smiled suddenly, feeling lighter than she had in a while. She was surrounded by people who cared about her, who didn’t want to hurt her, who wanted good things for her. It was such a strange feeling, but it fanned the flame of hope in her heart and gave her the will to not give up on possibilities in life.

Before he left last night, Chase had said he believed that good things came out of bad things. It reminded her of a book her mom would read her at least once a year. The Last Unicorn. There was a quote in there that had always struck her heart. Looking back, Sabrina wondered if, somehow, she knew she would have a hard time as she grew older.

“‘The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story,’” she whispered to herself and sat up. It’s still the middle of my story. If I give up, I’ll never get my happy ending.

She would try. Starting today, she would try and remember.

Sabrina dressed for class, then headed out to the kitchen for something to eat. Ethan sat on the couch, looking at his phone, and glanced up when she walked in.

“You look like you’re feeling better today,” he commented as he stood and walked over to the breakfast bar.

She smiled at him before opening the fridge. “Yeah. I think I am.” She pulled out the jug of orange juice. “Would you like some orange juice?” she asked, holding up the jug.

“Sure.”

He walked around the counter and pulled two glasses out of the cabinet. She briefly wondered how he knew where they were, then rolled her eyes at herself. He’d probably been here with Chase many times.

“Thanks,” Ethan said as she handed him a full glass.

She took a sip of juice. “Do you like working for Chase?”

He smiled broadly. “I do.”

“When did you start?”

Ethan looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, after the snafu in Syria, he got discharged and was in rehab for a long time. He told you about that, right?”

Sabrina shook her head. “We haven’t had a lot of time to talk about stuff like that.”

“Well, you know he got hurt.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “You just showing up like that was weird. That was the first time I’d experienced anything like that.”

“Really?”

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