Page 24 of Fake Married to the Grumps

Nelly’s chicken soup is the best I’ve ever tasted, but the kitchen is so quiet that I fear I will hear the thud of my own heartbeat. I’m used to eating alone, so the silence shouldn’t bother me.

My mom and dad were never around growing up. They traveled a lot for work, and my grandfather was the most stable adult in my life until I met Tom in college and his parents.

Recalling a young Nelly brings a smile to my face. Tom is only three years older than her, but she was pretty small for her age.

Petite and beautiful.Thinking about the last time I saw Nelly now makes me realize she’s always been the most beautiful woman to me. I just never let myself notice her because I knew it would end in trouble.

Tom is my best friend, and it’s a known rule that you never ever go after your friend’s sister. After eating the chicken soup, I head over to my room but stop in front of Nelly’s room, just opposite from mine.

The right thing to do is tell her thank you for the meal, right?

I pause and tap one foot on the ground before finally giving in to the urge to speak to her.

I knock softly on her door, expecting a response. Soft music comes from inside the room, and I gently twist the knob, hoping to find her in the room.

“Nelly?” There’s a trail of clothes on the ground, and I hear water running from the shower. I wander into the room to admire the picture frame of her and Tom on her dresser.

“Cute,” I mutter, admiring her wide grin. I’m about to leave the room when I hear a sudden shriek coming from the bathroom, and without thinking, I rush in.

Chapter 9

Nelly

I shriek as I slip while putting on my robe after getting out of the shower.

Ethan suddenly bursts into the bathroom and breaks my fall by grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards him. The force of his pull makes him lose his balance, and we both topple to the ground, me on top of him.

My head lands on his chest, and he groans. He must have hit his head on the ground. “Oh my … Ethan, are you alright?”

I scramble to my feet, pulling him up with me as he whimpers and opens his eyes. “Are you okay? Did you hurt your head?”

“I’m fine, I think … I just …” He trails off when his eyes land on mine, then drifts down my body. I realize my robe is slightly open, so I quickly tug it close.

“I’m sorry, I … I didn’t mean to … I came in to check on you, heard you shriek, and acted out of impulse.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine … Your impulse was quick enough to save me before I hit the ground.”

Heat warms my cheeks and the side of my face while I keep my hands on the robe’s sash. Every part of me is aware of Ethan’s breath and the tension ebbing from his shoulders.

“I’m really sorry, Nelly,” he says when I carefully walk out of the bathroom, hoping I won’t slip and break my neck this time.

The awkward silence in the air thickens when I glance at Ethan again. His gaze lingers on mine. Neither of us says anything, and then we speak at the same time. “Hey, I was just—”

“You first,” I say, waving a hand towards him.

“I came in to say thank you for dinner,” he says after I suck in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier, Nelly. I was just feeling a little bit …”

He sighs, then shakes his head before taking a step towards me. Instinctively, I move back an inch. He towers over me, and I have to look up at him to meet his gaze.

Ethan has been in my life since he and my brother became friends in college. I’ve liked him for years, and I’m finally past all the feelings he stirs up inside me.

So why do I feel this way when he looks at me?

It’s hard to ignore the dizziness sweeping through me. When he is this close to me, I can ely breathe.

How did I think I could handle being married to him and living in the same house?

Panic builds in my chest, but I ignore it, tearing my gaze from his.

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