Page 28 of Unfolding Ethan

Did Liam tell Ethan about it? Does he know everything now? Will he hate me?

I unlocked the door to see Ethan. His eyes had turned dark and angry, his face etched with worry. “Ethan,” I whispered meekly, “I can explain.”

My eyes widened when he hugged me, his hands tightening around me, and I heard him say, “I am sorry. I thought he did something to you.”

I looked at Liam, who was looming in the doorway of the room, clenching his jaw and glaring at me. I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. “He didn’t. It’s Liam you are talking about. He once cried when he stepped on an ant.”

Ethan pulled away and said, “But he did push you in the pool.” He paused, his eyes zeroing on my face, and I held my breath when he cupped my face in his warm hands, his eyes swirling with anger. “He made you cry.”

“Ethan.” I tried to stop him, but he marched toward Liam and I watched in horror when he punched him in the face.

I rushed toward them, but everyone saw it and stood up, not knowing what to do. “Ethan, don’t. Stop!” I yelled over the music, but it got muffled when the drunk people started cheering them with ‘fight, fight, fight.’

People were filming them fight and curses flew from them. I nudged away sweaty bodies with my elbows and gasped when Liam punched Ethan in the face.Oh my God.

Katherine rushed beside me. “Holy shit, Kiara. We have to stop them.”

I nodded and before she could stop me, I launched myself between them, “I AM NAKED!”

Music and the shouting stopped, and people whispered to each other when Ethan and Liam paused their brawl, looking at me and my clothes in confusion.

“Well,” I breathed. “This got your attention.”

They both blushed and Ethan scratched his head, and even though he had a busted lip and a cut on his jaw, he looked adorable.

“Liar!” one of the drunk girls said, “Show me your ti—”

Rio hushed her and I gave him a thankful nod. I turned to them. “What will you both achieve after breaking each other’s faces and having bruises all over your bodies?”

They stayed silent, still fuming and waiting for me to get out of there so they could start it all over again. But I wasn’t going to move.

“You won’t achieve anything but wounds. Stop fighting an—”

Ethan said, “He pushed you in the fucking pool and you almost died.” My heart stopped for a flicker of the moment, and I looked at his pained face. “He was fucking my girlfriend behind my back, and he made you cry.”

“And you are nothing but—”

I interrupted him, “Liam!Stop it.”

His face hardened. He had a black eye and a few cuts on his face. He looked more damaged than Ethan but kept his mouth shut.

I turned to Ethan. “You are coming with me.”

I didn’t let him answer and took his wrist because his knuckles were bruised and I didn’t want to hurt him. Ryan yelled at the people and told the DJ to start the music again while I took Ethan upstairs in one of the safe guest rooms and he followed me wordlessly.

“Sit down,” I said, slamming the door behind us, and looked for a medical kit in the bathroom.

Ethan didn’t meet my eyes when I cleaned the small amount of blood from his knuckles, applying alcohol to clean the cuts. I hissed when his hand tightened around mine. I couldn’t bear to hurt him. I wrapped the bandage around him even though he complained he didn’t need it, but he stopped arguing when I glared at him.

“You shouldn’t have done this, Kiara,” he whispered, his deep voice making tingles spiral down my spine when I gently cleaned the small cut on his cheekbone.

I was standing between his legs while he was sitting down on the bed, and I could feel my heart thundering in my ears when he stared at me with his mismatched intense eyes. His warm breath caressed the skin on my neck, and I noticed that his hands were curled into fists.Is he still mad at Liam? Me?

“And you shouldn’t have fought with Liam,” I said with a firm voice, the warmth of his body melting away my anger, and I dropped the cotton ball. “Seriously, Ethan. You’re hurt because I cried. That soundssostupid.”

He clenched his jaw. “He made you cry. He deserved it. Are you done?”

I held his face and without looking at his eyes, I said, “No, I am not done. You have a wound on your forehead.”

---