Christian (The Mitchell/Healy Family #3)(39)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“I know why you left, Ethan. I saw the video and I can explain. I swear I can. Please just hear me out before you make any assumptions.” The last thing I wanted to talk about at the moment was her giving someone else head. It bothered me so much that I felt the need to get a few things off my chest.

“Like what, Chris? Like assuming that you weren’t really attacked at all? I can’t stop seein’ you with your lips wrapping around his -.” She didn’t let me finish. I saw Star backing up, wiping off her mouth. I knew the moment was over, even as I stood fully erect.

“Stop it! Please don’t even talk about it.” It was funny how disgusted she sounded, when all I wanted to do was kill the fucker, and gouge out my own eyes.

“Why? It looked like you were pretty into it. It’s why I’m havin’ trouble believin’ that a few hours later you were raped. Tell me how that works. Do you agree to give oral, but not ass?” I regretted saying it, more than she’d ever know, but I was destroyed by those actions, so much that I was lashing out.

“Why is it such a big deal to you? We made that pact years ago. It’s not like you want to be with me anyway. You’ve done nothin’ but tell me we’re just friends.”

Another kick to the balls, but she was right. We could have been together, and none of this would be happening. I’d been blaming myself for days. Reminding me of it wouldn’t change anything. “Don’t you dare change the subject.”

“Well, don’t you dare walk out on me when I need you the most.”

“I’m hangin’ up now. Maybe I need some time to unwind before I come home. It’s best that I calm down so I won’t say somethin’ I could regret later. Right now I feel like I can’t trust you, and to be honest, it fuckin’ hurts. I always thought that pact meant somethin’. It was put into place for a reason.”

Star said something to me, not that I was even paying attention. The next thing I know Chris is asking questions on the other end of the call. “Who’s that?”

“She’s a friend, which is more than I can say for you at the moment.” Those words left a bad taste in my mouth.

Insert foot!

“Ethan, please don’t hang up. I need you.”

I had to end the call. It took everything in me not to throw the device across the room. She had me so messed up. I looked toward the naked female waiting for me to reply to her question, still not knowing what the hell she’d asked. “I need to go.”

“You just got here,” she argued.

“Look, I’m sorry I wasted your time. I’ve got shit goin’ on that I can’t really explain.”

She walked over as I was pulling up my pants. “You could come back later. We can finish what we started.”

I leaned forward and kissed her on the head, immediately feeling the connection that I’d always had to Chris. I needed to find her and apologize. She needed to know that I didn’t mean those things I’d said to her. I had to prove to her that she’d never be alone.

I raced back to my apartment, the whole time practicing what I’d say to her. I had it all planned out in my head, down to sentence structure. It was time for me to convince her that she was so much more than a friend to me. I needed not only to apologize for leaving, but for what I’d done with all of the other women. All of the cards had to be laid out on the table. No more lies.

As soon as I pulled up I noticed the lights were all turned out. I walked up the stairs to my level and unlocked the door. Once I’d traveled to my bedroom I discovered she wasn’t there. I called for her, looking on the balcony to see if she was outside. There was no note, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out where she’d gone.

As fast as I could make it, I drove to the abandoned house. When she wasn’t there I headed over to her house. The police were pulling away. One of the girls was still outside, so I sauntered over to see if she’d seen Christian.

“You just missed her,” she said before I could ask.

“Do you know where she went?”

“Look, I don’t know what you are to her, but you should just walk away from that hot-mess. She’s trouble.”

“She’s my best friend, who was raped by your friend. Listen here you little bitch, my friend wouldn’t lie about what happened to her. You better check yourself, because once her family is done with that bastard, you’ll be visitin’ him in jail.”

I turned around, ignoring her slew of comments as I climbed back in my car.

My next stop was to the location that the last meeting had been, but the parking lot was dark and vacant. After beating on my steering wheel a half-dozen times I came to the conclusion that she didn’t want to be found. Even though we’d fought, a part of me worried that she might be in danger, especially after she’d been back to her old house.

I hated doing it, but I called her parents, hoping they could help me find her before something else happened. She was going to hate me even worse than she already did, but at least I’d know she was okay. I’d been an ass, and probably didn’t deserve her. I knew she’d push me away, but it wouldn’t stop me from trying. I’d keep at it, somehow proving that I’d be the man she needed me to be.

When her dad answered I swallowed my pride and prepared to tell him that I’d messed up and let her out of my sight. He’d go off on me, probably forbidding me to see her once we figured out where she’d gone.

“Mr. Mitchell, this is Ethan. I was wonderin’ if you’ve heard from Christian?”

“Yes, I have. We picked her up earlier, and I’m glad we did. It seems you left her all alone.”

“I can explain.” Really I couldn’t. Her dad didn’t want to hear that I’d been jealous and left to get a piece of ass to make me feel better.

“Now’s not the time, Ethan. We’re in the process of gettin’ Chris admitted for evaluation. She won’t be able to have visitors until tomorrow since it’s so late.”

“Thanks for lettin’ me know.”

After we’d hung up I finally sat down and tried to think about everything going on. If Chris was at the hospital she had to be petrified. This was exactly what she didn’t want to happen.

Against my better judgment I felt like I needed to do something to help the cause. Her parents were going to go after Seth, and nobody wanted him to suffer more than I did, except for Chris. She most likely wanted him skinned and hung for his assault on her. After obtaining my laptop off the table, I opened my email and stared at his message.