Page 108 of Run
Yesterday, when I got in the car after exiting Axel’s house, Sophie started heading toward the hospital. I had to kick and scream to convince her to turn around. While she agreed to just take me home and not report the incident, she said she would never again be driving me to that house. She made me promise not to go back there, and threatened up, down and sideways that she will rain down holy hellfire if she ever finds out I’ve gone back there.
I iced my hand all night and when I woke this morning, my palm and the inside of my wrist were blistered. I popped it and tried to drain it so it would go down, but that just made it more sensitive. After applying and reapplying antiseptic, I finally covered the worst of it with two of those big rectangle Band-Aids. All I want is for it to not be the first thing Ethan notices.
Obviously, he’s going to see it. But if we could get through our hellos without him losing his shit over it, that would be great.
I look over at Sophie in the driver’s seat. Although still pissed at me, since she’s my best friend, she isn’t totally freezing me out.
“You look hot as shit,” I say quietly to her, but she ignores me.
It’s the truth. After sweating—literally—over what she was going to wear tonight, she settled on a blue blouse she’s had forever. It crosses over the front in a wrap and ties at the side so it gives her a little shape and also accentuates her tits, which are pushed up into the deep V-cut of the fabric. Her black skinny jeans mirror mine, but the shirt is long and flowy enough that it hides the FUPA she has going on in the front, which I know she’s self-conscious about.
“I mean it.” I brave a look at my bestie, whose size takes up the entirety of the space in the driver’s seat. “You’re going to break some hearts tonight.”
Sophie gives me a dry look and then tosses her long, voluminous dark hair over her shoulder. She ditched her glasses and opted for contacts tonight. “Don’t try to butter me up. You’re still in the doghouse.” I nod sadly. “I mean it.” I look up at her with a pout and my best puppy dog eyes. “Dammit, Ari!” Sophie all but yells. “I seriously am really mad at you for being such a shit!”
“I know,” I say softly, looking down.
She flips her hair again. “But …” My eyes shoot up to hers, and she continues, “I really need my wing woman today, so we’re gonna put our shit on hold.”
We enter the pub, push our way to the pine, and see two bartenders working their asses off slinging drinks. Looking across the way I see Matt schmoozing, then lean over the bar quickly—just long enough to give someone a kiss—and when he turns and starts waiting on customers again, I see Fonz standing there with a smile on his face. His eyes shoot to mine, and he grins even wider. I give him the biggest smile and place a hand over my heart. He immediately rolls his eyes, turning away and disappearing into the crowd.
“Guess the cat’s out of the bag,” Sophie says before getting Matt’s attention and placing her drink order.
“Guess so.” I turn and rest my elbows on the bar behind me, and when I look up, I lock eyes with Ethan. He’s sitting on a high stool at a group of tables in our usual corner. His Army boots are propped up on the footrests so his legs are bent, and his hands are drumming on the seat between his spread knees. His light jeans are in contrast to his dark, long-sleeved shirt. Of course, the sleeves are pushed up his muscular forearms.
At my request, he’s grown his facial hair back out so his chin and jaw are covered in the perfect amount of scruff, and I can’t wait to feel it all over every inch of my body again.
His eyes light up as he slowly trails them down my body, then back up, and a devilish smile breaks out across his face as he licks his lips.
My panties try to crawl themselves right out of my skinny jeans.
We stare off as Ethan slowly lifts a hand and crooks a finger at me.
“Meet me at the table?” I ask Sophie without breaking my gaze with Ethan.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her turn and look at him. “Oh, get a room already,” she groans before shooing me off.
Pushing off the bar and making my way toward Ethan, I see desire, affection, and even pride on his face as I get closer. Widening his legs, he reaches out to grab the front of my jeans, hooking his fingers in the waistband and giving me a gentle tug toward him. Even though he’s sitting, he still towers over me.
Caging me with his knees, he brings both hands up to cup my face and kisses me ever so sweetly—the way he always does—then ghosts a few little pecks on the corners of my mouth, my jaw, my cheeks. “What took you so long, Red?” He rubs his temple with mine like a cat in heat and gives me a final kiss on the side of my face before pulling back.
“Sorry. Wardrobe complications.”
Ethan slides off the stool and steps to the side, patting the seat he was just occupying. Our positions now reversed, he smooths a hand over my hair and kisses my head. “Wardrobe looks fantastic to me.”
I chuckle. “Not me.” I nod toward Sophie, who is approaching with her drink.
“Soph,” Ethan says in greeting as he turns and gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You look smokin!’” Grabbing a stool from somewhere behind us, he scoots it up to the table and indicates for her to sit on his other side.
“Hey, Ari!” I hear from across the table and turn to see Lizzie waving at me. She’s sitting beside Knox, who has his arm slung around the back of her stool and his face buried in her neck.
“Where’s Dee?” I ask while waving back to Lizzie.
“Can’t make it tonight.”
“S’up, losers?” Fonz saddles up next to Sophie.
“Oh, thank God you’re here.” She throws her arms around him. “I can’t take all the heart eyes that are happening at these tables.”
