Page 107 of Boss and Brat

Ethan swallowed. “But the meeting with my dad—”

“Don’t worry about that,” Carter cut in gently. “I’ll handle it. Your father and I will talk. You don’t need to stress over it.”

Ethan’s brows pulled together. “But… the trust thing. You think he’ll—”

“Yeah,” Carter admitted, because lying wasn’t something he did with Ethan. “There’s a trust lapse. I’m not pretending there isn’t. But that’s between him and me. Not you.”

Ethan blinked, surprised.

Carter stepped even closer, their foreheads almost touching. “I’m not playing around, Ethan. I’m in this with you. All the way. No one is breaking us apart.”

“You mean that?”

Carter nodded. “We’re a team now. We’re… one.”

Ethan stared at him like he was trying to memorize every word. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” Carter said. “Not now. Not ever.”

Ethan’s eyes softened, filling with something warm and overwhelming. “Carter… I’m dangerously in love with you.”

Again, the words hit Carter like a punch straight to the chest—good, sharp, real. He didn’t hesitate. He cupped Ethan’s face with both hands and kissed him.

It wasn’t rushed or frantic. It was slow, steady, full of everything he hadn’t said yet. Ethan melted into him instantly, hands gripping the front of Carter’s shirt like he needed an anchor.

Carter pulled back just enough to breathe, resting his forehead against Ethan’s. “I love you,” he murmured. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”

Carter smiled—small, real, the kind he only ever gave Ethan. “Then we’re on the same page.”

They stood there for a long moment, wrapped up in each other, the weight of the day easing. Outside, the waves kept rolling in, steady and calm, like the world had decided to give them a break.

Inside, Carter held Ethan close, and for the first time since the break-in, he felt like everything might actually be okay.

Chapter Forty

Ethan was leaning against the counter, trying to calm down after everything, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He jumped a little—his nerves were still fried—and pulled it out.

Dad.

His stomach tightened. He shot a quick look at Carter, who gave him a small nod, likego ahead, you’re okay.

Ethan answered. “Hey, Dad.”

His father didn’t waste time. “You’re not to worry about those boys. I’ve handled it.”

Ethan exhaled a breath, a wave of relief washing over him as he realized the tension he’d been carrying. “Thanks.”

“They won’t be bothering you again,” his father added, voice firm in that way that meant he’d already made sure of it.

Ethan nodded even though his father couldn’t see him. “Okay. Good.”

There was a pause—one of those heavy ones where Ethan could practically hear his father shifting gears.

“I also got mail from the school,” his father said. “Your reregister for your classes to complete your last year came in.”

Ethan froze. His heart did a weird flip—part excitement, part dread.