Page 55 of Boss and Brat

Carter blinked, surprised. “You want to cook?”

“Yeah,” Ethan said. “I owe you. And I need something to do.”

Carter let out a slow breath, the tension easing from his shoulders. “Alright. Go ahead.”

Ethan slid off the bed, feet hitting the floor. He wavered at the doorway, looking back at Carter, who was still sitting there, hairmessy, eyes tired, and watching him like he wasn’t sure how to let him go.

Ethan gave him a slight, grateful smile. Carter didn’t say anything, but the look he gave back said enough. They were both in deeper than they had meant to be. Neither of them knew how to pull back. And neither of them wanted to.

Ethan made scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon because it was the only breakfast he knew he couldn’t mess up. His hands still shook a little, but cooking helped. It gave him something to focus on besides the fact that he’d slept in Carter’s bed all night like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Carter sat at the table, hair still messy, arms crossed like he was trying to hold himself together. He looked tired. And conflicted. And like he’d been thinking way too hard.

Ethan set the plates down and took the seat across from him.

They ate in silence for a minute. The kind of silence that wasn’t angry—just… loaded.

Finally, Carter cleared his throat. “We need to talk about last night.”

A queasy flutter stirred under Ethan’s ribs. “Okay.”

Carter shifted in his chair, uncomfortable. “You can’t sleep in my bed. That’s not… appropriate.”

Ethan nodded, even though the words stung. “I know. You already told me we can’t.”

“I mean it,” Carter said, but his voice wasn’t firm. It wavered. “I’m responsible for you. I’m supposed to keep things… clear.”

Ethan poked at his eggs. “I didn’t mean to make things unclear.”

“I know you didn’t,” Carter said. “It’s just—lines matter.”

Ethan looked up. Carter wasn’t even eating. He was staring at his plate like it might give him instructions.

“You didn’t push me away,” Ethan said.

Carter froze.

Ethan kept going, softer. “You could’ve. But you didn’t.”

Carter let out a slow breath, stroking his beard. “Yeah, well… you were upset. And you needed sleep.”

“That’s not the only reason,” Ethan said before he could stop himself.

Carter’s eyes flicked up, sharp and startled. For a moment, Ethan thought he’d gone too far. But Carter didn’t snap. Didn’t shut him down. He just looked… exposed.

“I’m trying to set boundaries,” Carter said, voice low. “I’m trying to do the right thing.”

“You’re not doing a great job,” Ethan said, a tiny smile tugging at his mouth.

Carter huffed out something that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Yeah. I noticed.”

They both went quiet again, but the tension had shifted. Softer now. Less like a wall and more like a blanket they were both tangled in.

Ethan pushed his plate away. “I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable. I just… I felt safe. I haven’t slept that good in a long time.”

Carter’s expression softened immediately. “I know.”

“And I didn’t want to leave,” Ethan admitted. “Not even when I woke up.”