Mending Heart |18+|

Chapter 39 🔥

Love Me Like You Do

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. Do the thing you think you cannot do." – Eleanor Roosevelt

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"Being social is exhausting." I groaned, kicking my heels off as soon as Ethan and I stepped through the door. "And it's so fucking hot!"

The past week had been hotter than the devil's ass, and despite the air conditioner being on the entire car ride here, the short walk from the car to the door had made me break in a sweat.

"How –" He chuckled, and I didn't need to turn around to know he was rolling his eyes. "How do you work around other people."

"Correction," I glanced over my shoulder to see him setting his keys in the bowl by the front door. "I used to work around other people. My new job doesn't require as much social interaction." He blinked at that, taken aback, then chuckled under his breath when I raised a smug eyebrow.

After six months of avoiding responsibilities and taking the time to recharge and get my shit together, I finally went back to work. I invited Professor Navid to lunch last month and told him I would accept a position on his team if the offer was still available.

It took him less than three hours to send over the paperwork.

As of two weeks ago, I was officially on the government's payroll as a Tax Compliance Office. It was nowhere near as thrilling and exciting as my career at Thomas and Cooper, but it was where I needed to be.

Where I wanted to be.

When I hit the ground running ten years ago, I didn't stop along the way. I think I needed the time off to figure out what it was I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and gain some much-needed perspective to be able to set my priorities straight.

"I need a shower." I declared. I could feel my dress already sticking against my skin.This heatwave was no joke, but then again Chicago summers never are.

"Movie tonight?" Ethan asked, his eyes following me along the steps as I made my way upstairs.

"Depends." I scoffed, stopping mid-step so I could fully face him. With my right hand on my hip, I asked, "Are you going to make me sit through another action movie?"

"I'll bring the bag of Cheeto puffs and let you eat them in bed if we can watch American Gangster with Russell Crowe." He retorted, folding his arms across his chest.

I pretended to ponder his proposition for a minute before my lips curled up in a smirk. "Deal."

As Ethan disappeared towards the kitchen and I continued upstairs, I heard him shout, "I'm going to walk Sweetie first."

"Okay!" I yelled back.

We had slowly but surely fallen into a routine the past eight months or so. Although we didn't talk about it much, both of us sought comfort in each other's presence. Ethan's free time was sacred, and we typically tried to make the most out of it together. Whether that be the two of us went away for the weekend to whatever secluded location Ethan wanted to hike or just dinner with friends.

Our friend groups had slowly merged into one. Ethan and Eric were the best of friends and typically got together at least once a week, and Sara really hit it off with Taylor and Megan.

Tonight, all of us went to PRYSM – the club which I learned a while back Ethan co-owns with Adam. I hadn't been back there since the last time, and with Adam being home for a few weeks from deployment, tonight seemed as good a time as any. Sara was just excited to get out of the house and drop off her children at her parents' house so she and Adam could spend the weekend reconnecting.