Mending Heart |18+|

Chapter 33

New York, New York

"From the first moment we touched, your arms felt like home." – John Mark Green

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Ethan P.O.V

McKenzie stirred next to me, the sheets rustling under her weight. I turned to look at her, and I couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips. She was fast asleep on her stomach, her face buried in the mountain of pillows she insisted on sleeping with. Her hair was a mess and sprawled out everywhere, soft snores escaped her lips, and a thin white sheet covered her naked body.

She was perfect, I though. Reaching over, I pulled the sheet higher over her body and she mumbled something in her sleep before turning to face the other way. I chuckled, shaking my head.

There was no one quite like her in this world.

Slipping up last night and telling her I love her was not something I planned on doing during this trip. I'm not stupid, I knew she was still in a vulnerable place and anything could set her back.

Anything like my big mouth, I shook my head.

It just... it slipped out. Before I realized the words coming out of my mouth, it was too late because she had already heard them. I was certain she was going to bolt after, but she  managed to surprise me.

It started with sex, but it quickly became more than just lust. The more time I spent around her, the more I wanted to get to know her. It was easy to open up to her – and being around her just felt right. Love was the last thing on my mind when I first met her, but life had a funny way of working out that way. The things you least expect to happen, happen.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the buzzing from my phone. Reaching over on the nightstand, I picked it up and saw my father's name flash across the screen. I let out a deep sigh as I threw the covers off and walked into the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind me.

"Yeah, dad?" I answered, leaning against the sink.

"Your mother tells me you're in New York." His voice boomed on the other line.

"For a few days," I replied.

"We should have lunch. Me, you and your mother."

And there it was – the catch behind the phone call.

"As I'm sure mom told you," I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I'm not here alone."

There was a pause. "She might have mentioned you brought along a friend."

I found myself counting to ten and taking a deep breath before answering. "What do you want dad?"

"Join me and your mother for lunch today." He said, cluttering sounds in the background. "Bring your friend. Your mother won't stop talking about her."

"I'll ask her." I finally said, even though my mind was screaming at me to tell him no.

"The River Café at one." He dismissed before hanging up.

I ran my hand down my face and pushed off the sink, reaching for the shower handle. Turning the water on, I let it run for a couple of minutes before stepping under the steaming hot water.

My father and I had a very complicated relationship. We'd never really seen eye to eye, and that caused a strain between us growing up. He's had it in his head for the past twenty-some years that I was one day going to run Thomas and Cooper Consulting, even though that wasn't something I ever expressed interest in. When I agreed to go to business school, it was more so to get him off my back than anything else.