Raveled by You - Enflamed Series (R-Rated)

Chapter 2

As I went home, the thought of that delicious young man still filled my mind with fiery thoughts, making me blush, even though there was no one around. I didn’t want to think about Kaito, but his deep voice was stuck in my head, his words repeating over and over again. ‘I’ll make it even harder for you to resist.’  The mere memory heated me up on the inside. I felt like a teenager again, every word having a double meaning to it, making me giggle.

I turned the key in the lock and entered my house. Ethan was already sitting on the couch with a beer in one hand and the remote control in the other. I swallowed and sighed, preparing myself before I walked in. I pulled my skirt down and brushed my blouse to remove any wrinkles. The card was tucked deep inside my purse.

“Hi, honey.” I put my purse under the dresser. He growled, nothing more, but he kept switching the channel without stopping. I hung my arms around his neck and gave him a peck, but he pulled away and leaned forward on his elbows.

“Something wrong?” I took off my shoes and straightened my blouse.

“Don’t want to talk about it.” Ethan stood up and got his coat. “I’ll get some take-out. I’m not in the mood for cooking today.” He smacked the door behind him.

I wondered what was bothering him, but maybe I could find out later, when he settled down. I grabbed my purse from under the dresser and sat down at the table. Rummaging through it, I pulled out the card Kaito gave me. It had an exotic aroma to it, the scent tingling my nose.

Staring at the television, it wasn’t long before Ethan barged in again. I tucked away the card and hid my purse again. Still, he didn’t talk. He just snorted as he placed the food on the table and got some plates.

We sat down and ate our dinner in silence, while I kept my eyes on him, trying to pry it out of him.

But it didn’t work.

I sighed and cleaned the table, while he plopped back down on the couch. I couldn’t put this to rest, I needed to know what was up.

“Ethan …” I mumbled, putting down the cloth in my hand.

“What?”

“Can you please just tell me what’s wrong?”

He clenched his fists. “Lost my job, no big deal.”

I sat down to absorb the news. “What?”

“Fuck, Chloe. You heard me!”

I stood up, came over to him and tried grabbing his hand to comfort him, but he pulled away.

“Don’t. I don’t need your pity,” he said.

“Oh Ethan… Well, we’ll make it work, somehow. We can find you a new job tomorrow, don’t worry about it. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay.” He jumped up and barged through the living room like a mad man. “Shit!”

“Please Ethan,” I pleaded, but he only puffed and stomped back and forth. Then he raised his arm; I closed my eyes and instinctively put my arms in front of my face.

But he wasn’t aiming for me.

I opened my eyes. As he swooped his hand, I heard the crackling of the vase crashing onto the floor, splintering into a million tiny pieces.

Tears rolled down my face.

“Fuck this. I’m out of here.” Ethan stormed out of the apartment building, leaving me with the broken shards scattered across the floor and crushed flowers between them.

I wiped my face with my blouse and started picking up the pieces. He wasn’t always like this, but lately he couldn’t take the pressure anymore. The last time he actually touched me with love was months ago. Ever since I began working, things had gone downhill.