The Business Proposal

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The constant beeping was the first thing Ethan heard. He blinked against the fluorescent lighting as his head pounded painfully. It felt like he had a bunch of tap dancers stepping against his skull and it brought tears to his eyes.

Looking around, he realised he was in a hospital room but his memory was a little fuzzy on how he'd got there. The mass of curls caught his attention as they quivered next to him. He knew that it was Ivy and he wondered whether she was asleep. But as the curls continued to rise and fall, he noticed the slight hitch in her breath.

"Ivy, are you okay? Why are you upset?" His voice was croaky, and she jumped at the sound, turning her head quickly until her tearful eyes met his.

"You're awake?"

He saw her smile before her wild curls obscured his view, but he didn't care as he felt her arms wrap around him. Her sobs intensified as she clung to him.

He tried to sooth her as best he could, but he didn't understand why she was upset. After a while she calmed down enough to pull away from him.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her expression somehow both sad and happy at the same time.

"What happened?" He asked her, noticing how she looked away from him.

"The doctors said your memory might be a little muddled. What do you remember?"

He noticed how she evaded his question, but he let it go.

He tried to remember, but the images seemed distorted. It was frustrating because he knew it was important. There were things he needed to remember, but it was like his brain was fighting against him.

Sighing in frustration, he leaned back against his pillows and pinched the bridge of his nose as his headache thudded behind his eyes.

"It's okay, Ethan." Ivy spoke to him, like he was some kind of child but he didn't want that. He wanted to tell her that he remembered everything, but it would be a lie.

"I remember being at the bar and Adriana was there. Then I was back in the apartment with you and Adriana. She was trying to make me do something but I don't remember what, only that I didn't want to. And then there was a lot of smashing, and I was worried about you. And then nothing." He finished lamely.

Something flashed in Ivy's eyes when he finished speaking, but it fled too quickly for him to identify it. Hurt? Regret? Sadness? But those emotions made little sense to him.

He watched her, trying to avoid his eyes, and he panicked.

"Ivy, what happened?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but not knowing would be ten times worse.

Ivy looked at him, her gaze piercing. It swept over his still pale cheeks and the sheen of sweat on his skin.

He was sure he didn't look the picture of health, but he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

She huffed a sigh but nodded her head. He sank back into the bed and waited for her to start.

"It looks like Adriana or someone else drugged you." She told him carefully, watching as his eyes widened. "The toxicology report won't come back for a few weeks but from the way you were reacting it looks like it was a cocktail of drugs. One of them being Rohypnol. At least that's what the doctors believe."

"The date rape drug?" He asked with a shaky voice. Horror flooded through him at the thought of what he'd done. "Did she...did I..." But he trailed off, not sure how to finish his sentence.

How could Ivy ever forgive him for this? He felt ashamed and his skin crawled in the knowledge of what he'd done with Adriana. Whether or not he was under the influence of drugs, he'd allowed himself to get into that position. This was his fault.