quiet for a moment. “I suppose.”
“I want the kids to get used to seeing me every morning. We sleep together and we’r e together. I love their mommy. They’ll understand it eventually.”
She said nothing.
“Is that okay, Ellie?”
“Yes.”
“I realize it’s a big commitment, but I want to do it.”
“I do too.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
She cuddled next to me and closed her eyes.
I leaned over and set the alarm then held her to my chest, protecting her in my arms. When her breathing grew light, I knew she was asleep. I ran my fingers through her hair for a long time before I finally fell into darkness.
8
When I took Elisa home in the morning, I gave her a long kiss before I left. “I’ll see you when I get off work.”
“Ethan and I have some errands to run tonight.”
“I’ll take you.”
“You will?”
“Don’t ask Ethan anymore. I’ll take you—I want to take you.”
She smiled.
“What do you need to get?”
“Groceries and some other things.”
“I’ll head over as soon as I’m off.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you later.” I turned away and let her close the door. After I heard her lock it, I waved down a cab and headed to work. It was a pretty uneventful day. I sat in my office and responded to all the emails I had. Then I got to work on all the big stuff.
Around lunchtime, Ethan came into my office. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I said.
“So, where were you guys last night?”
I looked at him. “At my apartment.”
“All night?”
I rose from my chair then shut the door. When I returned to my seat, I glared at him. “I respect the fact that you protect your sister and look after her, but when you gave me permission to date her, you also gave me your trust. I will take care of her. Don’t worry about it.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Yes, she and I were at my apartment all night. I dropped her off before I went to work.”
“So this is serious now?”
“It’s been serious.”
“You’re not messing with her?”
“You’re starting to piss me off. I love your sister, I want to marry your sister, and I want to adopt her kids. If all I wanted was sleep with her, I wouldn’t have stuck around so long. She and I are happy together. And to be frank, I’m sick of this older brother act. Knock it off. I mean it.”
He stared at me but said nothing.
“If I ever hurt your sister, then you can hunt me down. But don’t accuse me of anything until that actually happens.”
“My job is to prevent it from happening.”
I sighed. “I don’t know what more I can say. I told you the truth. I love her and I want to be with her.”
“You’re not getting cold feet? ”
“My feet are on fire.”
He stared at me.
“I’m sick of this bullshit. If th at’s all you have to say to me, then don’t speak to me at all.”
He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I—I’m just not handling this well.”
I leaned back in my chair and looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’m assuming that you slept together s ince she stayed there all night?”
I said nothing.
“Don’t answer that. If that’s what happened, that means she’s really moving on. You’re going to be staying at the house, taking care of the kids, and then she isn’t going to need me anymore. She’ll have you.”
I was quiet for a moment. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yes, of course. But—I don’t know. It’s just hard for me to accept. I’m used to being the man in her life, the guardian to her kids.”
Now I understood his meaning. “That isn’t going to change, Ethan.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Elisa still wants you to be around all the time. And frankly, I do too. It’s nice having a stand by babysitter.”
He laughed. “I guess.”
“I’m not trying to replace you.”
“I know.”
“Your sister is in good hands.”
He nodded. “I know that too.”
“And you don’t need to jump ahead so
“I want the kids to get used to seeing me every morning. We sleep together and we’r e together. I love their mommy. They’ll understand it eventually.”
She said nothing.
“Is that okay, Ellie?”
“Yes.”
“I realize it’s a big commitment, but I want to do it.”
“I do too.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
She cuddled next to me and closed her eyes.
I leaned over and set the alarm then held her to my chest, protecting her in my arms. When her breathing grew light, I knew she was asleep. I ran my fingers through her hair for a long time before I finally fell into darkness.
8
When I took Elisa home in the morning, I gave her a long kiss before I left. “I’ll see you when I get off work.”
“Ethan and I have some errands to run tonight.”
“I’ll take you.”
“You will?”
“Don’t ask Ethan anymore. I’ll take you—I want to take you.”
She smiled.
“What do you need to get?”
“Groceries and some other things.”
“I’ll head over as soon as I’m off.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you later.” I turned away and let her close the door. After I heard her lock it, I waved down a cab and headed to work. It was a pretty uneventful day. I sat in my office and responded to all the emails I had. Then I got to work on all the big stuff.
Around lunchtime, Ethan came into my office. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I said.
“So, where were you guys last night?”
I looked at him. “At my apartment.”
“All night?”
I rose from my chair then shut the door. When I returned to my seat, I glared at him. “I respect the fact that you protect your sister and look after her, but when you gave me permission to date her, you also gave me your trust. I will take care of her. Don’t worry about it.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Yes, she and I were at my apartment all night. I dropped her off before I went to work.”
“So this is serious now?”
“It’s been serious.”
“You’re not messing with her?”
“You’re starting to piss me off. I love your sister, I want to marry your sister, and I want to adopt her kids. If all I wanted was sleep with her, I wouldn’t have stuck around so long. She and I are happy together. And to be frank, I’m sick of this older brother act. Knock it off. I mean it.”
He stared at me but said nothing.
“If I ever hurt your sister, then you can hunt me down. But don’t accuse me of anything until that actually happens.”
“My job is to prevent it from happening.”
I sighed. “I don’t know what more I can say. I told you the truth. I love her and I want to be with her.”
“You’re not getting cold feet? ”
“My feet are on fire.”
He stared at me.
“I’m sick of this bullshit. If th at’s all you have to say to me, then don’t speak to me at all.”
He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I—I’m just not handling this well.”
I leaned back in my chair and looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’m assuming that you slept together s ince she stayed there all night?”
I said nothing.
“Don’t answer that. If that’s what happened, that means she’s really moving on. You’re going to be staying at the house, taking care of the kids, and then she isn’t going to need me anymore. She’ll have you.”
I was quiet for a moment. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yes, of course. But—I don’t know. It’s just hard for me to accept. I’m used to being the man in her life, the guardian to her kids.”
Now I understood his meaning. “That isn’t going to change, Ethan.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Elisa still wants you to be around all the time. And frankly, I do too. It’s nice having a stand by babysitter.”
He laughed. “I guess.”
“I’m not trying to replace you.”
“I know.”
“Your sister is in good hands.”
He nodded. “I know that too.”
“And you don’t need to jump ahead so
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