Writing On The Wall (The King Brothers Duology #2)

Chapter 42

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

IVY

Ethan bringing a duffel bag over and showering at my house feels so domestic that I’m beating the crap out of this pizza dough to distract myself from freaking out. Things are moving so fast. I think that’s why I keep finding things to keep us busy, because if we’re still too long, then the real, raw parts of our relationship are brought to the surface. And it scares me. We haven’t exactly had a long time to establish roots. Heck, I only moved out of the despising him phase a few months ago. Is that even long enough to build a foundation strong enough to keep him from inevitably jetting off?

My sticky hands continue kneading, transferring all my frustrations into the dough. Hopefully this isn’t like talking to plants, and the food won’t taste bitter and gross because of the energy I’m massaging into the gluten.

I attempt to move my hair out of my face with a heavy exhale, switching to the crook of my elbow when it falls back in front of my eyes.

Then my head pops up at a sudden knocking on the door, and I lean back to hear if Ethan is still in the shower .

The knocking picks up, increasing in urgency. With a huff, I grab a dish towel, wiping my hands as I rush to the door and swing it open. “Jeez, Toby, keep your pants— Ross . What’re you doing here?”

“Hey, Vee. Can I come in?”

With my hand on the door I turn, biting my lip as I glance behind me. “I’m actually in the middle of something.”

“Can I just talk to you for two minutes? I swear Ivy, I’m trying—” He begins pacing the porch, hands gesturing haphazardly. When he pivots sharply, looking into my eyes for the first time—that’s when I know. I know what he’s here for. I only just manage to stop myself from groaning out loud, because the cycle of hope and disappointment has drained every last bit of energy from my bones. It’s like the stain on a shirt that you love. You treat it, throw it in the wash, only for it to come out flaunting the ghost of an oil mark. So you try again, rubbing in a bit of Dawn , because hey, if it can save the penguins, why can’t it save my shirt from the curry I had last week? But then it emerges, stain firmly in place. Sometimes you just have to accept it’s no longer the fancy going-out top you thought it would be. Now it’s just a yard work shirt, and you’d be less disappointed if you changed your expectations of it.

“Ross—” I croak out, my voice laced with sadness. We’re still standing in the doorway, but the space between us feels like the Grand Canyon. I keep wishing he’ll make a choice that will bridge the chasm that’s been growing for the past twenty years, because it’s not a gap I can mend on my own.

I’m about to continue when we’re both startled by Toby’s car door slamming shut. A storm cloud follows him as he marches up my driveway to stand beside me, his eyes locked on Ross. “Everything okay?”

My brother releases a heavy sigh, ignoring Toby’s presence as he resumes his pacing. He doesn’t give me a chance to answer as he pivots back to me. “Ivy, just tell me if you’ve found it.”

“You can’t have it, Ross,” my voice comes out in a strained whisper.

“What’s going on?”

Perfect.

Ethan steps outside and joins my bodyguard detail, adopting a posture that mirrors Toby’s. Ross finally notices the two men beside me, crossing their arms and puffing their chests.

“I don’t know who you are, but this is between me and my sister.”

Ethan looks down at him like a kid who just tried to punch The Rock but broke his hand instead. “Wrong.”

Ross ignores him again, his eyes darting back to me, but I interject before he can say anything. “No.”

It only serves to dial up his agitation, and he speaks through clenched teeth now. “You don’t get it , Vee?—”

“Stop, Ross! I’m done being told I don’t get things, or that I don’t understand. You don’t get to use that card this time. No matter how differently I see things, it doesn’t change the fact that I can’t keep rescuing you.”

He presses a palm into his bloodshot eye before lacing his fingers behind his neck. The dark circles create a ghostly look, and the man before me is hardly recognizable as he paces, each step crushing the last pieces of hope I’ve been holding onto.

“You have it, Ivy, and I know you don’t understand it, but I need it.” He pauses to shoot me one more beseeching look. Toby and Ethan sense the tension, both of them angling their bodies in front of me.

My lips tremble as I shake my head. Ross doesn’t understand that saying no to him is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Harder than giving him all my savings, harder than living out of my car and lying to my friends about it. A war rages on inside my head, as part of me still wants to give in, desperately thinking this could be the last time.

But we’ve had too many last times, and I know it’d never end.

My brother finally sees the resolution in my stare and turns with a curse, shoving his hands against the flimsy porch railing. At the sound of the wood cracking, Toby takes hold of my wrist, placing himself squarely in front of me while Ethan rushes for Ross.

It’s like someone turned the volume down in my head as I watch him march Ross off the porch.

“It's time for you to leave,” Ethan’s stern voice growls out.

Ross shoves him away, and I’m numb as I watch him climb into a car I’ve never seen before. He drives off, while Ethan’s rigid form stands sentry, making sure he disappears. It’s only a minute, but it feels like hours pass before Ethan walks back up the porch.

What if…did I just sign my brother’s death sentence by withholding something that I don’t even need?

As Ethan approaches, his warm hands envelop my arms, drawing attention to the fact that I’ve been hugging myself, trying to ward off the chill that settled in as the sun dipped below the horizon.

My eyes slowly reach his, wide with growing panic. “What…what if I made a mistake? What if something happens to him? Maybe he was serious?—”

“Vee,” I hear Toby from behind as Ethan’s face floods with sympathy. “It’s not your responsibility.”

“Yeah…okay. You’re right.” I hear myself say, but I’m not fully convinced.

Ethan places a kiss on my forehead before lifting a chin toward the door. “Let’s head inside.”

As I enter the kitchen, Ethan’s phone buzzes insistently on the counter, displaying the name Crystal on the screen. He ignores it and strides over to the fridge to grab a water bottle. I inadvertently catch a glimpse of the text that pops up a second later.

Crystal

Give me a call when you can. We can’t wait to have you in Frisco!

Ethan twists the lid from a bottle, handing it to me while I hover, unsure where to stand or what to think. I bring the bottle to my lips, sipping robotically while Toby and Ethan stare at me like they’re worried I might break.

“I need to think…I just need some space.” I nod while my brows crease. I’m just going along with the words that are spilling out of my mouth. The frowny twins in front of me seem to have bonded in their mutual overprotection. They share a concerned look, then it’s back to silently eyeing me.

“You need to eat,” Ethan finally lets out.

I shake my head and begin tossing items into my purse, while Ethan and Toby seem on the verge of short-circuiting from what appears to be a case of ‘unsure of female hormones.’ “I’m fine. I’m going to Opal and Gail—I’ll eat there. Promise.”

Everything feels like it’s unraveling. I’m peeved at these two for their overbearing ways. Who knows what would’ve happened if they hadn’t told Ross to leave, but I would have liked the opportunity to stand up for myself. And now the anxiety over what might actually happen to my brother begins ramping up. Then, there’s Ethan and the fact that adventure is literally calling at this very moment.

After giving Toby a quick hug, I turn to Ethan, my palm resting against his cheek as I rise on my toes to kiss him. “I’ll call you later.”

My chin quivers as I turn and walk out the door. I have to be okay with letting Ethan go, if that’s what he wants. He’s an adventurer at heart, and I won’t hold him back. This thing between us always had an end date, anyway.

“Let me get this straight,” Opal frowns, waving a wrinkled hand while leaning over the arm of her wrought iron chair. “You’re upset ‘cause two men—the man you love, plus another man-friend—chased your brother away when he got violent?”

“He wasn’t violent !” I scowl back at her after an eye roll. I also don’t mention that she’s probably casting the other two male roles backwards in this story.

“Honey, if someone breaks something when they’re mad—it’s violent,” Gail adds.

“Fine. Then, yes, that’s the gist of it.”

“Well, goodness, how terrible it must be for you to have a couple of strapping, young men coming to your defense. And without your permission? That’s just…despicable,” Opal quips, glaring at me from under her lowered brow. The sarcasm is strong with this one.

I stab a fork into the pasta bowl cradled in my lap. Of course, I’m not just sulking over Toby’s and Ethan’s overprotective tendencies. The truth is, I hate how much I’ve come to care for Ethan in such a short time. And just as soon as I allowed him to sneak past my defenses, I’m reminded that he’s going to take my heart with him when he jets off into the sunset. Maybe being able to process this with someone would help, but I’m still stuck in my web of lies and struggling to remember which degree of the truth I’m supposed to be admitting right now.

Opal narrows her eyes, locking her gaze on me like she’s trying to extract more of my secrets with her stare. She purses her lips in thought. “How’d that sexy boyfriend of yours handle you running away?”

“Fine,” I add hesitantly.

She knows. She knows it’s Ethan we’re talking about and not Toby, and she’s waiting for me to come out with it. But I’ve got to hold onto this secret a little longer. She’s too close to Gran. I need to figure out how to tell my grandmother the truth in the least detrimental way before divulging this mess to anyone else.

Opal and Gail allow me to continue brooding over the meal they lovingly made when I showed up at their door, heavy-shouldered and grouchy.

I hug them goodbye, letting out a loud growl when I shuffle into my car and Dwight Schrute repeating the word ‘idiot’ blares from my phone. The ringtone I assigned to Ross’s contact still hasn’t stopped me from making stupid decisions in regard to him, or in life in general, for that matter.

“Ross, I swear if you’re?—”

“I thought about what you said, Vee…”

My shoulders instantly straighten as I look ahead through the windshield. “Yeah?”

“I need to get my life on track. I’ll sort this stuff out, and then I’ll look into those classes you mentioned.”

I pull the phone away from my ear, double-checking the name on the screen. For what seems like my whole life, I’ve been waiting for my brother to have this kind of life-changing epiphany. In high school, we all hoped he’d grow out of his rebellious phase, but it only got worse. And he’s never gone long without needing rescuing, bailing out, or saving since then. I’m ashamed to admit that I’d finally given up hope of ever hearing these words from him, but it’s finally happening.

“Vee…you there?” I hear him ask while my jaw ha ngs open.

“Yes. Yeah, I’m here. I’m just…I didn’t expect this. Especially after today.”

“I read through everything you sent me. I think I could be good at the electrician stuff. I need to work with my hands, so it’s a good fit. Can we talk about it tomorrow? Maybe meet for coffee somewhere, my treat?”

My eyes bounce over the dashboard as I continue to process his words. “Okay, yeah. Sure.”

“Can you meet me at the Starbucks on Market Street tomorrow at ten?”

I nod as I stare out the window, rolling my lips in before answering. “I hope you know what you’re doing Ross. I’ll see you tomorrow.”