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

Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

IVY

Ethan

You up yet, princess?

I had been lying awake for hours, staring up at the ceiling and looking for shapes in the once uneven surface, but smoothing out the old popcorn texture left behind a sleek, white finish. Now I’m watching my favorite part of The Lord Of The Rings , and Aragorn is just about to push those huge double doors open… It’s a lovely distraction from reality.

Ethan

If you’re still sleeping when I get there, I’m getting into bed with you. I hope you know that

Ivy

No! I’m up. Very much awake. I’m watching LOTR

Ethan

Which one?

Ivy

Two Towers. Aragorn is about to make his earth-shattering grand entrance

Ethan

I think I’m a little jealous of a fictional character right now…

Ivy

*tsk* He’s created a very high standard for entering a room, I’m afraid. For men in general

Ethan

Just say the word, and I’m ready to crush those standards. ;)

Ivy

I still need some thinking space today…

Ethan

Ivy June

Please don’t shut me out

Ivy

I’m not…

I am , but I’m claiming one more day to sulk before talking to him again. Seeing his sexy face in person will confuse me, and I’ll forget all the reasons why I need to let him go. Keeping some space between us lets me hold onto this little fantasy for a tiny bit longer. It’s pitiful, I know.

Besides, I need to sort out this Ross situation first. My brain can’t handle this much stress at one time, and this is my weird way of compartmentalizing and keeping myself from cracking under the pressure.

Ethan

It’s Saturday

My Saturday’s are yours now. I don’t know what to do if you’re not on my Saturday agenda

I whine aloud. The man is going to make me disappear right here into the cracks of my newly polished floors after melting into a puddle.

Ivy

I just need more time to process

Can we hang out tomorrow?

Ethan

You sure I can’t just stare at you while you process? I’ll be quiet. Real creepy like, but I won’t make a sound

Ivy

Go bother Colton

Ethan: Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ivy June. Let me know if you change your mind.

I’m smiling like a smitten little idiot. I can’t even pretend to stop myself from falling in love with him. I’ve already fallen. I’m deep at the bottom of the well, staring up at the cruel blue sky that led me here under pretenses of a happily ever after. But there’s no escaping this reality. Ethan will jet off on exciting adventures any day now, and I’ll never find another man who makes my knees go weak or cares for me the way he does.

My morbid thoughts are interrupted by light footsteps on the porch, followed by a knock on the door. “Vee! I have donuts and mimosas. Open up!”

Crap.

I love my best friend, but her arrival just made things all the more complicated. I’m at least grateful for the tarp I nailed on the wall the other day, covering The List and the little messages Ethan and I have been exchanging. It’s become something intimate, and I didn’t want it out in the open for just anyone to see.

“Em?” I unlock the door to find my frazzled friend staring at me. “You okay?”

Her lip wobbles and she nods, shuffling inside with a box of donuts balanced on one hand and a grocery bag in the other.

“Don’t ever plan a wedding, Vee.” She sniffs while opening and closing cupboards until she finds champagne glasses. “Marry rich so you can get someone else to organize the whole thing.”

“Em…you are marrying rich. And you can get someone else to do it,” I remind her as she hands me a bottle of orange juice, silently tasking me with pouring while she struggles to open the champagne bottle.

She lets out a noisy exhale, pausing after the cork pops. “Yeah. I guess you know that’s not the real problem.”

“Is that part of the problem at all?”

“Of course not. Colton keeps offering to up the budget.” She pauses and sighs again. “It’s my mother. She’s out of control! I’ve gotten more attention from her in the last three months than I have in my entire life. She questions every decision I make, but in a super nice way, making me doubt what I actually like in the first darn place!” she rambles as she pours champagne.

I carry our glasses and the box of donuts back to the living room before we sink into the sofa together. Ember lifts the lid and picks out a chocolate donut while I glance at the time on my watch, my eyes flicking to the door.

It’s almost time.

“I’m sorry, Em. What can I help with? I’ll intervene. I can come along the next time you meet with her. We actually kind of bonded the last time I saw her, anyway. Maybe she’ll listen to me.”

“And by bonded , you mean she said something half-decent and didn’t shred you to pieces with just a stare?”

“Yup.”

“Ugh, I just hate how much energy it takes to be around her. She’s a nicer person after everything that happened last year, but every interaction still leaves me drained. Where’s your car, by the way? I didn’t see it out front.”

“Oh, I uh…had to move it for renovation stuff.” I circle a hand around the room. Ember nods and I continue. “I’m sure things with your mom will get better after the wedding, though, right? I mean, you’re on the right track, at least.”

“I hope so,” she mumbles over a huge bite of her donut. I take a sip of mimosa before pulling out my phone to read the text that just came through.

Ross

Stopping for gas. See you soon

Our eyes both fly to the door when the handle begins to jiggle. Ember frowns at me questioningly while she continues to chew.

“Um…so can you be real quiet for a minute, and whatever happens next, just follow my lead?”

She shifts on the sofa, bringing her feet under her while her back straightens. “I know you’re hiding something, Ivy June.” She whispers. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed just ‘cause I’ve got my own drama right now. You’ve got some explaining to do,” she scolds me, wagging a finger in my direction. But both of us turn our attention to the door handle as it continues to rattle ominously.

Well…this’ll be interesting .

The knob is silent as it turns, but the door hasn’t been oiled, and it moans as it slowly creaks open, just wide enough for a body to slink through.

Ross freezes when he notices us. I lean forward, one leg crossed over the other. I gently swish my champagne glass while my arms casually rest on my thigh, working hard to lift one brow.

“Lost, dearest brother? This ain’t the gas station.” I’m trying to appear super confident when internally I’m like a blob of Jell-o sitting on a dryer running a tumble cycle.

“Ivy—” He laughs without humor in his voice. “You’re home.”

“Surprise.”

“Hi, Ross.” Ember waves, taking a sip from her glass. “Long time. Nice lock-picking skills.”

“Ember… Wow. You look…amazing! H-how are you?”

“She’s engaged, Ross, so you can wipe the Joey Tribbiani look off your face.”

“This looks bad, but I swear I can explain?—”

“I think you’ve done enough explaining.” I scowl at him.

“This isn’t just about me anymore, Vee. Some bad people know about the music box. And they know it’s here.”

Ember does a spit-take. “Say what now?” she demands, mimosa dripping down her chin.

I roll my eyes, since I’m already accustomed to my brother’s routine of embellishing a story to get what he wants. “Ross, I’m not giving it to you, and I’m not leaving my house ‘cause some ‘bad guys’ know where I live,” I tell him, making quotation marks with my fingers. “We’re kinda busy here, so I think you should leave. Lock the door on your way out, will you?”

I had a hunch Ross wouldn’t show up for coffee this morning. His offer felt too desperate, like he was saying exactly what he knew I wanted to hear. But it was his line about reading through everything I sent him that tipped me off. I’m ninety-nine-percent sure Ross has dyslexia, too, and that’s why he’s acted out his whole life. It was that and his offer to pay for coffee. He’s always been the one mooching off me. Even as a tween, Ross would beg me to borrow my hard-earned babysitting money and conveniently forget to pay me back.

He lets out a growl before roughly dragging a hand down his face. “I’m trying to do the right thing here, Ivy. You don’t understand?—”

“No, Ross, you don’t understand! Maybe I see things differently, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. You can’t play that card with me anymore, because I’ve finally realized that my struggles are also my greatest advantage—I know how to push through when something is hard. I’m guessing you probably faced the same obstacles. The difference is that I’ve learned to overcome my hurdles instead of just blaming others for them.”

I may have hid my struggles in the past, but I’m determined to be kinder to myself. And although I’m finally learning to love myself, I can’t make my brother do the same. He has to take responsibility for his life.

Ross breathes heavily, his brows forming a sharp V as he stares at me.

Ember’s eyes ping-pong between us. “I don’t know what the heck is going on right now,” she says, breaking the silence. “But can we get back to the part about the possible bad guys? Like, what kinda bad guys are we talking here? Run ‘o the mill, low IQ? Kevlar vest-wearing with bald heads? ‘Cause I’m thinking that information could be useful right now.”

“I haven’t seen them,” he grunts, walking laps around the coffee table. He stops and throws his head back, growling out before swinging his head to me. “Please, just tell me if you have it?”

“Ross—” I pause when my phone starts ringing .

Frik. It’s Ethan. And despite the way I’ve been trying to put space between us until I can figure things out in my head, just seeing his name on the screen makes me wish he were here so I could run into the safety and security of his arms.

Make up your mind, Ivy. Either chase that hunk of a man away or stop letting fear tell you what to do , I scold myself as my eyes flicker back to my phone. Answering at least buys me time while I dodge Ross’s question.

“Hey,” I say into the phone, bugging my eyes out at Ember and hoping she’ll get the hint and keep her mouth shut about our little situation.

“Ivy June,” Ethan drawls, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “How’s your thinking time going? You missin’ me yet?”

“It’s fine. Yup, I sure am.”

Gah! How am I supposed to let this man go? Just hearing his voice has me questioning if I’m doing the right thing, because all I want to do now is snuggle him like a baby koala.

Ross stares at me, making a ‘wind it up’ signal with his hand. I roll my eyes in response, turning my back to him. Ember steps closer to me, utterly unashamed in her attempts to eavesdrop.

“Is that Ethan ?” she mouths.

“You get today, and that’s it, Ivy. Then I’m smothering you in hugs and kisses, kay?”

“Noted,” I say, laughing while my heart breaks a little more. I don’t think I can let him go. Ending things because I’m afraid of being hurt won’t save me from anything. It’ll just hurt either way, right?

I bring the phone away from my ear, covering the speaker, although I’m not entirely sure where that is on an iPhone, if I’m being honest. “I’ll explain later,” I whisper harshly to Ember.

“I’m on my way to the airport,” Ethan continues. “I got a call from the network because the meeting they scheduled for next week got bumped up to tomorrow. Otherwise, they’ll have to push it out a month. You gonna be okay today?”

“Mh-mm. All good.”

“Ivy June. What’s going on?”

“She’s not okay!” Ember shouts from beside me, making me jump. “Ross told some bad people where she lives! And they might be on their way!”

I shoot her a death glare while Ethan fires a million overprotective questions my way. Ross growls and starts tapping his wrist, whispering, “We need to leave!”

“I’m sorry, Ethan, I’ve gotta go. Ember’s just exaggerating. Talk to you later, kay? Good luck at your meeting. Love you, bye!” I hang up and toss the phone onto the couch, and my hands fly up to cover my mouth. Ember’s gaze snaps to me, her eyes wide with shock at the declaration that just slipped out of my mouth.

Dang it! I’m supposed to be putting space between us, not professing my feelings! This can’t be good, my subconscious has managed to overpower my extremely stubborn will. But maybe my subconscious knows what’s best? I don’t feel like I want to take the words back, so that’s a good sign, right?

Oh, what the hell. My life is already so insane that I might as well lay my heart on the chopping block while I’m at it.

“I just told him I love him.”

And I do. I love Ethan King.

Ember begins to laugh, her shoulders shaking as she speaks. “You just told Ethan you love him! Oooh, you have so much explaining to do!”

My phone starts buzzing again but I ignore it.

I’m saved from responding when a rustling outside the window has all three of us freezing, our eyes darting to one another as we wait, questions hanging heavily in the air.

“What the heck was that?” Ember wimpers .

Eliza Doolittle’s hat! This isn’t good.

The three of us wince when we hear it again, then Ember gasps as two dark forms creep past the window.

Ross looks at me with a slow turn of his head, his lips pinched. “Told you so.”