Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
“You are not a liability,” Rhodes told her fiercely. “Fuck Kevin. He was being a complete asshole. You know all he cares about is money. He doesn’t understand family or loyalty or love because he’s never had it.”
“It’s just that sometimes I worry I’m holding you back. I know you said that you don’t want to risk loving and losing someone. But is that all of it? I don’t want to be the reason that I never have nephews or nieces.” She managed to smile at him. “We both know I won’t have kids, so my hopes all rest on you.”
Rhodes made a scoffing noise.
“You don’t want children?” Ethan asked.
She stared over at him. “Does that make me less attractive to you?”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “No. Why would it?”
“Well, biologically, men are driven to mate in order to procreate—”
“You know what. I don’t think we need to speak about procreation,” Rhodes interrupted her.
Ethan had to resist smirking at the other man’s discomfort.
“Just so you know, nothing could make you less attractive to me,” Ethan told her firmly.
Her mouth opened. “I, um, it’s not that I don’t want children, I’m just not sure I have the emotional capacity to give a child what they need. Plus, children are known to make loud noises and to be very needy. What if I got involved in something and forgot about them? No, it just wouldn’t work.”
“Hey, no one says you have to have children,” he soothed, seeing how upset she was getting. “And it doesn’t have to be decided right now.”
“All right. I suppose. I don’t think I will change my mind. If that means you no longer wish to be with me, I understand.”
Ethan studied her. What was going on? She was pushing him away. She hadn’t spoken to him in that cold, emotionless voice for a long time.
Was it the talk about children? Or did it go deeper than that?
“Cate, I don’t want you to blame yourself for what happened with Samantha or Kevin, understand me?” Rhodes said. “Everything they said or did is on them. Not you.”
“I guess so.”
“I know so,” Rhodes replied.
He ran his gaze over her, wondering what was going on with her. His eyes snagged on her wrist. Was that a hair tie? Fuck. She’d agreed not to do that anymore.
Things were worse than he’d thought.
“Cate?” Ethan asked.
“Yes?”
“You said you wouldn’t use the hair tie anymore.”
He heard her suck in a breath.
“What does that mean? The hair tie?” Rhodes asked.
“Nothing,” Cate said quickly, hiding her wrists behind her back.
Rhodes frowned. “It’s obviously something. Tell me.”
“I . . . I . . .”
Fuck this.
Ethan turned on Rhodes. “Stop that. You’re upsetting her.”
However, there was something more than concern in Rhodes’ face. What was wrong?
“Show me your wrists, Cate,” Rhodes said firmly.
Cate really didn’t want to do that.
She didn’t want Rhodes to find out what she’d been doing. She couldn’t stand the idea that he might be upset with her. She’d already caused enough problems.
“Cate,” Rhodes pressed.
“What’s going on here?” Ethan asked, staring from him to Cate. “Why are you so concerned about her wrists? Because of the hair tie?”
“What is the hair tie?” Rhodes gritted out.
With a sigh, knowing she couldn’t keep refusing, she drew her hands out from behind her back.
Rhodes took hold of her hands, examining her wrists. “This hair tie? What’s wrong with it?” He fingered it.
Cate didn’t want to tell him. Why did Ethan have to mention it? She shot him a warning look, but he folded his arms over his chest, looking stern.
“I have a feeling that there’s something more going on here and I’m not keeping quiet if it has to do with your welfare and safety.”
Darn it.
Why? Why did she have to have such a protective brother and . . . and boyfriend? Was that what Ethan was? She guessed so.
But he seemed much more than that. He was her . . . everything.
That seemed silly to think, but she couldn’t think of a better way to explain it.
“I . . . sometimes I use the hair tie to flick it against my wrist. It helps. It’s like a reset for my brain. To get the thoughts out of my head.”
“It’s a way to punish yourself,” Rhodes stated.
It sounded bad when he said it like that.
“Cate, please tell me that this isn’t like when you—”
“Can we not talk about that,” she interrupted Rhodes urgently.
Rhodes looked from Ethan to her. “Fuck. I know that I haven’t been that welcoming of your relationship with Ethan. I know that I’m overprotective. But all I want is to keep you safe.”
“I know you do.”
“I don’t like the idea of my sister dating anyone. But that’s me being selfish. Because I like having you all to myself.”
“You do? Even though I cause a lot of problems?” Cate asked.