"I did." I admit, feeling empty remembering her dismissiveness. "She... she said that we all have to make sacrifices in life."
Ethan growls. He legitimately growls.
"Anyway, Gloria started working as his assistant and noticed something was off. Long story short, she helped me get rid of Charles and my mother and has been helping me ever since."
I feel his hand running circles on the small of my back, so I draw courage and tell the rest of my story.
"Later on, when I was about nineteen, I fell for the charms of a boy, only to find out that he didn't really want me. He just wanted to sell the story to the tabloids on how he took the virginity of the most beautiful girl in the world." I say, rollingmy eyes. "And voilà, the Ice Queen was born. I never let anyone get that close anymore."
He cups my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I'm so sorry for what you went through. If I could go back in time I would kill Charles myself. He got away easily. About the other boy, I only have one question: name?"
I smile at his protectiveness. "Let it go. It was a long time ago... and it turns out, it relaunched my career. I was no longer a girl, but a woman. The three worst things that happened in my life turned out to have a pretty good silver lining."
"Three?"
"Charles, the boy who will remain nameless, and the attack at the hotel pool. If it wasn't for the attack, we never would have met," I say, grinning and trying to lighten the mood.
"I don't know how I feel about being in the same sentence as those two," Ethan grumbles.
"Oh... I think I can make you feel good again," I say teasingly, kissing his large chest, moving up the collarbone...
"Hmm... hold that thought," he says, stopping my advances. "What we just shared, what we'll share in the future if you want, is sacred to me. It isn't about taking anything from you. It's about giving. Both of us giving to each other."
Tears prick my eyes at the sincerity in his voice. "I know. That's why I wanted to tell you. Because this, you... it feels different. It feels right."
He kisses me then, so gently it makes my heart ache. "Thank you for trusting me with this," he says when we part. "I know it wasn't easy."
"Only my mother and Gloria knew before now," I admit.
He's quiet for a moment, his fingers trailing through my hair. "No more secrets between us," he says finally. "That's my promise to you."
"No more secrets," I agree, settling back against his chest.
He hesitates, and I can feel the shift in him, the tension returning to his body. "There's something else we need to talk about," he says carefully.
I know immediately what he means. "Declan and Mateo."
He nods, his expression unreadable. "I've seen the way they look at you. The way you look at them."
I consider deflecting, downplaying, but the promise of no more secrets is too fresh. "I have feelings for them," I admit. "Different from what I feel for you, but still real. Still strong."
I wait for anger, for jealousy, for him to pull away. Instead, he sighs, a sound of resignation rather thansurprise.
"I suspected as much," he says. "The three of us, we've been through hell together. Built our lives around each other after everything fell apart. We're a unit. A family."
"I would never want to come between that," I say quickly.
"I know." His arms tighten around me. "That's part of why I fought this. Fought us, for so long. I couldn't bear the thought of causing a rift."
"And now?" I ask, holding my breath.
"Now..." He pauses, considering. "I think you are free to do whatever you want. I don't own you. You already have too many restrictions in your life. I will not become another one."
I stare at him, stunned. "You mean..."
"I mean that whatever happens next, it needs to be honest. Open. If you want to explore what you feel for them, you should trust them with your secrets too. Your fears. Your past. Like you've trusted me."
The enormity of what he's suggesting washes over me. Not jealousy or possessiveness, but understanding. Acceptance.
