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)
Rhodes frowned at her. “I’ve already told you. What Kevin and Samantha have said and done is your problem. Not yours. And I won’t have you taking their issues on.”
It might take her awhile to believe that. But she guessed she should try. Since Rhodes seemed so certain.
“However, if you’re going to have someone in your life, you could do worse than Ethan. Ink certainly thinks a lot of him and he seems very protective of you. Plus, he’ll look after your Little. Give you what you need. But, honey, part of being in a healthy relationship is communication and honesty. I know my relationship with Samantha wasn’t healthy. We didn’t have that. And I don’t want that for you.”
“I have to tell him?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze went to Ethan. She knew he had to be dying of curiosity, but he remained quiet. “You’re right. But I want to be the one to do it.”
“That’s fair. You’ll promise to tell him all of it? Unless you don’t trust him to help and support you.”
“I trust Ethan.” Although whether he’d still feel the same way about her, she didn’t know.
She couldn’t always figure out how people would react. So she was feeling uncertain.
Whatever happened, she’d take it. If he wanted nothing to do with her after learning this, well, she guessed it was better to learn that now.
Rhodes gazed down at her wrists, he ran his finger over the hair tie. When he looked up, there was something in his face. Sadness?
“I don’t want you to be sad.”
“I won’t be sad if you’re not. As long as you’re happy and healthy. But, Cate, about this hair tie thing . . . ”
“It’s not the same,” she said fiercely. “The pain clears my head.”
“So it’s not to punish yourself for something you believe you did wrong?” Rhodes asked.
She glanced away. Perhaps it was that too.
Reaching out, Rhodes tapped her nose. “Tell me.”
“Maybe that as well. I just . . . I know I make mistakes and say the wrong thing—”
“That does not mean you get to hurt yourself,” Rhodes told her firmly.
“It’s just a small pain.”
“I don’t care.” Rhodes then pulled her sleeve back farther to show the red piece of skin where she’d pinched herself. “What’s this?”
“I pinched myself.”
Rhodes closed his eyes. She hated disappointing him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no.” He opened his eyes, staring down at her intently. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Do you need to talk about it? About how you felt?”
“No.”
Rhodes eyed her for a long moment and she wondered if he was going to push her.
“All right,” he said, backing down, to her relief. “But I think we should call Dr. Miller. All right?”
She guessed that might be for the best. “I’ll call her later.”
“Can I have a hug?” Rhodes opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace, letting him surround her with his love.
“I love you, baby sister.”
“I love you too, big brother,” she replied.
“Let me know if you need me. I’m going to go talk to my publicist. I’ll be in my office.”
He left the room and she turned to Ethan, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout all of that.
However, she had a feeling that was about to change.
49
Cate waited for Ethan to say something, do something.
Instead, he stood there for a long moment. Then he held out his hand. “Come with me.”
He led her back into the closet, closing the door behind them. She sighed with relief. She needed her safe space. Sitting on the large cushion on the floor, he drew her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
Then he just held her.
For a start, she was tense, waiting for him to talk to her, to insist on knowing what was going on.
But he said nothing. And bit by bit she relaxed.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he finally said.
Wait. What?
“I don’t understand. Why are you sorry?” What was she missing?
“Because I left you alone, and I shouldn’t have.”
“You only left for a few moments. And . . . and nothing bad happened.”
He lightly fingered her wrist, tugging slightly at the hair tie.
Cate drew it off, putting it down. All right, maybe something happened.
“I shouldn’t have left you. Although you’ve earned a spanking. Not only did you leave when I told you stay put. But you ran from me. Not to me.” He ran his finger lightly over the spot that she’d pinched. “Although you seem to have punished yourself.”
Cate sucked in a breath.
“I don’t like that. I thought the hair tie thing was about clearing your head. But if it’s about punishing yourself, that’s something else entirely. I know there’s something more to all this.”
There was.
She still didn’t want to tell him, but she knew that she had to.
“Rhodes said something about protocol,” he said. “He needed to see you, that it was protocol. And he seemed scared.”