Mr. King [Book 1]

Thirty-Six

After getting showered and dressed, Katherine was actively making breakfast in the kitchen while Harrison took care of some things in his office. She felt comfort in the fact that he took the time to explain his actions to her. It meant a lot.

She felt happy and sated. The smile on her face was real and the song she hummed came naturally.

"I see you're in one piece this morning. I was a bit worried," she heard Ethan as he came into the kitchen, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"What?" She choked out as her heart began to pound faster in her chest.

Honestly, Ethan didn't even cross her mind through everything that happened the night before. She couldn't even imagine what he must have thought was happening. Actually, she could because she saw it in the way he was looking at her.

"Well, it wasn't hard to come to conclusions about all the noise coming from your room last night. My brother wrecked you, didn't he?" Ethan taunted, bouncing his eyebrows at her. Her stomach turned and her face flushed brightly.

He leaned in a moment later, causing her to stiffen in her place before he whispered in her ear, "And I thought you weren't sleeping with him."

"It's none of your business," she snapped, stepping away from him.

"You're absolutely right, beautiful. I'm just glad someone was able to break through his icy exterior," Ethan commented, smirking devilishly at her. And in that moment she could see that he and Harrison both shared that little bit of darkness in them, even if they weren't biological brothers.

"Are you finished?" She asked him as she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm quite finished," he laughed, holding his hands up in defense.

"Breakfast is almost ready," she said, changing the subject quickly as she turned away from him altogether.

"Fantastic. I'm out of here after," he revealed, causing relief to flood her immediately.

Ethan wasn't terrible. But just having him there made her feel weird, like she couldn't relax in the place she called home.

"Are you?" She asked him.

"I am, love. Headed out to California for a bit."

"While your step-father is recovering from a heart attack?" She asked, turning to cock a judgemental eyebrow at him.

"Hey, that old man doesn't give a shit whether I'm there or not. Notice how I'm not walking around in a business suit talking about mergers and acquisitions? Yeah, that's because, in his eyes, I'm not good enough because I don't carry the King name. I'm not blood. But it's alright, he's a bastard anyway," Ethan explained with a passive shrug of his shoulders.

"Ethan. Have you not gone yet?" Katherine heard Harrison snap at his step-brother.

"Nah, brother. I'm just filling in your girl on the inner workings of our dysfunctional family," Ethan said, smiling jovial at Harrison.

'Your girl'. God, Ethan needed to leave. He was making everything awkward.

Harrison grumbled something incoherent under his breath and walked toward the breakfast bar, taking a seat. Moments later, Katherine placed an omelet in front of each brother – one mushroom and swiss, and one ham and cheddar.

"Good god, mate. Do you eat nothing else?" Ethan asked Harrison with an amused laugh.

"I'm a creature of habit," Harrison said evenly before he took his first bite.

"After five mornings of straight omelets, I'll probably never touch another one," Ethan joked.

"I could have made you something different," Katherine told him.

"He'll be quite fine," Harrison snapped, side-eyeing his brother with an annoyed expression.

...

Ethan left not long after breakfast, his bag already packed and his one way ticket to Los Angeles booked. Harrison seemed relieved to have him gone. Katherine could only imagine why.

"He wasn't so bad to have around," she said to Harrison as he lingered in the kitchen after Ethan left. His eyes narrowed at her and she tensed for a moment.

"You know what I mean," she said to him, waving her hand through the air.

"I was right about why he was here," Harrison said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Katherine asked, feeling confused.

"His getaway to the west coast? Funded by yours truly," he said, pursing his lips distastefully.

"He asked for money?" She asked him.

"Typical Ethan. I shouldn't have expected anything less," Harrison said, nodding his head.

"There must be something redeeming about him. You must have good memories of him to outweigh the disappointments?" She asked him, feeling kind of sad that his relationship with his brother was so rocky.

Harrison closed his eyes for a moment and Katherine caught the small smile on his lips.

"What?" She asked him, eager to know what had him looking so nostalgic.

"When we were younger, we used to... we used to sing a lot. There was always music playing if either of us were home and we kind of just... we kind of just were always singing. Even making up our own songs. Played a few in a band," Harrison admitted.

"A band?" She gasped playfully. The information was eye-opening. It was like he was exposing a little bit of his soul to her and it meant so much. He was so guarded most of the time.

"I mean, we used to mainly sing a whole bunch of old pop songs. But yeah, we had some of our own stuff too. Ethan is quite a good singer," Harrison said, smiling fondly, complimenting his brother for the first time that she heard.

"And what about you?" She asked curiously. She was so intrigued.

She watched as he shrugged his shoulders with a bashful smile gracing his lips.

"I didn't know you could sing," she told him, her eyes wide as she stared back at him with her mouth agape.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Miss Mason," he countered, smiling wryly at her. This she knew all too well.

"Well, now you have to sing for me," she insisted, cocking her eyebrow at him.

"No," he said firmly, shaking his head.

"Yes. Sing for me. Please," she pressed, sticking out her bottom lip to help with her request.

"I have work to do, Miss Mason. I do not have time for singing," he told her as he began to walk away from her.

"Harrison!" She called to him just before he reached his office door.

"Yes, Miss Mason?" He asked, looking back at her.

"I will get you to sing to me, some way, somehow," she promised him.

He let out a light laugh before disappearing into his office, and Katherine was left wondering what she would learn about him next.