The Rules of the Red - 2nd Edition |✓|

Chapter Twelve, Part One - Protect And Serve

Monday morning, I rose and showered mechanically. Even my thoughts were muted as I tried not to brood on the Leadership. It would be difficult to sit next to Ethan's father during a meeting, knowing what I knew. But I would do it because I had no choice. That's the way of the road for liars and the company they keep. You could never run towards something, without running away from something else.

I stepped out of the shower, and as I wrapped myself in a large, soft towel I felt a wave of familiar feelings. I paused before the bathroom door, realizing Ethan was close. In fact, he was already in the house. I exchanged my towel for a terry robe, and left the bathroom to wait for him.

He rapped softly on my bedroom door and I called for him to enter. There he was–tall, dark, and handsome, with a bouquet of skinny, purple flowers. The puppy dog eyes matched his mood–apologetic and unhappy. I crossed my arms over my chest and purposefully looked away. I couldn't look him in the face. Those eyes would swallow me if I let them.

"Ethan."

"Hi." He extended the flowers, lowered them, extended them again. He was self-conscious and unsure–odd for a guy with his personality.

"What're you doing here?" I continued to avoid his gaze. "I told Trentley to never let you in."

"Diamond earrings."

My gaze snapped to his. "You bought me diamond earrings?"

"Uh, no. Those were for Trentley--just a few carats, nothing major. I knew I wouldn't get in unless I improvised."

I rolled my eyes. "Remind me to fire her."

"I can buy you diamonds any old time, Noble. But flowers--they're just so much more personal. Especially the ugly ones."

"They are pretty ugly..." Ethan's grin tore my resolve as easily as paper. I sighed. "Look, if you're here to apologize, don't. I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I was in a bad mood the night you called and I snapped at you when I shouldn't have. I was a jerk. I apologize and I didn't mean what I said."

He gave a smile that faded before it could truly begin. "I know, its ok. Mimi, what I did... Tricking you into letting me become your Champion--it was low. And when you yelled at me, I deserved it. But I can't sit through another meeting where we ignore each other. That's not how I want us to be." His shoulders dropped, his heart swelled. "Say you'll be my friend? Please?"

I took a deep breath. Addy was right–I couldn't carry the weight of this anger forever. I had to let it go. "Ok... Ok." Ethan swooped in, dropping the flowers as he enveloped me in a bear hug. I looked down and saw white light glowing in the places our bodies touched–the same light that sparked between our fingers when the Champion's bond was created.

I stiffened. "What--"

"It's alright," he said quietly. Ethan took my hand and held it higher. "We're connecting, that's what the light means."

I stared at the light between our entwined fingers, mesmerized. I never noticed how warm it was... or how much it warmed me on the inside. It was electrifying–like touching cold fire, like falling with your eyes closed, like breathing underwater...

"Um, yeah." I broke away from him and swallowed, hard. The light vanished. "You know what--I should probably ask Mrs. Trentley to put the flowers in water."

"I wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't." Ethan scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat. I broke the moment but he wasn't the only one who was disappointed. "I'll admit they aren't the greatest looking flowers in the world." He stooped to pick them up. "I asked for a different kind but the florist gave me these. They're called hyacinths."