Before We Burned - Book One| [Currently Being Rewritten]

CHAPTER NINE

It had been days and Vincent's words were still playing inside my head like a broken record. Pun intended. I had a lot on my plate already and this whole feelings thing didn't exactly help my case. She was obviously making me feel something — something I'd never felt my entire life.

It was crystal clear with everyone else, meaningless sex, lust, good time. With her, I felt good without even touching her skin. Not that I didn't want to but fuck, the girl knew how to get shits out of me. Dare I say, out of the organ that pumps fucking blood. One that I thought I didn't have.

I sighed and stomped out the cigarette in the ashtray. I heard a soft knock on the door and furrowed my eyebrows. That's definitely not Vince.

I headed it to the door and pulled it open. In front of me was none other than Mr. Ken Rivers' wife, my step-mom Lauren. Her gray orbs greeted me with hesitancy. "Hi, Ethan."

I shot her the best tight-lipped smile I could muster up. And then she asked. "May I come in?"

"Sure."

She sauntered to the living room and straightened her floral dress before sitting. I followed suit and flopped down on the couch. "How have you been?"

"Been good. How about you?"

"I've been alright, the usual. How are your studies going?"

This whole formal conversation was far too pretentious. Lauren was a nice woman, I give her that but I was never really interested in establishing any kind of relationship with her, and I figured she took that pretty well. "Top-notch, but I know that's not the reason why you came here. I'd appreciate it if you get straight to the point, Lauren."

She tucked a stray strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear and sighed. "Believe it or not, Ethan. I care about you and what you do with your life. That's why I asked."

I remained silent and shot her a nod. That seemed to be her cue to continue. "I'm here on behalf of your father." Of fucking course. "He figured you'd push him away again if he paid you a visit so we kind of thought it would be better if I came."

"And what for?"

"Well, he wants to have dinner with you sometime. You know, just talk. Father-son topics. The mansion is really empty without you."

If this was another story, in some other parallel universe with a good father-son kind of relationship, then maybe it would pass for a normal request but in fact, the whole thing was as far as it could get from normal.