13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lily

C an it be? Can it be that Ethan is a freak? Why would someone have blood bags in their fridge? Is that the reason he yelled at me on my very first day because I almost opened his fridge? Is he hiding something? I am not sure, but I feel like he is.

My mind is racing, and I feel like I have to do something, anything. I must find answers to this. Arial. I have to call Arial. I can't think of a better person than her to talk to about this.

I dial her number, and she doesn't take long to pick up. My hands are shaking, and I can barely hold the phone. I hope she doesn't hear the crack in my voice. I am not even sure whether it is fear or just anxiety, but my voice doesn't seem to be under my control.

"Hey, Arial, you there?"

"Yes, is everything okay?" She can obviously sense something is wrong.

"I am not sure. Do you mind if you stop by my place? I really need your opinion on something," I say and sigh.

"I'm just getting off work, Lily. I'll be right there," she says and hangs up before I can say anything else.

It's almost eight at night, and the storm is not making things better. I hate the dark, and I hate this weather. As I pace the room, every creak of the floorboards and howl of the wind outside makes me jump.

‘What if Ethan finds out what I'm doing?' The thought sends a shiver down my spine.

I glance at the clock, the seconds ticking by painfully slow. Arial can't get here soon enough. I need her calm presence and rational mind to help me sort through this mess.

Finally, there is a knock at the door. I rush to open it, relief flooding through me at the sight of Arial's familiar face.

"Thank you for coming," I say, my voice trembling.

"Of course, Lily. Now, tell me what's going on," she replies, stepping inside.

"I am not sure where to start," I say, running my hand through my hair.

"I am here for you, Lily. You can tell me anything. You look pale. Has the Rothschild guy done something to you?" she asks, seeming worried.

"No. No, he hasn't. I am afraid I have."

"What have you done Lily? It must be something serious because I am not the biggest fan of your facial expression right now."

"Let us just say that I looked around his office and took something that I was not supposed to."

"Such as?" she asks, obviously impatient.

I hesitate for a minute, making Arial lose her patience, but I eventually go to my purse and place a couple of blood bags on the table. Arial stares at them, her eyes widening in shock.

"Why are those blood bags there? That's a blood bank, Lily!" she exclaims.

"Well, you see, this is the reason Ethan wanted me to stay away from his fridge. He's been having those in there for God knows how long," I say, and it suddenly feels like a burden has been lifted off my chest.

"And why did you go snooping around his fridge in the first place, Lily?" she questions.

"Because I don't know! Just because I could? Because I have an eye for anything abnormal, I guess."

"Lily, this is wrong. You should not go around looking for things that are not yours. There are rules, rules we all live by."

"We practically spent the entire day together today. Ethan and me. He ended up dragging me to the company's storage units and I couldn't help but notice a weird-looking box in the basement. As I approached it to take a look, he went crazy on me."

"Maybe he didn't want you approaching it. Such matters are extremely sensitive in pharmaceutical companies."

"But why was he so freaked out about it? It is almost like he is hiding something."

"How do you know he is hiding something? Are you sure of that?"

"Because he wouldn't let me see the box and he avoided me for the rest of the day. I did the work that I was required to do and went looking for him in his office, but he was nowhere to be found. There was just the goddamn fridge, slightly open."

"Okay, then maybe you should ask him about it when you see him again. Give him a chance to explain himself. Try to understand him. Don't jump to conclusions, and trust me, he will tell you the truth. Always."

"Why would someone keep blood bags in a fridge? I just don't get it."

"It is a massive pharmaceutical company, Lily. It is normal to keep some supplies in fridges. They store drugs and medicines in such places, remember?"

"But why does Ethan have to store blood in his fridge? In his office? Why not in the laboratory?"

"Who knows? Perhaps the man is so invested in his work that he wants a close eye on everything that happens around the company. Some people are just like that. They take their work seriously."

"You seem to know a lot about pharmaceutical companies," I remark.

Arial shrugs, and then says. "Anyway, let's get back to the matter at hand. You should place these blood bags back where you found them, Lily."

"I think you're right," I nod. I can't help but feel terrified. I need to know what Ethan is doing with these blood bags, even though it isn't any of my business.

"But you have to promise me one thing, Lily."

"Yes?"

"You promise me that you won't tell anyone else about this. And you must get this topic out of your head. Understand?"

"I have no idea why you are being so discreet about this, Arial. But yes, sure thing. I have enough to deal with already. I don't need to burden myself with business that aren't mine."

Arial smiles. She seems content with my answer, even when it is fake. I am not giving up on solving this. Ethan needs to give me the real answers. He needs to tell me what he is up to.

"As much as I'd love to stay, I really need to get going," Arial says.

"So soon?"

"It's been a very long day and I need an even longer rest," Arial says, rubbing her eyes together. She does not look exhausted. I wonder if she is avoiding me. I have been too much lately on her.

"Sure, Arial."

"Before I go, do you mind if I use your laptop to send an email to work? It is urgent and I left mine at the office."

"Yeah, sure. I mean-" I look around me before I suddenly realize that I haven't brought my laptop back to my place.

The thought feels like a burning knife in my stomach. My laptop is still in Ethan's car.

"On second thought, I guess I left mine at work too," I say.

‘How could I forget it? I cannot function without my laptop.' It doesn't make me feel better that I left it in Ethan's car too.

"That's fine, Lily. Anyways, I really need to get going," she says as she stands up.

I walk Arial to the door. As much as I want her to stay, I understand that she has to sleep. I, too, need to stay alone for a couple of hours.

"Call me anytime you need a friend, Lily. I will always be here for you. And please, stop overthinking," Arial whispers softly as she hugs me.

"Thank you, Arial," I reply. I am not convinced by anything, but I do appreciate her support.

As I place my hand on the door handle, a knock startles me. It is loud, and it almost seems like the person behind it is trying to break in.

"God, what the hell?" I rush to push the door open, and I immediately freeze.

There, standing in front of me, is a familiar face, but it looks nothing like how I last saw it. Ethan. His wavy hair is slicked down, and he has dark circles under his eyes. He looks dishevelled and stressed out.

"Ethan?" I say, hand placed on my heart.

"Lily," he says back, and gestures to my laptop in his hand.

"Well, well. If it isn't Ethan Rothschild himself," Arial says.

"Ethan, this is Arial, my best friend. Arial, this is Ethan- good gracious. You know who this is."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rothschild," Arial says, revealing a genuine smile.

Ethan on the other hand doesn't say anything. He just nods and fakes a smile.

"Well, I better be going, Lily. Call you tomorrow?" Arial says.

"Yes. "Yes, for sure," I swallow and nod at her as she leaves.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?" I ask, confused, and frightened at the same time. I have never seen him looking like this. Ever.

"I had to see you. I left your laptop in my car," he says and pushes the door open.

"Well, I-"

"Invite me in, Lily."

"Yes. Yes, of course. Come on in," I say, but before I finish my sentence, Ethan shuts the door behind him and locks it. He walks toward me and grabs my hands. I shrink away from him.

"Don't run away from me, Lily. I know your secret now," he breathes in my ear.

"Ethan, what are you doing?"

"So, you are the little online dating blogger after all, aren't you? And you had the nerve to deny it repeatedly?" he asks, raising his voice.

"Ethan, you are obviously drunk."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What? What are you talking about?" I stutter, trying to pull away from him.

"Don't play dumb with me, Lily. Just say it. Say the words. It is not like I am going to tell anyone."

"Have you been drinking?" I ask as I take a step away from him. I try to push him off, but he won't budge.

"Do I look drunk to you?" he finally let go of my arms.

"No. Of course not."

"God, I am just thirsty. Just so thirsty."

"Thirsty for blood, Ethan?" I boldly say, gesturing to the couple of blood bags on my table.

"It's you, aren't it? You're the one who has broken into my office. Do you know how illegal that is, Lily?"

"And is it not illegal to keep blood packs inside your personal fridge? What are these for, Ethan?" I challenge him. He is avoiding eye contact with me. I know he is hiding something from me.

"It is nothing, Lily. Please."

"It is something. It must be something."

"Lily, it's- it's complicated."

"Complicated? What could possibly be complicated about having blood bags in your fridge? Whose are they if they are not yours? Are you hurt?" I say, my voice slowly rising out of frustration.

"No, I'm not hurt. It's not like that."

"Then explain it to me! Because right now, it looks bad."

"Lily, you must trust me. There are things about me that you don't understand," Ethan says after taking a deep breath.

"How can I trust you when you're hiding things from me? Just tell me the truth, Ethan!"

"Lily, I'm not like other people."

"Oh, really? What are you, a vampire or something?"

"Yes. I am."

"What?" I ask, feeling my heart sink into my stomach.

"I am a vampire, Lily. The blood in the fridge, it's mine. I need it to survive," he says as he steps towards me.

"This... this is insane. How could you not tell me this?" I say, backing away, unable to believe anything he says.

"It is not usual, is it?"

"Wait, have you been like this for too long?" I ask. It suddenly makes sense why he'd left me before.

"Since the day I left you. I wanted to protect you. I didn't want to scare you away. I thought if you knew the truth, you would leave me."

"Ethan, this is too much. I need time to process this."

"Please, Lily. Don't walk away from me. I still love you. I never wanted to hurt you."

My brain freezes at the words coming out of his mouth.

"Ethan, please. I need some space. This is a lot to take in."

"I understand. Just, please, don't shut me out completely," he grabs both of my hands and places them on his neck.

He leans forward and kisses my forehead. His eyes are glassy and unfocused. Something doesn't feel right.

"Ethan, please," I ask, panic rising in my chest.

"If you are scared of being hurt, I will never hurt you. I can never. Never. I promise you, Lils."

"How is this possible?" I shake my head. I need to get him away from me.

"It is, Lily. It just is. And I'm sorry if I've disappointed you. But I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself to you," he says, and leans in to kiss me.

The kiss is soft and tender. A gentle reminder of what we used to share. It's heart-warming, yet I need a lot of time to process so many things.

As much as I want to break free from his grasp, something inside me just craves him more. I want him close to me. No matter how many times I resist his touch, my body gives in to his kiss every single time.

"Don't be scared. No more secrets between us."

"Do you promise?"

"On my dead heart."

My heartbeat accelerates as he kisses me, sending electric signals through my entire body. Everything slows down around me.

His lips leave mine and trail along my jawline until they reach my earlobe. With gentle force, he grazes it with his teeth. I can suddenly feel the sharpness of his teeth.

"I love the way your body reacts to mine," he whispers.

"It is just fear, Ethan. Damn it," I say, inhaling his mouth-watering scent.

It smells of sandalwood and manly sweat mixed. It makes me fall for him even harder than before. My body feels like it's turning to liquid.

"You are mine, remember?"

"That is a very dangerous thing to say."

"But you are, Lily Snow. You have always been mine and forever will be," he says as he grabs my thighs, placing his hand between them.

"Fuck, you're so cold."

"I am craving you. I need to feel you on top of me again."

He slowly walks back towards the couch, offering me to climb on top of him. He places his arm behind my waist and pulls me against him, lifting my dress over my head. He cups my face with his hand and stares into my eyes.

"Don't worry. I will take care of you."

I know what he means, but the fear inside me won't go away. I'm frozen in place.

"Come here," he grabs my hips, urging me to move closer to him.

"God, I can't resist you."

"Just relax, darling. I won't hurt you. Trust me."

His grip around my waist tightens as he raises his hips. He wraps his arms around my waist, moving my body gently up and down his cock.

"I really missed you, but I just wish you'd told me about all of this before."

"Just, please. Forget it. For now, at least. I need to feel your walls clench around me, Lily."

I nod, giving in to him. His strong fingers glide along my spine, pushing me forward. He lowers himself, making sure I'm well-seated on top of him. He slips his tongue in my mouth and sucks on my bottom lip.

"You're driving me crazy."

"We're going to do this every time we argue."

"Is that so? I'll keep that in mind."

He thrusts upwards, piercing my core and causing me to gasp.

"Oh, fuck! That feels so good."

I bite my lower lip as he keeps sliding deeper into me. Each thrust causes intense pleasure, my pussy tightening around him. I can barely hold back anymore. The excitement has taken over. Every part of me aches for release. I need to feel him come inside me.

"Don't hold back, baby. Let go," he moans, kissing my neck.

"Ethan!"

The moment I yell his name, my orgasm rushes through my body. My body quivers as he slams into me repeatedly, making me whimper.

He smiles at me, but his facial expression suddenly changes when he glances at his phone ringing.

"Oh no," he says.